Brentwood School soloists boost charity coffers

Brentwood School singers Owen Romhany and Benjamin O'Riordan were in fine voice over the Easter holidays helping to raise funds through solo performances at two charity concerts.

The boys were invited soloists for two consecutive Saturday night charity concerts: the 'Third Hope Requiem', at St Andrew’s Church, Hertford, and the 'Bra-vissima' concert: 'A Sacred Serenade' with Julia Wilson-James' Ladies’ Choir, at St Mary the Virgin, Brentwood.

Both concerts were a great success and Second Year Owen, and Benjamin, a Third Year, said they were ‘honoured to have been asked to take part’.

The 'Third Hope Requiem' raised £1116 for the Child Soldiers of Northern Uganda, a charity which is building a village in Northern Uganda where ex-child soldiers can learn, train, heal and rediscover hope for their future and hope for the restoration of their communities.

Owen explained: ‘The composer of the work, David Salmon, works with his wife to develop a programme of healing, including the use of music as a therapy. The concert was free to attend, but all the profits from the retiring collection went straight to the charity. During the concert, images were shown on a big screen; some were very hard-hitting.’

The 'Bra-vissima' concert: 'A Sacred Serenade' raised £999 for the Little Havens Hospice, which provides care for children who are life-limited, life-threatened or have palliative care needs, meaning their life may be shortened.

The Brentwood pupils joined with the choir to sing: Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s 'Pie Jesu', 'Laudate Dominum' – Mozart, and Hear My Prayer (O for the Wings of a Dove) – Mendelssohn. For their solos, Benjamin sang 'Panis Angelicus' and Owen sang 'Where-er you Walk' by Handel.

Well done to both boys.