Music for Charity

All the following pieces were written for, or inspired by charities…

 

If you have a concert or recital close to one of the charities’ ‘annual awareness days’, why not include in a programme, or hold a collection at the concert ? 

 

… Or if a piano piece, encourage pupils to play… or simply learn yourself and make a donation to the charity… music really can make a difference… (100% of royalties from sales of these pieces, and any from performances that are registered with the PRS (PLEASE do register your performance with the PRS) will be donated to the relevant charities.


Click on the images to look inside, hear, find out more and buy downloads.

Imagine Main

This piece has specifically been written to raise both funds and awareness of Parkinson’s. Download the music for just £1.00, and help raise funds for this charity. Every penny to Parkinson’s UK. 

If you do not play the piano, a recording is also available here.

 

Please share this music in your concerts, in your teaching, in your homes for friends, …so we can raise as much as we can…. HOPE IS IN OUR HANDS…

 

Here is a video of the piece with the reasons why we are raising funds for Parkinson’s.

 

I will post updates on this site of how much we are raising. 

 

Three levels, to suit all abilities.

Beginners (approx. UK grade 1/2)  

Intermediate (approx. UK grade 5/6) 

Advanced (approx. UK grade 7/8)

A Youtube video of the piece (intermediate) can be seen here.

 

Imagine

"Melody of Hope"

Starlight

TO SUPPORT “THE STARLIGHT CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION” 

or 

MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION” 

 

Starlight SSA (harp pno glock acc.)

Starlight SSA (orchestral acc.)

 

 

This work was written for The Starlight Children’s Foundation, and also Make a Wish Foundation:  both charities that grant “wishes” in the form of an outing, a visit from a celebrity, (as two examples) to children and young people who are seriously or terminally ill.

 

 

It is MY wish, that this piece will be performed to bring attention to, and raise funding for these charities. I hope that concerts using this piece, whether it be by ticket sales or retiring collection will contribute to their fundraising. 

 

 

All royalties from the sale of the score and any performances will be donated to these charities.

 

 

PLEASE CONSIDER PERFORMING THIS FOR THE CHARITIES

 

If you do purchase and perform the work, would you be good enough to send me details: maybe even a recording? It would be wonderful to know the work was achieving its purpose! 

TO SUPPORT “THE LOST CHORD”

 

This piece (for male voice choir, soprano, (small tenor solo)  and flute has been written for the “LOST CHORD” charity, which takes music into care homes and hospitals, to those living with dementia. Recitals to groups and one-to-one playing provide vital communication to those who have very often lost all means to communicate. It opens up channels of communication, and sees people who could no longer walk or speak, dancing and singing. The most moving story I heard, was of a lady in the late stages of dementia, who had lain curled up in bed for many months. A flautist played Edelweiss by her bed side: the lady was seen to be tapping her index finger in time with the music. A truly remarkable and beautiful story.

 

 

The lyrics for the music have been loosely based on one of my poems, which likens music to an angel. An angel that liberates and frees the very soul and being….

 

 

It is hoped that this piece of music, by whatever means, will raise both awareness of and funds for the charity.

These two short pieces were written for the charity PAPYRUS – for the prevention of teenage suicide. On 8th June 2019, I gave a four hour piano play, (much of which was improvisation) in aid of this charity.The first piece: The week before the charity piano play, I was thinking about the charity and all that it meant, whilst improvising at home. I recorded this improvisation and later wrote it down from the recording.

 

 

The second of the two pieces was the last improvisation at the end of the four hours. I was alone at the piano in the church where I was improvising and was thinking about the young people that the charity helps….

 

 

Samples of both pieces are on the recording sample.

 

All monies made by the composer for either sale or performance of these pieces or royalties, will go to the charity.

 

 

I would love them to be performed, as it would also help draw publicity to the charity.

 

Listen here:

 

Written for Papyrus

 

Improvisation on thoughts of the Papyrus charity

 

This piece was written after the terrible and tragic typhoon that hit the Philippines in 2013.

 

Although in 2013, sadly, there are always many such disasters in the Philippines and so all money from the sale of this piece will be donated to Rehabilitation for Typhoon Victims.

philippinecharities.com. 

This piece was an improvisation in 2014 which I had played at a local arts and crafts exhibition. I was playing the piano there (mostly improvising) as a contribution to the exhibition and found myself improvising this, in response to the unfolding, devastating crisis in Syria.


I remembered the improvisation enough to be able to notate it afterwards. All monies received from the sale of this piece will therefore be donated to the British Red Cross Syria Crisis Appeal.


The piece opens with a simple, quietly sad melody. Within a few bars the octaves, soon with added dissonances seemed to me to represent the relentlessness of the situation and the terrible painful, deep sorrow of it. The music builds slowly to a fortissimo, still with the painful dissonances added to the octaves, gradually quietening to a pitiful pianissimo at the ends. 

26 Pieces for Flute (solo, duets with other instruments)

The Story behind these pieces…

This set of twenty six piece for flute, either as a solo instrument, or in duet with other instruments has been written as a “fundraiser” for #26forsoph campaign.

 

I had a wonderful opportunity to play alongside, and subsequently write two pieces for, a talented Royal Marine horn player. It was in 2024, that I learned that her close friend, also a Marine musician, had been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease: shockingly aged just 26 .I saw that funds were being raised, and I wanted to help. All the fundraising efforts were being centred around the number 26, she age Sophie was when she was diagnosed. Marine friends were climbing mountains, walking miles, but I decided that I had to do something, so decided to write 26 miniatures, each of exactly 26 bars, for flute, one of Sophie’s instruments, as solo or in combination with other instruments as duets. There are also solos for other members of the flute family: piccolo, as well as alto flute. 

 

I hope that these pieces may be useful for flautists, allowing them the enjoyment playing duets alongside other instrumentalists who may be friends, or in a concert setting, and my wish is that they raise funds and awareness for MND.

Helping the charity.... through creation and performance of music

I also hope that in a concert setting, a programme note about the story behind these pieces may be spoken or printed, to raise awareness for Motor Neurone Disease. If you think you can make a concert with these pieces in aid of the charity, that would be an amazing thing.

 

All money from the sale of these pieces will go to The Motor Neurone Disease Association.

CONCERTO 26

After I had completed them, I added a second movement, to allow for them being able to be played in an orchestral concert: “Concerto 26”, where the first movement is comprised of all the solos, and the second movement combines those particular instruments. (There is also a version where the second movement uses all the instruments that would likely to be present in a classical orchestra set up).