CREATIVE MUSICAL COLLABORATION TO SUPPORT MEDICAL CHARITY DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS
Sing a Song Around the World Just giving campaign
A group of musicians from across the UK, London and Scotland, have recorded a new song to raise funds to support the work of medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres in their work throughout the world to care for those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In May 2020, during the first lockdown, four musicians collaborated to create a new song, Heartsease.
Abi Rooley-Towle is a Scottish singer-songwriter. She grew up in a family of international early musicians and this influence can be seen in her songwriting, which also has elements of folk and world music. To realise the song she had written, she teamed up with Icelandic guitarist and lutenist Arngeir Hauksson, violinist Tamsin Lewis and viol player Alison Kinder.
Each musician devised their own line around the melody and vocals created by Abi, and Heartsease is sensitively arranged with professional fluency and expertise. It is a new song, with a feel of the old and, in the new 2020 way of working, was made through remote digital collaboration, with musicians who had not even met. Award-winning Canadian/Korean artist, Yuni Ko has created artwork for the song.
Heartsease is being released as part of a Justgiving campaign for MSF. It is designed around the idea of a prayer flag which sends healing and prayer around the globe, and our hope is that people will join in the chorus and send much needed positive energy around the world and then donate to those who are the most vulnerable…
“I have worked with MSF on four assignments and have seen first-hand the impact donations have on the ground. Quite simply – your fundraising saves lives. Your help allows our projects to exist, and I am proud of the fact that the majority of MSF’s work is possible because of individual donations from people like you and me. Thank you for caring.”
Andy Dennis, MSF nurse
Heartsease has lead to Abi, Arngeir and Tamsin setting up a new band Karuna, http://karunaheartsease.uk/ and to work on more songs for these times as a digital project. The word Karuna is Sanskrit for Compassion. “It is good to see how one positive action leads to another,” says Abi Rooley-Towle. “We hope to do more creative work that can perhaps be of service and bring a little hope and inspiration in these times.”
Please visit: http://karunaheartsease.uk/
Just Giving: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/heartseasesongcampaign