The Hope for Grenfell Memorial Gala, in memory of Debbie Lamprell and all the victims, featured full scenes from OHP’s productions of La traviata and Cosi fan tutte, performances of classic arias by guests from across the operatic world, and an original composition by Will Todd and Gareth Malone, performed by a community choir.
Over £100k was raised for the Rugby Portobello Trust, which worked closely with victims of the tragedy and with which OHP has a long association. In 2017, a performance of Verdi’s Requiem just a few weeks after the Grenfell fire sold out in 36 hours and raised a total of £41k for the RPT to support victims.
Funds raised by the memorial concert have enabled over 100 children and young people from North Kensington to attend ‘residential’ trips, week-long trips, including to the coast and countryside, which allowed them to try new activities and escape the pressures of everyday life. Often the residentials are the first time that these young people will have left their immediate concrete surroundings. The impact of these trips is proven to be especially long-lasting, boosting the confidence of young people by introducing them to new skills (raft-building, rock-climbing, team-building etc), as well as fostering a safe environment in which to address any emotional issues.
Orchestra: City of London Sinfonia
Conductors included: Dane Lam, Matthew Waldren
Singers included: Peter Auty, Cheryl Barker, Nadine Benjamin, Susan Bullock, David Butt Philip, Peter Coleman-Wright, Nico Darmanin, Eleanor Dennis, Grant Doyle, Anne Sophie Duprels, Lauren Fagan, Stephen Gadd, Nicholas Garrett, Brenden Gunnell, Ben Johnson, Ellie Laugharne, Nicholas Lester, Elizabeth Llewellyn, Robert Murray, Nick Pritchard, Gweneth-Ann Rand, Natalya Romaniw, Lucy Schaufer, Nicky Spence, David Stephenson, Sarah Tynan, Kitty Whately, Laura Woods, Fflur Wyn
