Classical and Jazz: Preview - Whittington Hospital Charity Concert, Tuesday December 7
Published: 25 November, 2010
by SEBASTIAN TAYLOR
LESLEY Garrett, one of our finest opera divas and certainly one of the country’s most popular singers, is leading a music extravaganza early next month to raise money for Whittington Hospital’s £100,000 elderly care appeal.
The fundraiser is being held on Tuesday December 7, at the Kings Place arts venue in York Way, King’s Cross, starting at 7.30pm.
“The WH is our family’s local hospital and I have visited it many times for everything ranging from my son’s broken arm to my regular cholesterol check,” she says. “It is a fantastic hospital and a vital part of the local community. It has enjoyed generous investment in recent years and has a fabulous A&E department.
“But some areas still need re-developing which why I am really pleased to be taking part in this concert and I hope we will raise a good amount of money on the night.”
Appropriately enough, two relatively new choirs made up of young singers will also be singing along with Lesley Garrett to raise funds for the care of older people.
All Angels is an all-girl foursome specialising in four-part harmonies structured around classical, opera and pop tunes while Eschoir is a much larger young male vocal group recruited through Facebook only a year ago.
Other performers include accomplished flautist Ann Miller and pianist Stephen King.
The concert is raising money for Whittington Hospital’s Care of Older People Appeal to improve and expand the hospital facilities used by elderly people with dementia and memory problems, strokes, cardiovascular illnesses and physiotherapy needs after falls and breaks.
Currently, about 1,500 day patients visit the hospital each year and this number is expected to top 2,000 in two years’ time.
An important aspect of the hospital’s plan is to make the unit more accessible by moving it to the ground floor close to the entrance/exit doors.
• Whittington Hospital Charity Concert, Tuesday December 7, Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1, 020 7520 1490, www.kingsplace.co.uk, 7.30pm, £40