ON A COLD Friday evening, a ‘Celebration of Cornish Music’ was held to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) at St Teath Church on Friday, December 2.

Twenty-five years ago, almost to the day of December 2, a concert was produced by Terry Bale to help raise funds for CHSW, when Eddie and Jill Farwell began their quest to build a children’s hospice for the life-limited children and families of the South West.

Terry had read of their newly established charity and its aim to raise the funds needed to build a children’s hospice and decided this was the sort of charity he wanted to help.

Terry contacted a vast array of talented Cornish people and friends in the entertainment world and asked them if they would take part and a wonderful evening of Cornish music, carols and sankey ensued.

On December 2, that evening 25 years ago, was replicated with many of the same people, including Terry, Barry Burton, landlord of the White Hart Hotel, the Champagne Cornwall Chorus, the Newquay Rowing Club Singers and Bude Metric Brass Band. In the end £450 was raised.

Many people attended. The Champagne Cornwall Chorus opened the evening and sparkled their way through well-known songs and a 1950/60s medley.

The Newquay Rowing Club Singers’ fifteen strong male voices filled the church as they sang with passion and vigour their Cornish and Sankey tunes, which included a special poem, ‘Precious Lives’ written by Bob Richards following a charity bike ride for Children’s Hospice South West and put to music by Larry McLaughlin.

Eddie Farwell shared the personal story of his family’s journey, with the loss of two children and his late wife, Jill, but despite the loss had battled on, with the support of hundreds of kind people who have taken this charity to their hearts and helped to complete the dream to build not only one but three children’s hospices in the vast South West Peninsula.

The evening was interspersed with carols performed by Bude Metric Brass Band where everyone, performers and audience alike joined in, which helped to make for a festive celebration as they remembered the many life-limited children and families who use the hospices, where they strive to make the most of short and precious lives.

Special thanks were given to everyone who has and continues to support this special charity and to everyone who helped to make such an enjoyable evening.