Our special concert in St Paul's Church, Winchester, on Sat Sept 30th, celebrating our 15th anniversary, went off with a significant BANG! Incase you couldn't join us, here's a couple of photos from a simply incredible event. One of our aims was to raise some funding towards the next 15 years. There's an increasing demand for our highly valued music therapy service. Any contribution you can make will be very gratefully received. Thank you!
Energising a full audience at our Celebration was, Rubik’s Cube from Osborne School, Winchester, who opened the evening of music with a significant WOW factor!
Guest of honour Winchester Mayor, Cllr. Angela Clear here posing with performers including acclaimed international star singer and Key Changes patron Roderick Williams - back row 4th from left [see below].
Here's a clip of some performers rehearsing with Roddy.
And here's a series of snapshots on the performers and the music...
Focus on Roderick Williams, highly acclaimed baritone, broadcaster and composer. We are extremely fortunate to have Roddy as our Patron and joining our celebration, treating the audience to a short recital including solo songs and songs with choir. Roderick performs with all the major orchestras and opera houses in UK and beyond. Did you watch The Coronation? If so, you will have seen Roddy perform a solo there, and he was also a soloist at this year's BBC Proms, in Mendelssohn's oratorio Elijah, in the Albert Hall.
String Quartet...
Sarah, Matthew, Amelia (Key Changes music therapist) and Wendy are a group of friends who have performed with one another in a variety of groups for many years. They were pleased to come together to play some of their favourite music for this celebration. They are going to play two contrasting pieces originally arranged and performed by The Danish String Quartet on their second album from 2017. The first is peaceful, and they hope the second will get a few toes tapping!
Rubik’s Cube – is a performance group from Osborne School in Winchester, where Key Changes have been providing music therapy for more than 10 years. Recent appearances have included the Royal Albert Hall!
Birthday Concert Choir – This group consists of local musicians and friends of Key Changes, who have supported the charity with carol singing and other fundraising efforts. It includes computer experts, an engineer, some teachers and a barrister. Pieces are chosen from past programmes of concerts we have given in a variety of venues from Hampshire to the Highlands, showing how diverse and expressive choral singing, and choral singers, can be.
Piano and violin duet...
Pianist Susannah - Key Changes Music Therapist and violinist Paul have been playing together for many years in various groups. Their musical focus has been mainly jazz and folk, but they like to explore music of other genres too. When the idea for this concert was hatched, Paul had just made his arrangement of “I Giornio” - their concert item.
Susannah provides outreach therapy at Lanterns Nursery:
"We feel so lucky to be able to offer music therapy to some of our children. For children whose communication and social skills are at an early stage of development it provides a joyous way in and a way of promoting the essential building blocks of interaction and communication... The children blossom on their musical journey...
Debbie's harp.
A duet for 2 harps will feature Debbie Bowie - Key Changes therapist, now retired (also in the item below) and Owain Clarke - Key Changes therapist, working with children and adults. Owain provides outreach therapy to several organisations in the New Forest, Southampton and Winchester areas, including Winchester Well-being:
“ …the therapist has managed to restore some of my lost confidence …and has restored some sense of hope for the future.”
Key Changes drum improvisation As well as providing therapy to many sections of the community, Key Changes also offers support and development opportunities to the music therapy profession. There is an annual conference, always with a focused theme, offering a space for learning, discussion, networking and creativity. The conferences are highly respected in the music therapy world – the next one, on November 18th, is titled “The Sooner The Better”, looking at the value of early intervention to support young people. Not just for therapists – everyone is welcome! Each conference opens with a musical “welcome” from the Key Changes team – here’s a taste.
Leigh’s vocal solo
Owain will also accompany Leigh as she sings two of her favourite songs, which talk about love, reflection and friendship. Like Owain, Leigh is also a music therapist, and she also works as a therapy coordinator, alongside Beccy.
Beccy's ensemble in rehearsal
'He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven', by Martin Read, 1992, words by W.B. Yeats.
In 1992, Susannah Wettone (Key Changes therapist), was 16 and already a fine clarinettist. Martin Read, head of music at her School and 6th Form College, was commissioned to set Yeats words to celebrate a wedding, wrote this with Susannah's clarinet-playing in mind, with Beccy Read (Key Changes co-ordinator) solo voice. 2 College students sang the other vocal parts. In 2022, marking a decade since Martin’s untimely death, Susannah and Beccy performed it again, with Alex Ling - piano (a past student of Martin’s), Debbie Bowie – voice (Key Changes therapist), and Alice Wettone – voice (16) – a generation on - our concert line-up.
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The concert, in the presence of Winchester's Mayoress, will showcase the musical talents of the Key Changes therapists, and will include a performance by Rubik’s Cube - a rock performance group from Osborne School, Winchester, where Key Changes has provided music therapy for over 10 years.
We are thrilled to have amongst us, to celebrate our 15-year milestone, our patron Roderick Williams, acclaimed baritone, composer and broadcaster. Reguarly heard broadcasting and performing on the radio, at The Coronation and at The BBC Proms, amazingly Roddy will soon be with us in person, treating the audience to a set of solo songs and songs with choir, singing to support Key Changes!
As well as celebrating an important milestone in our charity’s development, we are keen to raise funds to enable vital projects to continue.
Whether or not you are able to join us on Sept 30th, thank you for any support you can give.
For tickets to the live event: 15th Birthday Celebration Concert Tickets, Sat 30 Sep 2023 at 19:30 | Eventbrite