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On a cold dark evening, just escaping train strikes but amid snowy travel disruption, The Meath 130th year anniversary Carol Service at St Clement Danes Church was a heart-warming beacon of light for so many people, for so many reasons.
We are so sorry that some of our guests couldn’t attend due to disruption to travel caused by the snow, and for the benefit of all those who missed the spectacular evening, and for all those who attended and would like to share the wonderful memories, we hope that you enjoy browsing the gallery of images below and a brief account of the simply magical evening.
This year’s Carol Service left us, bleary eyed and in awe of the people we support and all those who support them to shine so brightly in The Meath Choir. We were overwhelmed and uplifted by the tremendous talent of the wonderful Brindley Sherratt, Bass, Emma Roberts, Mezzo Soprano and Trumpet soloist, Emily Mitchell, the rousing music of The Honourable Artillery Company Band and the celestial voices of St Clement Danes Choir.
The impressive line-up packed a festive punch, yet the evening seemed to magically amount to something far greater than the sum of its components.
The spectacular evening cannot be attributed to any single factor or performance. Whether a luxuriously rich bass or angelic mezzo soprano, a roof raising band or professional choir, our own Meath Choir or the poignant speeches delivered from the pulpit, each of these diverse elements combined to create an extremely moving concert which was packed with talent, joy and heart.
The Meath Choir Singing at Christmas!
For all the beauty of the stunning venue and impressive line-up, at the very heart of this joyous occasion were the people we support, whose effervescent performance provided the perfect demonstration of the very best of The Meath; triumph over adversity, enablement, unity and joy.
The people we support possess a considerable capacity to relish every moment life has to offer. This was not only evident in The Meath Choir’s energetic performance but was also a key theme in an insightful and powerful speech given by Gill Bennett, mother to Dominic, a resident at The Meath. Gill explained the complex health conditions and the many challenges that Dominic has faced and his wonderful ability to remain cheerful and live in the moment.
The Speeches:
An Extract from Gill’s speech:
“Despite everything, Dominic has always been a cheerful, cheeky, and happy character and, as you would imagine, incredibly tough. Everyone who lives at The Meath has to be tough to survive what life has thrown at them. And it turned out that brain damage has its upsides: Dominic lives for the moment, and for the concrete, not the abstract: he does not really look back or forward (except to mealtimes, an important feature of his day). He has not ever understood abstract concepts such as time, or fear. He has a very long memory, but finds it difficult to retrieve those memories, partly because the corpus collosum, the link between the two hemispheres of his brain, is almost atrophied.
But the upside is that as long as Dominic is in his familiar environment, with his friends and carers, he is content. After contracting a viral infection in 2018, his life became even more challenging as it led to the complete loss of all muscular control; he can only move one hand and forearm, is confined to a wheelchair and is completely dependent for all aspects of life. Yet he is cheerful and happy, and always up for a joke.”
The event was an opportunity for our new CEO Lee Bennett to experience our much-anticipated carol service. Lee was especially proud to see that the people we support were at the very centre of it.
An extract from Lee’s speech:
“It feels extraordinary to be addressing you all in such an iconic and beautiful church, among opera stars, choirs and the incredible Honourable Artillery Company Band. However, I am quickly learning just how extraordinary The Meath truly is, having joined the charity in its 130th year. 130 years of supporting people who live with complex epilepsy and disabilities, much has changed over those many years, and yet our beautiful grounds and building continue to provide a happy home and an enabling way of life for the people we support.”
Gathering vital income for The Yule Fuel Appeal
In addition to thanking our wonderful singers, musicians, speakers, staff and volunteers who supported The Meath Choir to perform we would like to thank our guests whose warm support was felt and much appreciated. In addition to being a much needed and thoroughly enjoyable yuletide event, the evening also brought in some vital income for the charity at a particularly challenging time. We are delighted to let you know that this fabulous event raised an incredible £20,000. At a time when our gas bill has increased by 500%, the cost of living and recruitment crisis present further challenges this truly is the most wonderful Christmas gift.
On behalf of the people we support many thanks to our ticket holders, guests, performers, staff and volunteers who came together at this spectacular and utterly life affirming event to raise our spirits and raise much needed income for the charity, thank you.
Champagne and Mince Pie Reception Comments
Fittingly the sparkling evening was topped off with a Champagne and Meath made mince pie reception, and it was a great opportunity to hear what people enjoyed the most about the evening. Here’s what they had to say.
“I feel proud that I sang, I gave it all I’ve got!” Sharon, Meath Choir member
“For many of us at The Meath and our families/friends too, this service heralds the message and meaning of Christmas and a strong reminder of what’s truly important at Christmas.
This Carol Concert truly reinforces all the important Christmas messages – supported by the Band of The Honourable Artillery Company – peerless, the Choir of St Clement Danes – superb, of course our own Meath Choir and ‘our own’ Brindley Sherratt. Others contributed but too many to identify but each adds to the whole making a very special and memorable evening.
There’s, of course, the Fundraising Team directed by Lucy Miguda and the many Meath staff supporting the residents in a myriad of ways. As I arrived early this year to deliver Maria, I’m ever impressed by the Meath staff’s immediately caring and supportive reactions to our residents. My richly deserved thanks to all staff present who supported in a multitude of ways that evening, again too many to mention.” Margaret, Guest and Meath parent
“The best Meath Carol Service yet!” Guest
“As always, a stunning evening and it was such a privilege to support The Meath Choir to perform. They were just fantastic!” Volunteer
“I recently attended a Carol Service of a big national charity. They had lots of famous people giving readings, but it didn’t have the meaning that this evening had; this evening really was so special”. Guest and parent.
“A wonderfully supported event and one that I was proud to play a small part in. I was so proud of our talented and resilient Meath Choir who stole the show.” Lee, CEO
Thank you
We are so grateful for all the support we received with this wonderful event. With kind thanks to:
