LIVE-STREAM CONCERT RAISES £2,435 FOR LOCAL CHARITY
One of our undoubted highlights of the Lent term was the release of the amazing Live Lounge Concert. Recorded and produced over the course of an eight-hour session using the College’s in-house resources, the live-stream raised £2,435 for local charity St Wilfrid’s Hospice Eastbourne.
Each year, aided by an enthusiastic team of Music Department professionals, pupils at Eastbourne College produce and publish a Live Lounge album consisting of covers and originals. The pupils and staff do this outside of their everyday curriculum commitments. The Live Lounge album is the culmination of months (and years in some cases) of dedication to the weekly Songwriter Workshop run by the College’s resident professional musician and songwriter, Tom Williams.
The wonderful thing about the Songwriter Workshop is that anyone can join in. Some pupils start with very little musical experience and pick things up as they go along, learning from the more experienced members of the group. It is very much a creative enterprise which takes place in a collaborative, supportive environment with the backing of professionals. The College’s on-site professional recording studio and dedicated sound technician provide pupils with the ultimate songwriting experience.
Normally the Live Lounge compilation is performed in front of a live audience in the Jennifer Winn Auditorium (Birley Centre). This year, undeterred by the difficulties imposed by the pandemic, the Music Department found a way to win.
With unprecedented disruption to our way of life due to the ever-changing restrictions, they pounced on a small window of opportunity to record an audio-visual version of the Live Lounge for the very first time. Schools were open, albeit running strict Covid-secure protocols, and they just made it happen. The aim was to broadcast / live-stream it for all to enjoy and raise money for a local charity at the same time.
On the night, around 1,000 people viewed the concert which was broadcast simultaneously to the 4,000 followers of the College’s Facebook account. Since then, over 2,500 people have viewed the event. The donations came flooding in and after only a few minutes it was apparent that our fundraising target of £1,000 was a little low. Thanks again to all those who donated, it made all of the effort worthwhile.
The Live Lounge 2021 album is available to download on all major music streaming platforms. All proceeds go to St Wilfrid’s Hospice Eastbourne. Click here if you would like to donate to our official fundraising page.
Live Lounge Concert 2021
Skip to the start of the live-stream event by advancing to the little blue and white dot situated on the playbar.
