NI: Pro Bono Choir hand £3,500 cheque to Alzheimer’s charity after spring concert

NI: Pro Bono Choir hand £3,500 cheque to Alzheimer's charity after spring concert

Back, from left: Joe Rice, solicitor; Eva Bashford, solicitor; Sarah Minford, trainee barrister; Ashley Morrow, Sponsorship Manager at Bank of Ireland UK; Tracey Fraser, solicitor; Jessica Wolseley BL; James Toal BL.

Front, from left: Eileen Ewing, President of the Law Society of NI; Natasha Gilliland, Alzheimer’s Society; Sarah Symington, solicitor.

The Pro Bono Choir, made up of solicitors, barristers and judges, has presented a cheque for £3,500 to Alzheimer’s Society NI.

The funds are the proceeds of the choir’s sell-out performance, “A Night in the Museum 2”, at the Ulster Museum in Belfast in May.

Guests at the spring concert enjoyed light refreshments on the front steps of the museum before enjoying the choir’s performance in the atrium.

It was the choir’s first performance under new choral director Mark Tilley, who took up the mantle in January, and included guest performances from barrister-baritone Karl McGuckin BL and tenor soloist Conor Breen.

The concert was sponsored by Bank of Ireland UK, and compèred by Sarah Travers, a longstanding Alzheimer’s Society supporter and patron.

Bernadine McCrory, country director (NI) for Alzheimer’s Society, said: “We are extremely grateful to the Pro Bono Choir and the Bank of Ireland UK for donating the proceeds of the Spring Concert to Alzheimer’s Society.

“Dementia is now the UK’s biggest killer, with someone developing it every three minutes. Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia charity, working tirelessly to challenge perceptions, fund research and improve and provide care and support. We can only achieve this through continued fundraising support by organisations like Bank of Ireland UK and the Pro Bono Choir.”

Joe Rice, solicitor and co-chair of the Pro Bono Choir, said: “On behalf of the Pro Bono Choir, we were delighted to be able to present this cheque to Alzheimer’s Society NI. We are a choir made up of solicitors, barristers and others with connections to the justice system, and we perform to raise funds to give back to our local community.

“We are grateful to Bank of Ireland UK for sponsoring our endeavours and for very generously matching the funds we have raised, bringing the total fund to £7000 for this extremely worthwhile cause.

“The choir is now working towards its Christmas performance, ‘O Holy Night’, with a special guest performance from Italian tenor, Friar Alessandro. This is to be held in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, on 5th December 2018 and is set to be a highlight of the festive season. Friar Alessandro is a phenomenal talent and we are all very excited to be joining him in song on this occasion.”

The Pro Bono Choir can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

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