Harmony Rag Quartet of Nations Newsletter, Region 31 Sweet Adelines International Spring 2010
Harmony For Haiti An evening of song, socialising and fundraising was Apple County Chorus’s response to the Haiti earthquake. Joining forces with the Rivertones (Taunton’s Male Barbershop Chorus), Apple County hosted a fantastic event, ‘Harmony for Haiti’, to raise funds for the victims of the Haiti disaster earlier this year. The venture took only two weeks from conception to performance. The aim was to raise enough money to provide three ‘SHELTERBOXES’ for Haiti. Despite the recession – the event was a total sell out – all performers also
purchased tickets for this very worthwhile cause. The evening began with a show featuring both choruses and a guest quartet from Bristol known at the ‘Forget-menots’, entertaining the packed audience with a variety of songs from traditional barbershop to old favourites from shows and films. The singers gave of their best and the audience loved it! The evening continued with a delicious buffet provided by members of both choruses. A Shelterbox was on view courtesy of Wiveliscombe Rotary Club – this generated much interest
and gave everyone the opportunity to see what the money was being raised for. A small stage area offered the opportunity for further entertainment: an ‘open mic’ session provided further performances from both
Shelterbox adds extra sparkle to Champagne! In common with the rest of the country, here in the far South West of the UK we started 2010 with such unusually cold weather that all was sent into chaos.
people of Haiti lost so much more in that terrible earthquake. The whole world was anxious for aid to reach these people and the logistical problems made it so difficult. Just
Whilst almost everyone knows that Cornwall has a wonderful coastline and a great tradition of singing, fewer people know that it is also home to the disaster relief charity - Shelterbox.
Still, whilst we bemoaned the loss of opportunities to join in harmony with our chorus friends, the
like everyone else, we helplessly watched their plight and all wondered what we could do to help.
Founded in 2000, by a member of the Helston, Cornwall, Rotary Club, Shelterbox has now grown
choruses and quartet, with additional appearances from Apple County’s Music Team, ‘Highlights’, and quartet, ‘Topnotch’, plus something entirely different with a duo playing Sea Shanties on guitar and fiddle much to the delight of the audience who joined
in ‘proms’ style!! A great time was had by all and more importantly the final figure raised during the evening was just over £2000.00, enough to not only reach our target, but enough to buy FOUR boxes and provide shelter for 40 people!
For information about Shelterbox and the great work done by this organisation based in Cornwall visit their website www.shelterbox.org to be supported by Rotary clubs around the world. It specialises in providing an extended family of up to 10 people with a tent and essential equipment to use while they are displaced or homeless. Typically, each box contains: a 10 person tent, thermal blankets, insulated ground sheets, multi-
fuel stove, wood burning stove, cooking utensils, tools water containers and purification equipment and a child’s pack. The organisation uses a strong and extensive support base of volunteers both in the UK and worldwide in order to keep overheads to a minimum. One of the members of Champagne has been a Shelterbox
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