Nenagh musicians fundraise for Ukraine
The Ceol na Mara Chamber Orchestra is a youth string orchestra based in Limerick with 28 members ranging in ages from 8 to 18. Ten members of the orchestra hail from the Nenagh area. Under the direction of Oonagh Keogh, the orchestra meets once a month in the Irish Chamber Orchestra Studio in UL.
In our fundraising video, they are playing the beautiful melody by Miroslav Skoryk, who is a Ukrainian composer (Miroslav means ‘peace’ to the Slavic people).
https://youtu.be/0ZDRaTKfuZs
This piece was recently performed by the Irish Chamber Orchestra in the University Concert Hall in Limerick and in the National Concert Hall, Dublin. Oonagh Keogh, who is a member of the Irish Chamber Orchestra and the director of Ceol na Mara, really loved the piece when she played it, and strongly felt it would suit her youth orchestra. She then came up with the idea of the orchestra videoing a performance of it to raise funds to help Ukraine. So on Sunday, March 20, the orchestra met and during one rehearsal, recorded the piece. It was a challenge to get it together at such short notice but Oonagh knew these young musicians would give it their very best effort and the result is a spine tingling rendition of this emotional yet inspirational piece
The charity we have chosen is the Limerick Redemptorists, who have been raising money to bring in vital funds to directly support families trapped in the war zone in Ukraine, to keep a safe corridor open for those fleeing and to provide food and aid for the most vulnerable who cannot run from the bombs.
One of the main recipients of donated Limerick money is the Redemptorist monastery in Kharkiv, where 40 orphans, ten of their carers and more than 40 adult refugees are being cared for.
So far, the money raised by the Limerick appeal has bought more than 64 tonnes of medical supplies, shelter and food.
But they need more as a big project this week is to get a container ship to bring specialised hospital equipment in to help treat the ill and wounded, so every donation helps. The group's fundraising page is www.idonate.ie/ceolnamara.