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Press release  Tuesday 5th November - for immediate release

Bassooning to help Ukraine and Gaza survivors

A chart-topping UK classical musician from Manchester is stepping out to support two Manchester-based charities offering support to survivors of global conflicts including those in Ukraine and Gaza, whilst sending out a powerful message of peace and hope in music and words.

 Laurence will be giving these lunchtime concerts without fee in November and December. The launch is in London at Apothecaries Hall (Blackfriars Lane) on Thursday 21st November at 12.30pm, then at venues in Manchester, North Yorkshire, Cumbria,  Northamptonshire, Cambridge and Essex. The music spans 1000 years, and some of the churches hosting the concerts are more than 1000 years old.

Perkins’ impetus in putting together his 45-minute concert programme is peace and reconciliation, as much as vital fund-raising. He says “We hear so much ghastly news at the moment, much of it incredibly negative and upsetting. Music with poetry is a very powerful combination that helps us to focus on the positive ways forward. The support offered by these charities is entirely humanitarian, and the reflective message in my concert programme is the same“.

Perkins has an international reputation as a bassoon soloist. His last two albums for the Hyperion / Universal Classics label both reached No. 4 in the UK Specialist Classical Charts. His recordings are broadcast regularly worldwide, and his music-and-poetry performances have been featured on BBC Radios 3 and 4. He describes the ‘Reflections’ concert programme as “a gentle sequence of unaccompanied melody and thought-provoking poetry, beautifully conveyed by the expressive and versatile sound of the bassoon.” It includes music by 13th century Hildegard of Bingen, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, alongside poetry by Walter de la Mare, Wilfred Owen and William Shakespeare.

Professor Tony Redmond OBE, founder and Ambassador for UK-Med which has teams working in both Gaza and Ukraine, is vocal about the need for continued support. "Whilst the war in Ukraine may be slipping from our minds, the suffering there continues. As the numbers of ill and injured continues to rise, the work UK-Med is doing there becomes ever so more important. If we are feel we might be becoming tired of hearing about the war, think how tired and desperate they must be who are living through the war. Please support our work if you can".

The positive influence of music is a key element in the work offered by Music Action International, an organisation set up by their Creative Director and Founder, Lis Murphy. “One torture survivor said to us, ‘Music is the only way to take the pain out’. This is the power of music as a healing and positive influence with survivors of war, torture and persecution.”

Perkins is determined that all donations will go in full to the charities, so he has set up a special expenses fund to which people can contribute separately to cover essential costs. He has been overwhelmed by the generosity of supporters so far. “So many people, venues and organisations have been absolutely fantastic, offering so much either totally free or at rock-bottom rates. With continued support for expenses, the concerts and the fundraising can continue into 2025 and beyond.“

Full details of the ‘Reflections’ tour and funding are on the ‘Concerts for Peace’ webpage https://laurenceperkins.com/concertsforpeace including a two-minute sampler video.

More concerts are planned for 2025, including two Mozart Serenade performances with ensembles in Manchester on 19th February, and in Cambridge on 24th February - the 3rd anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.

ENDS