UPDATE July 2021: 

After many months of composing, practising and refining, I’m thrilled to announce that my piece, "26 Songs of Hope and Home", has been recorded by members of the City of Newport Symphony Orchestra (CNSO) and mixed by COBRA Music Studios (with funding from Ty Cerdd) and is now on YouTube!!

Original post (April 2020)

During lockdown, I am especially grateful for a happy and permanent home. For so many people, sadly this isn’t the case. The Wallich is seeking to end homelessness in Wales and is working tirelessly to provide accommodation, food, support, advice and learning opportunities for vulnerable people. Having been furloughed from work, I now have some free time and I want to do something to raise money for this worthwhile cause.

I studied music as part of my undergraduate degree but since then I’ve drifted away from composing and haven’t produced anything for over a decade… So, I have decided to do a music-writing challenge. 

I am going to write a piece of music for string orchestra, to incorporate 26 (!) songs or tunes (#TwoPointSixChallenge). UPDATE: The piece is now for FULL orchestra, including percussion!!

My wonderful local orchestra, the City of Newport Symphony Orchestra (CNSO), in which I play violin, has kindly agreed to perform the piece live after this crisis is over, and I’m hoping we can record it as well. https://www.cnso.org.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/newportorchestra/

So, I’m inviting you to nominate songs or tunes that are important to you at this time (or any time). They can be of any style or genre (pop songs, songs from musicals, film theme tunes, classical pieces, hymns, nursery rhymes – absolutely anything)! It will be my task to weave them all together into a (hopefully beautiful!) string orchestra piece.

I would also really like to know why you are nominating the song or tune – for example:

1. Have you found it especially comforting or inspiring?

2. Does it connect with the ideas of home and hope?

3. Is it an important song for someone who is working to care for others?

4. Is there a particular line in the song you find moving?

Please send your nominations as soon as you can! I am planning to pick which songs to use on 10 May.

Any donations would be greatly appreciated and will be put to good use by The Wallich. A donation of £10 could provide hot meals for a week for someone sleeping rough. A £100 donation could pay for a training course to get someone back into education or work.

I am really excited for this project (and also terrified!). Thank you in advance for your donations and support. And I can’t wait to see your song nominations!