Five songs released to raise funds for charity
Melanie May | 7 July 2016 | News
Charity singles have a long history: who can forget Band Aid’s 1984 Do They Know it’s Christmas? to raise funds for the famine in Ethiopia, or Cliff Richard & The Young Ones’ Living Doll for Comic Relief in 1986?
Or for those a little younger, 2010’s Everybody Hurts, featuring singers including Robbie Williams, Rod Stewart and Cheryl for the 2010 Haiti Earthquake Relief, which sold 453,000 copies in its first week of release.
Here are five currently raising funds for charity:
The Batley Community Choir recording the charity single 'The Rose' to raise money for the Jo Cox MP memorial fund. pic.twitter.com/cD62D3XpbT
— Evolutionary Films (@EvoFilmsUK) July 3, 2016
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1) The Rose by Batley Community Choir
Batley Community Choir has recorded Bette Midler’s The Rose to raise funds for the causes supported by the late MP Jo Cox, who was MP for Batley & Spen. Over 200 locals came together to record the song with the choir. The single’s release date is expected to be announced soon, and the money raised will go to the fund set up in Cox’s name.
[youtube height=”450″width=”800″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=193&v=2So3d2gm8zU[/youtube]
2) This Is My Country by Ashley Bruce
Having suffered a brain haemorrhage, Ashley Bruce was imspired to help injured soldiers after watching an interview with a brain-injured soldier on Invictus Games. He wrote This Is My Country to raise funds for Help for Heroes, and released it as a single last month to coincide with Armed Forces Day. The song is available for download on iTunes.
3) Fight Song by Liz Keeting
Professional singer Liz Keeting released this single in May to raise funds for research into MS, epilepsy, dementia, and Parkinsons, with funds going to Yorkshire Brain Research Centre and MS Fundraising. It is available on iTunes and Amazon.
[youtube height=”450″width=”800″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJicIBDnkvE[/youtube]
4) Bridge over Troubled Water by London’s Gay Men’s Chorus
London’s Gay Men’s Chorus have released their version of Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water to raise funds in memory of the Orlando shooting victims. The money raised will be split between the Pulse Victims Fund and London LGBT charity Galop. Available on iTunes.
5) Glastonbury Live Album
Technically an album, not a single, Stand as One – Live from Glastonbury 2016 is part of Oxfam’s new campaign Stand as One, which aims to put pressure on world leaders to welcome more refugees, prevent families from being separated and keep people fleeing their homes safe from harm, and is the first live Glastonbury album of its kind. The album is also dedicated to the memory of MP Jo Cox, who a former Oxfam activist. It includes songs from Coldplay, Muse, Foals, Sigur Rós and The Last Shadow Puppets, dedicated from their Glastonbury set. It will be released on 11th July on Parlophone. All of Parlophone’s profits from the album will go to Oxfam’s Refugee Crisis Appeal.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.