West End star Michael Ball is set to attract musical fans from abroad to see him perform in the Putney Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability (RHN) Christmas carol concert today.
He is the headline act at the event, which is taking place at Holy Trinity Church in Beaumont Road from 7pm.
The sold-out concert, for which tickets were sold at £15 a head, has raised awareness as well as funds for the RHN.
Fundraising manager Anna Wall-Budden said: “We have got people coming from overseas!
“Michael is really helping us to spread the word.”
Following a successful event at St Mary’s Church last year, the hospital hopes to raise £10,000 for music therapy treatment.
The Putney High School (PHS) junior choir are also singing, with 50 girls aged 9-11 taking part.
Director of Music Wendy Archibald said they were keen to support the RHN hospital ‘because it does such fantastic work.’
She added: “The girls are very excited. They love singing carols.”
Miss Wall-Budden said the seven or eight patients who are attending the event with their carers are looking forward to it.
“It’s fantastic,” she said. “The excitement of seeing celebrities, I think it will really boost their festive cheer.”
Miss Wall-Budden added they have an annual internal carol concert for the hospital’s 225 patients, many of whom are not able to attend the public event.
She said: “We are exposed to Christmas wherever we go. Our patients will only see what they see in hospital.”
The PHS choir have sung at the hospital’s internal concert in the past but in recent years the concert has clashed with their own Christmas carol concert.
Mrs Archibald said this is why it was so nice to be able to take part in this year’s concert.
Ball became involved with the RHN through his wife Cathy, who has been a volunteer there for several years.
“We are her local charity and she wants to support us,” said Miss Wall-Budden. “She’s very active in what she does here.”
Ball visited the RHN hospital on November 26 and sat in on a music therapy session.
He said at the time: “It is an honour to be asked to sing at the RHN’s Christmas carol concert, and to have been invited to this wonderful hospital to experience first hand the impact it makes on people’s lives.”
Video courtesy of BBC Via YouTube, with thanks
