Do you see the red leaf? It became a symbol of hope at a hugely enjoyed brass band and choir concert held in Gloucestershire last month.
The Help M.E. Concert drew an audience of 230 people to the Renishaw Innovation Centre, Wotton-under-Edge – with hundreds more now able to enjoy the event after the video was released only last week.
The leaf – available for a little as 6p each from your favourite crafting store – was worn by most of the performers in the Wotton Silver Band and the Round the Edge Community Choir when they took to the stage on 26th April.
It was, said main organiser Helen Stout, their chance to shine while delivering some great music for a hugely neglected cause.
“Our Help M.E. Concert was an entertaining afternoon of music, singing and raising awareness of M.E.’, said Helen, a former lay celebrant who was too ill on the day to attend the event she organised. Her health was wrecked when she failed to recover after suffering with covid five years ago, with her condition now re-diagnosed as ME/CFS,
“The first half focused on what it's like to live with M.E and why it's largely been ignored and underfunded for decades. The theme of the second half was hope for the future, with a video message from Dr Charles Shepherd and quotes from researchers around the world,” said Helen.
“The main aim was a challenging one – that of raising awareness of M.E to those outside the M.E community. So we were pleased when many of the 230 members of the audience, band and choir commented afterwards that they hadn't realised how serious and debilitating M.E could be or how underfunded it is.”
Photos include the concert announcer, Liz Bryan, her dad Ken Stout playing solo flugelhorn in the Benedictus from Karl Jenkins' ‘The Armed Man” (with Drew Beattie on euphonium), conductor Jim Bennett, choir leader Liz Martin and fedora hats on for one of the choir numbers.
“I am indebted to Dr Jo Greer and her Substack account, The Red Tree and M.E., for being the inspiration behind the use of the red leaf as a symbol of hope for people with M.E,” Helen added.
On the day of the performance, everything was held beautifully together by the announcer Liz Bryan – daughter of Helen and her husband, flugel player Ken, who is the band chairman.
About £1,200 was raised for three charities – the ME Association, ME Research UK and Smile for M.E.
There was an immediate spin-off. Choir members from Yate were “so moved by the concert”, said their leader Liz Martin, that they held a bring-a-buy sale which raised £180.
And something happened which will bear fruit later. Helen and Ken’s grandson, 15-year-old Carter Stout, has been made a house captain at Abbeywood Community School in Bristol and he was so impressed by the concert that he has decided to make ME awareness and fundraising the focus of his house captain's year from September.
For everyone who, like me, thrills to the sound of a brass band when the pedal hits the floor, you can watch the whole of two-hour concert here:
Photos show soloist Andy Symes on euphonium with ‘The Bare Necessities' from Disney's ‘The Jungle Book', ME Association medical adviser Dr Charles Shepherd who recorded his welcome to everyone at the concert and a photographic record of ‘The Before' and ‘The After' in the life of Helen Stout, one of the principal organisers of the concert, who was too ill to attend the show.
Tony Britton
Senior Fundraising Volunteer, The ME Association
tony.britton@meassociation.org.uk Mob: 07393 805566
