2017

In May, we are pleased to sing for the MS Society Therapy Centre in Bedford.  One of our members, Rita, has a close link with this charity.

In June, we are helping to raise funds for the Mayor of Dunstable’s charities when we perform our Summer Serenade at the Grove Theatre, Dunstable on June 11.

We are performing once again at the Hitchin Festival in July.  Our concert will be in aid of Cancer Research, a cause which resonates with almost every choir member.

Our annual picnic concert at Wayside Cottage in Barton-le-Clay will take place in August and will help provide funds for the very worthwhile cause, The East Anglian Air Ambulance.

East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) is the charity providing a helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) for the people of East Anglia. Since their launch in 2000 they have attended over 20,000 lifesaving missions, touching the lives of many thousands of people.

Their crew comprises specialist pre-hospital doctors and critical-care paramedics, operating out of two high-tech helicopters from 07:00 until 19:00 from their Norwich base and from 07:00 until 01:30 from their Cambridge base. EAAA was the first air ambulance in the country to attend helicopter emergency medical incidents in the hours of darkness to unknown and unlit sites.

EAAA aims to provide the best possible outcomes for people unfortunate enough to be involved in incidents or medical emergencies. The combination of a quick response time, advanced critical care on scene, and rapid onward transfer, when appropriate, can be vital in saving lives and improving patients’ prospects of making a full recovery.

October sees us at Rothampsted, Harpenden, raising funds for A-T, Ataxia Telangiectasia.

Ataxia-Telangiectasia , or A-T, is a rare and complex genetic disorder for which there is no cure.  It is often referred to as a ‘multi-system’ disorder because it affects a number of different systems within the body.  Amongst the most significant of these are:

• Increasing difficulty in controlling and co-ordinating movements (ataxia)
• Reduced efficiency of the immune system leading to more frequent infcctions (immunodeficiency) 
• An increased risk in developing cancers, in particular, leukaemia and lymphoma
• Prominent blood vessels often in and around the eyes (telangiectasia)
• Increased sensitivity to x-rays and similar radiation

In addition, we will sing a lunchtime concert for Dunstable Salvation Army in October.

The following letter was received  on 3rd October from the East Anglian Air Ambulance following our very successful concert on their behalf.

Dear Marie,

I wanted to write to thank you and all involved so very much for choosing to support the East Anglian Air Ambulance at your recent concert.

I am delighted to acknowledge safe receipt for your very generous donation of £425.42. Please accept this letter as your receipt. 

It is only through the generosity of people such as yourselves that we can continue to fly the East Anglian Air Ambulance seven days a week, responding to an average 152 calls a month.  Continued public support is vital to enable us to continue offering this service, and we are very grateful for your contribution to keeping the East Anglian Air Ambulance in the skies of our region.

Thank you once again for supporting us in this way.  It really is greatly appreciated.

Kind regards,

Barbara McGee

Fundraising Manager 

Another letter of thanks was received in November from the A-T Society after our concert at Rothamsted in Harpenden.

Dear Brenda,

I think we are all agreed that the first collaboration between the Caritas Harmony Choir and the A-T Society was a resounding success.

I would like to thank Margaret for her excellent musical direction.  The choir sang beautifully though the extensive programme and impressed everyone by doing so from memory!  Please pass on our thanks to everyone who helped make the evening so enjoyable.

Julia was very helpful during the lead up to the concert and I would like to thank her for joining me at short notice for the BBC Three Counties Radio interview and for producing the programme.  I know that Anna Maria was also instrumental in helping: together we made a great team and I was pleased to work with you all again.

With the A-T Society having its roots in Harpenden, your concert provided us with a welcome opportunity to enjoy an evening of music with our local community and introduce some members in the audience to our vital work.

Whilst we may be a small charity, we make every pound work incredibly hard and your support means the world to us and every family living with the condition.

I wish the choir every success with your Christmas concert and hope you will choose to support us again in the future.

With very best wishes,

Sarah Ajder

Community and Events Fundraiser 

October sees us at Rothampsted, Harpenden, raising funds for A-T, Ataxia Telangiectasia.

Ataxia-Telangiectasia , or A-T, is a rare and complex genetic disorder for which there is no cure.  It is often referred to as a ‘multi-system’ disorder because it affects a number of different systems within the body.  Amongst the most significant of these are:

• Increasing difficulty in controlling and co-ordinating movements (ataxia)
• Reduced efficiency of the immune system leading to more frequent infcctions (immunodeficiency) 
• An increased risk in developing cancers, in particular, leukaemia and lymphoma
• Prominent blood vessels often in and around the eyes (telangiectasia)
• Increased sensitivity to x-rays and similar radiation

In addition, we will sing a lunchtime concert for Dunstable Salvation Army in October.

Our main Christmas concert in December will raise funds for the Mayor of Dunstable’s charities.