I'd been thinking for a long time about how to mark my 40th Birthday (5.12.23), and I'm delighted to share with you on this page about a musical and charity project which does just that. Read on... 

One thing which has remained unchanged throughout history, is our unwavering appreciation for the miracle of life. As I reach the age of 40, I look back on the past four decades not only with that same appreciation, but with a huge dose of gratitude. I thought for a long time about what I might do to mark this milestone. I could never claim to be a party animal, but after what feels like 40 miraculous years of life, there’s something to be said for marking and sharing that gratitude with others.

Celebrating my 40th Birthday

Perhaps it’s self-indulgent, but a common thread which has run through my life has been an awareness that we all have gifts, skills and talents which we can use for the benefit and enjoyment of others. With that in mind, this piece of music, Be a Voice of Hope, marks the milestone of reaching the age of 40. No party, but rather, a celebration of all the good that is still to be found in our fractured world.

I first became aware of The Separated Child Foundation in 2022, and was immediately captivated by their mission. Few of us can imagine fleeing our homeland due to war, terror or persecution, but doing this as a child or young person, without your parents, and arriving in a strange country completely alone is simply beyond our comprehension.

Be a Voice of Hope

Be a Voice of Hope is scored for unison (or solo) voice(s) and piano, with optional SATB parts. To mark my 40th birthday, and to support The Separated Child Foundation, this music is offered as a free PDF download below. You are welcome to make as many copies as you need in order to perform it. It is available to download from my website here.

In return for making this piece available free, I am encouraging you to make a donation to The Separated Child Foundation so that they may be able to continue doing the wonderful work already being undertaken in offering emotional, social and practical support to lone refugee children and young people when they arrive in the UK. I have set an ambitious target to raise £1,000 through this project.

Even if you're not musical, I'd love for you to support the charity: every penny really does count.

The Separated Child Foundation

The Separated Child Foundation offers emotional, social and practical support to lone refugee youth when they arrive in the UK. These children and young people have to flee their homelands because of war, terror or persecution. They do not have their parents with them because they were killed before they left or were unable to leave. The charity’s aim is to ensure that every separated child in the UK gets the support they need in order to be able to rebuild their lives and fulfil their potential.