It
started with a song, it ends with a song
Growing up like most in Glasgow, New Year’s
parties at home ended with songs. I used to watch and listen to my dad sing
songs from Perry Como, to Frank Sinatra, to Roberta Flack. And anytime he sung
a love song, no matter how crowded a room, his eyes fixed solely to my mum with
a love for each other I’m so glad I witnessed. Parties when I was young always
finished with a song.
Many years later I worked in music, travelling
the world for over 25 years with many different artists and bands. That’s where
I first met Mark from Regular Music and HIPSWAY, who will be arranging
and playing at our Concert
for Caring on April 6th. My working days and nights both
started and finished with songs.
After 25 years touring, I returned to Glasgow
for a short break at first for myself, then unexpectedly and unprepared to care
for my late mum Joan who lived the last years of her life with dementia.
During our darkest days over those nearly six
years, when my mum was often scared and I felt quite hopeless and we felt
alone, by accident and wishing my dad was here to help us, I sang to my mum one
morning, a Perry Como song ‘For the Good Times’. My mum’s eyes lit up and I knew,
I knew in my heart mum was remembering my dad and suddenly we both felt less
alone, less scared and I felt less hopeless. And every time from then on when
either of us was scared I would sing one of those songs.
Since my mum’s passing, as part of my role as
UK Project Lead at the ALLIANCE I’ve been on a tour across the UK giving more
than 850 talks to approximately 170,000 people. 22,500
people have pledged to make a difference, celebrating people, champions,
who dedicate their lives to care for others. Every talk on that tour has ended
with a song.
This tour ends on the last day of March 2019
and part of our ALLIANCE Concert for Caring is to celebrate the people we have
met along with the songs.
On April 6th 2019 at the Glasgow
Royal Concert Hall, I suppose in many ways it all started with a song and it
will end with a song.
Come and join us and sing for love, kindness,
care and celebrate people in song. Let’s end the evening together in song.
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