Unable to host their usual autumn and winter events, the Huish Music Department sought new ways to come together this Christmas to share their joy of music and to raise funds for Love Musgrove – in a year where our hospitals have gone above and beyond to care for their community.
Love Musgrove is the official charity of Musgrove Park Hospital, in Taunton, and fund items not covered by the NHS. The Christmas Change 2020 Appeal is asking the public to consider donating the money they would regularly spend attending public events in the festive season to the charity to support the wellbeing of staff and patients this Christmas time.
The collection plates at Richard Huish College concerts are always generously filled by those enjoying the performances of the talented musicians and so the college decided to join the campaign, asking their usual audiences to visit the Love Musgrove Just Giving page to find out more and consider making a donation: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/christmaschange2020.
Huish students were keen to find safe ways to use their musical talents to further support the charity. Huish artists, saferinthecity (Harry Paynter) and Olivia Price were the first in line to spread Christmas cheer, writing and producing their own Christmas track. Their song ‘Every 25th (This Christmas)’ can be downloaded/streamed on Spotify, Apple Music or iTunes – please visit @every25 | Linktree.
Every play of the recording sees proceeds go directly to Love Musgrove. The students performed their song at the front of the college on Christmas Jumper Day (December 11) for their fellow students as they arrived off their morning buses.
Huish Music also joined the National Doorstep Challenge on December 16. Coordinated by BBC radio stations, singing enthusiasts across the country carolled on their doorstep at 6pm in the evening, singing from downloaded song sheets to the radio accompaniment for their neighbours.
Participants shared their photos and videos on social media (#doorstepcarols) with Huish encouraging those who joined in to spare a thought for the great work of Love Musgrove.
In place of their usual Carol Concert this year musicians at Huish produced a short film of socially distanced performances filmed at the college and created a virtual performance of Troika from their homes. The end results can be viewed on at www.huish.ac.uk/huishmusiclovemusgrove.
The films are a dedicated thank you to the NHS and all the staff at Musgrove Park Hospital for the extra lengths they have gone to in 2020 to look after our community – with viewers encouraged to donate to Love Musgrove at https://www.lovemusgrove.org.uk/.
As a final festive treat for the Autumn Term, Huish staff starred in a rendition of Jingle Bells filled with costumes and laughs as a thank you to their students for the creativity and perseverance they continue to demonstrate as they produce phenomenal work.
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