Musical Moments in May 2025: Charity Concert Featuring Choirs & Paul Whittaker

Welcome and Charity Focus

• 💡 The event, Musical Moments in May, was sponsored by Gaggia UK.
• 🎯 The concert served as a fundraiser for the Riziki Children’s Organisation in Kenya, supporting children's homes and education.
• 🤝 Proceeds also benefited the Aenon Trust, with supporters joining from various locations, including Sri Lanka and Cheshire.

Featured Performers

• 🎤 The afternoon showcased performances by the Gledholt Male Voice Choir and the Marsh Ladies Choir.
• 🎶 Thom Meredith expertly guided the audience through the music as both compere and soloist.
• 👏 A special highlight was the appearance of Paul Whittaker OBE and the Musical Hands Signing Choir.

Musical Hands Signing Choir

• 🧠 The Musical Hands Signing Choir, originally known as Paul's Signing Choir, has been active for approximately 10 years.
• 🧩 This unique choir unites Deaf and hearing members who share an interest in British Sign Language (BSL) and enjoy signing songs.
• ✅ Paul Whittaker emphasized that participating in a signing choir is an optimal way to learn BSL, as it requires focusing on translation, meaning, vocabulary, music, rhythm, emotion, and character.
• 🎵 Their repertoire included popular songs such as "Oh What a Night," "Rainbow Connection" from The Muppets movie, and the moving Scottish folk song "Follow the Heron."

Choir and Soloist Performances

• 🎼 The Marsh Ladies Choir performed a diverse selection, including pieces from "Cabaret," "Another Day," "Dream a Little Dream of Me," and "One Singular Sensation."
• 🎤 Thom Meredith delivered powerful solo performances of "Lord God of Abraham" from Mendelssohn's Elijah and "It Was a Lover and His Lass" from a Shakespeare song cycle.
• 🏆 The Gledholt Male Voice Choir presented "Stouthearted Men," "One Moment in Time" (a promotional song for the 1988 Summer Olympics), "Hymne à l'amour" (associated with the 2024 Olympics), and "World in Union" (a Rugby World Cup anthem based on Gustav Holst's Jupiter).