The Kirkwood and the talented troupe of vocalists who make up The Kirkwood Chorus have started work on their very first charity single. Launching in time for Hospice Care Week (9-15th October), which is all about celebrating the incredible work carried out by hospices across the country, the aim of the single is to challenge the stigma that hospices only help people at the very end of life. In fact, The Kirkwood support anyone affected by a life limiting illness in Kirklees, at any time from diagnosis, helping them to improve their quality of life and make the most of every single day.
Starting out as an online choir during the Covid-19 pandemic, The Kirkwood Chorus was officially launched in 2022 to bring some light-hearted fun to those in The Kirkwood’s care, harnessing the power of music as a therapy tool. Since then, the Chorus has soared in popularity, bringing people from across Kirklees together every Friday to sing and socialise.
On Friday 15th September, the Chorus visited St Paul’s Hall at the University of Huddersfield to record a beautiful rendition of ‘It Must Be Love’ by Labi Siffre. A fitting theme, the song choice reflects feelings of love, compassion and support – all of which are deeply rooted in The Kirkwood.
Alongside the single, which is due to be released on 9th October, there will also be a music video which will showcase the scale of the charity’s impact across the region. The Kirkwood are more than just a hospice, they are a movement of caregivers and supporters, seeking to improve the quality of life for those who need it – not only to patients, but offering counselling and support to loved ones and carers, helping them to manage their grief, live on and live well.
Mary Tyrrell Place, Community Engagement Lead for The Kirkwood, comments: “We’re always looking for fun, new ways to engage with our community – and we think releasing a charity single will be a brilliant opportunity to really demonstrate how essential our services are to so many people. We rely heavily on charitable giving to fund our cause, and we hope the music video will show how every donation helps to make a huge difference to the lives of local people. This project has been a true labour of love from so many people, including our patients, their families and those who care about them, and it’s so exciting to see our vision come to life. We can’t wait to share it with you.”
In partnership with renowned music therapy experts, Nordoff & Robbins, the Chorus is open to those living with any life limiting condition, such as COPD, heart failure, dementia or cancer, those caring for someone living with an illness, or those who are just passionate about raising awareness of The Kirkwood.
Mary continues: “The Kirkwood Chorus is a special event in our weekly calendar. It’s completely free and everyone is welcome, whether you want to find out more about our services, talk to our team or just come along and enjoy the positive impact that music makes on our wellbeing. As the group grows, we are hoping to continue spreading the word about our services and encourage more people in need to reach out for care.”
You can follow The Kirkwood on Facebook or Instagram and sign up to the newsletter to be amongst the first to download the single when it launches.
For details of how you can help The Kirkwood Support Life, visit www.thekirkwood.org.uk.
