How much have we raised so far?
For UK-MED: more than £4400 (cash and estimated online donations)
For Music Action International: £879 (cash donations)
Additional online donations to be confirmed and added later.
Last update: 11th May 2025
Thanks to all of you for being so incredibly generous and supporting live music concerts at the same time. With additional online donations, these figures will be even higher, but this is what has been paid to the charities so far from donations at those events.
Donations towards concert expenses are at the end of this webpage, along with details.
Would you like a fund-raising concert in your area?
If you feel that you could help to attract an audience of around 50 or more people to a fundraising concert in your area, please send a message to Laurence Perkins via the CONTACT form on this website (click this link). The concert could be a solo 'Reflections' performance (see the sampler video) or possibly an ensemble concert (depending on practicalities). The proposed venue would have to be made available free of charge. Admission would be free, with donations to the two charities (see details below). The concert could be a lunchtime, 'rush-hour' (early evening) or an evening concert - again, depending on practicalities. No performers take any fee for this, but a contribution towards essential expenses would be a huge help.
Do get in touch - click HERE to send a message. Supporting vital work in
UKRAINE
GAZA
and many other areas of conflict and natural disaster around the world.
Click for more details (below):
Why are we are doing this?
Below is a BBC Television news report from 2024 about UK-MED's work in Gaza. These are amazing people who put their lives at risk to help those are injured or require urgent medical treatment in war zones where facilities have frequently been destroyed by bombings. It is a similar situation in Ukraine and other areas - they need our support to continue their work.
Watch / listen to the concert from
Great St. Mary's Church, Cambridge
on 24th February 2025
(the third anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine)
Video 1 of 2 (50 minutes)
Mozart - Serenade in B flat, K.361 'Gran Partita'
Video 2 of 2 (34 minutes)
Lysenko - 'Prayer for Ukraine'
and
Bach - Chaconne in D minor
(version for flute and bassoon)
plus spoken introductions
As you watch and listen to this concert, please give a donation to the two charities which are being supported by this and other 'Peace and Freedom' fundraising concerts.
For details of the charities, please click the logos below.
For UK-MED donations, please click HERE
For Music Action International donations, please click HERE
All the musicians in this concert (and the performance in Manchester on 19th February) gave their services without fee.
It was 25 years ago
This video looks back at the dawn of the new Millennium, with images of the English Lake District taken by Laurence Perkins on 35mm film on 1st January 2000. It is set to the music 'Venus, the Bringer of Peace' from 'The Planets' by Gustav Holst, performed by players on the Wind Serenades course in Schwarzwald, Germany at a live concert in September 2023.
If you have enjoyed this video, please do three things:
- Donate to UK-MED and/or Music Action International (click on these blue links, details of the charities are below on this page) to help their outstanding humanitarian work.
- Make a note of scheduled live concerts, and come along if you can.
- Please share this page and social media posts (see below for links) with family and friends, asking them to do that same.
Many thanks!
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow Laurence on Facebook / Bluesky / LinkedIn / Instagram / Twitter (X)
Click the blue links to go directly to the relevant pages, and click 'follow' or 'friend request'
(All these social media pages are used only for musical purposes and relevant subjects)
Recent concert dates and venues
November and December 2024 tour,
including historic English churches
plus ensemble performances in 2025
MOZART
Serenade in B flat K.361
'Gran Partita'
J.S.BACH
Chaconne in D minor
LYSENKO
Prayer for Ukraine
Manchester
Wednesday 19th February 2025 in the Whitworth Hall, University of Manchester
Cambridge
Monday 24th February 2025 in Great St. Mary's Church, Cambridge
This concert took place on the third anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.
Watch the concert from Cambridge on video - see top of this webpage.
Edinburgh
Sunday 26th January 2025
Canongate Church
Mozart: Clarinet Concerto (soloist: Kenneth Knox) and Symphony No. 38 'Prague' - Wind Serenaders conducted by Laurence Perkins
LONDON
21 November 2024
Apothecaries Hall, Blackfriars Lane
(built in 1672)
'Reflections' solo concert performance
MANCHESTER
23 November 2024
Emmanuel Church, Didsbury
'Reflections' solo concert performance
plus a performance of Dvorak Serenade in D minor, Op.44 for winds, cello and bass, with the South Manchester Chamber Ensemble conducted by Laurence Perkins
AMPLEFORTH
North Yorkshire
4 December 2024
Ampleforth Church
(original part is 13th century)
'Reflections' solo concert performance
CARLISLE
Cumbria
5 December 2024
St. Cuthbert’s Church
(685 AD, with reconstructions in 870 and 1095)
'Reflections' solo concert performance
CALDBECK
Cumbria
6 December 2024
St Kentigern’s Church
(also known as St. Mungo’s, original parts dating from the 12th and 13th centuries)
'Reflections' solo concert performance
BRIXWORTH
Northamptonshire
9 December 2024
All Saint’s Church
(A.D. 650-870)
'Reflections' solo concert performance
CAMBRIDGE
10 December 2024
St Bene’t’s Church
(11th century)
'Reflections' solo concert performance
ASHINGDON
Essex
11 December 2024
St Andrew's Church
(11th century)
'Reflections' solo concert performance
WITHAM
Essex
12 December 2024
United Reformed Church
'Reflections' solo concert performance
FUTURE CONCERTS
There will be more concerts later in 2025 - watch this space for details!
At each concert, there will be an invitation for audience members to make a donation in support of:
(Click the logos to go directly to the organisation websites)
A World Health Organisation humanitarian medical aid team, founded in Manchester in 1988. The charity offering support for survivors of disasters or conflict worldwide. Click HERE for details.
Registered charity number: 1166956
Music Action International are people from around the world co-creating life-changing music programmes with survivors of war and persecution. Their unique approach significantly reduces physical and emotional trauma, helps build inclusive communities and creates a sense of belonging for people who are here without friends or family. Click HERE for details.
Registered charity no. 1136295
A special note from Laurence Perkins
(soloist, and project organiser)
Peace, and the ability to live, work, communicate and travel freely, are fundamental human rights as defined by the United Nations. Sadly, there are many people around the world who do not enjoy this freedom, and it is these survivors of war and conflict that need support in order to move forward and rebuild their lives, their homes and their communities.
My contribution is through music, with all the joy, depth of feeling and human expression that music offers. My series of fund-raising concerts around the U.K. is in support of all survivors of war. These will feature leading musicians (professional and amateur) from the U.K. and worldwide, all taking part on a voluntary unpaid basis. The programmes will include music of many different periods and genres including inspiring classical works and traditional folk melodies.
Please help me to ensure that these concerts continue to happen...
Huge thanks to all the performers involved in these concerts, who are giving their services without fee - and to the venues around the U.K., who are hosting the concerts either free of charge or for absolute minimal expenses. There are also many individuals who are helping with publicity, providing accommodation and other practical ways to keep costs to a minimum.
All donations go in full to the charities - no expenses are deducted from these.
However... there are some essential touring expenses which need to be covered (see below). If you are able to contribute towards these, that will help me and others involved to continue giving these concerts without fee, and supporting these amazing charities and the fantastic work they are doing.
Please click this button to go directly to the Expenses Contributions page.
Thank you so much for your help and support!
These people have very kindly given financial support towards these concerts. Thank you so much for your invaluable help!
(in alphabetical order):
Julia Banks
David and Liz Cutts
Linda and John Leggat
Patricia Moore
Helen Nicolson
Maggi Rowland
Paul Sharrock
Tim Softley
Alastair Watson
Dagmar and Graham Grafton
Anonymous x 9
Total amount donated so far:
£1867
(Last updated on 19.03.2025, the latest addition is £174 donated by people at the launch of the 'Honey-coloured Cow' album in London - many thanks to all! This total figure and other details will be updated regularly).
Thank you!
What expenses are these donations covering?
So far, it's the cost of travel, printing for publicity and other essential paper documents, graphic design and display material. I am hugely grateful to a great many people who are supporting this project by offering accommodation, facilities and services either totally free of charge or at rock-bottom rates. What has been donated so far mostly covers all these essential costs I have incurred to date, but I will need more to continue the events in 2025 - so, any help will be really valuable and greatly appreciated. Thank you!
A concert in your community?
Are you in a community that might welcome and actively support a concert? Perhaps there are people in your area who have escaped from war zones? Do you have a nearby venue that could host a concert?
If the answer to any of these questions is "yes", do please contact Laurence Perkins by clicking HERE (via the online Contact Form) - I would love to hear from you!
Join the mailing list!
If you would like to be added to an email list for updates on these events, please click HERE. (You can unsubscribe at any time).
All concert details may be subject to change - please check this webpage for updates. The aims of this project are entirely humanitarian. These concerts support organisations who are offering help to survivors of war and conflict worldwide.
Logo design by Sally Alexandre.