Aidlink For Turkana
The objective; to raise voices, hope and funds for the people of Turkana.
For the second year in a row St Joseph's Music Group successfully helped Aidlink Ireland achieve this goal.
Last year we were the first secondary school choir to participate in Songs For Turkana and were paired with no other than Mundy. It was a huge learning curve for us. Songs For Turkana is a concert concept that sees Irish musicians paired with community based choirs culminating in a concert where all proceeds go back into the extraordinary work of Aidlink and the Girl Child Network.
We were already familiar with the work of Aidlink, as a school we have such strong connections with the organisation. To learn of the ongoing drought in Turkana and implications this has for the people there was eye opening. We connected with and had our own worries and concerns for the people of Turkana especially after Peris Mootian spoke to the music group giving us a first hand account of the challenges in Turkana but also of the powerful work Aidlink and the Girl Child Network are doing over there to counteract some of these issues.
The stories Peris shared really touched the students of the music group. Within the stark differences they realised the similarities they shared with their Kenyan peers. So when Anne of Aidlink asked us would we like to get involved again this year it was a resounding YES from all of us here in St Joseph's.
This year we found out early on that as a choir we were paired with The Pale. Most well known for "Butterfly" released just over 25 years ago. Matthew and Shane were a delight to work with, they were also super impressed with our students and their musical prowess. Together we prepared and practiced "Pure Science Fiction" off the lads most recent album "Merciful Hour".
A small number of the Music Group Students represented St Joseph's on the Ray D'Arcy Show the first Saturday night of their midterm break. A four part version of Hey Day by Mic Christopher was showcased. This was a beautiful arrangement by Maria Stanley. This was to be the finale song at Aidlink For Turkana where all the participating choirs would come together with all the artists to close the show. The Ray D'Arcy appearance was to help promote the concert and give viewers an idea of the talent and quality to be expected on the night.