Three Choir Clun Valley Concert raises £3,000 for local charity

Two Shropshire-based choirs, Ludlow Male Voice Choir and Bella Acappella, joined with Dacorum Community Choir from Hertfordshire in a magical summer night of music to raise £3,000 for the Caitlin’s Kickstart Award at the beautiful St George’s Church in Clun.

The Three Choir concert attracted a full house to St George’s, with extra chairs required to seat an audience of around 300 who came from near and far for the one-off charity event, with one couple travelling from Vancouver, Canada, to attend.

The audience was treated to a near two-hour performance of songs ranging from hits by Abba, Simon and Garfunkel, Rod Stewart and The Bangles to traditional choral works including the Welsh hymn Gwahoddiad and The Fields Of Athenry, hits from West End musicals like Anthem from Chess, the sea shanty Wellerman, plus a beautiful new arrangement of Love Divine, written by Dacorum’s musical director Rufus Frowde.

LMVC, led by Darren Clarke and accompanied by Jane Hughes and Bella Acappella, directed by Amy Evans, came fresh from their appearance at the 2024 Llangollen International Eisteddfod, while Dacorum, accompanied by Judy Kelly, made their second trip to the county to sing in a venue famous for its wonderful acoustic quality.

The three choirs finished the concert performing two numbers en masse with nearly 90 singers performing the African chant Siyahamba and the four-part round song Rhythm of Life, which drew a standing ovation.

Caitlin’s Kickstart Award was founded in 2001 by Clun author Linda Hurcombe in memory of her daughter Caitlin to support Ludlow College students during their first year of further and higher education.

Since its inception, Mrs Hurcombe and her Caitlin’s Kickstart Award team have raised more than £70,000 with a bursary of up to £2,250 available for students whose personal and financial circumstances make the progression to higher education difficult.

Multiple fund-raising events have included An Evening with Julian Clary, a special one-off performance of Scaramouche Jones by local actor and film star Pete Postelthwaite at Ludlow Assembly Rooms and other memorable theatrical and musical events featuring locally and Internationally renowned performers.

Linda Hurcombe said: "Over the years, this local gem of a charity has been a continuing beacon of hope for me personally and I hope for the wonderful friends and organisations who have supported our aims to provide a ‘kickstart’ for students in their first year of further and higher education.

"Costs continue to spiral yearly for our young people, and Caitlin’s Kickstart Award sometimes seems like a drop in the ocean. 

"However this year’s fund-raiser enables us to carry on! Thank you St George’s, thank you, choirs! And thank you bigtime, audience and helpers. Onward to Bright Tomorrows!"