Ideal CD gift - Handle With Care
Picture courtesy of Robert Cox, Kempston
100% of the sale price goes directly to charity. You can listen to samples by clicking on the links below:
Flower Duet, Lakme
Ave Maria, Gounod
For Unto Us A Child Is Born, Handel
Queen Of The Night, Mozart
The Way, Clifford Derbyshire
Tim and Irene Grant-Jones live in Bedfordshire and have a family of five children, some of whom feature in this recording. In 1987, Irene needed a major surgical operation whilst carrying Rebecca which necessitated careful handling of the unborn baby. This was a particularly traumatic occasion for the whole family. Their Christian faith was tested enormously but they were carried through by their belief that God cared for every detail.
Thankfully, due to the skill of the surgeon (Mrs R.M. Wallace) and the care of Dr Done and Dr Au, Irene recovered well and Rebecca was born a few months later without complication.
In an act of gratitude, the family began their associations with SAVE THE CHILDREN in 1987 by playing music for long hours at Christmas times. They wanted to go a stage much further and use their musical experience to raise a considerably larger sum for a charity which concentrates its efforts worldwide where children are in more need than can be imagined. It was Irene’s vision to produce this recording and without any cost to the charity. Great encouragement came from Dr & Mrs Barber who shared the vision. Irene then wrote and spoke tirelessly to hundreds of companies and individual people about this project over a period of about 18 months. Slowly but surely, funds drifted in and they were able to start the recording process. They are particularly indebted to Dave Ledsom (of SDC) and Nick Kier (Bedford Park Rotary Club) who elected to donate the proceeds of their own charity events to fund this project and which provided about two thirds of the total costs.
Some of the musical items have a direct or subtle connection with children, or are of a sympathetic nature. All 18 tracks have been selected for their great musical attraction. Three songs have been written specially for this album, THEY CAN'T WRITE TO TELL US, OUR FATHER and THE WAY.
A Welsh folksong, BUGEILIO'R GWENITH GWYN, is included to pay tribute to a country where Irene lived, in Rhyl (North Wales), from which she draws so much of her musical background. While she was a pupil at Rhyl High School, she was involved with the Rhyl Silver Band and the town's Little Theatre. In addition she won the solo singing class at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod. Flora Nielsen, Clara Taylor and John Carol Case were major influences on her vocal development at the Royal Academy of Music where Irene was awarded the Parepa Rosa prize for singing.
Irene's family hail from Blaenau Ffestiniog, where her father, the youngest of twelve children, worked in Maenofferen quarry. It was Irene's mother's parents who set up Blaenau's first telephone exchange in their own home, and it was her mother's grandfather who opened the first cinema there and in Holyhead. Irene's sister still lives in Rhyl, and many other members of the family still live in Blaenau Ffestiniog and other parts of North Wales.
All recording artists have given long hours in the studio freely and without remuneration. Many businesses have donated their services and expertise along the way. The costs of the complete production of the CD and Cassette have been met entirely by donation, sponsorship and gifts from those listed on the next page and without whom this album would have never been contemplated. The sale price will be given directly and wholly to the Charity of your Choice.
Recorded at The Basement Studio, Bedford
Recording engineer: Rick Cordes
Cover artist: Robert Cox
Cover photographed by Ivor Leonard
Producers: Tim & Irene Grant-Jones
CDs £8.50. Cassettes £5.50.
Please enclose 4 first class stamps to cover postage and packing, 100% of the sale price goes directly to - Charity of your Choice.
Please send cheques to : 35 Church Walk, Kempston, Bedford, MK427BH
