June 1st 2021: Truro Cathedral Choristers are calling on the public and businesses to help them raise vital funds for VaccinAid, a campaign by UNICEF and Crowdfunder to deliver 2 billion vaccines worldwide.
The 35 young choristers are leading the worldwide Sing2G7 initiative, which seeks to make children’s voices heard with the song ‘Gee Seven’, ahead of the G7 Summit taking place from June 11-13 in Carbis Bay, Cornwall.
So far over 25,000 young voices in 27 different countries have signed up to sing ‘Gee Seven,’ with lyrics by Sir Tim Rice and music by Peter Hobbs.
This week the choristers led a Zoom rehearsal for nearly 500 children across the UK as well as the Khayelitsha Township Children’s Choir in Cape Town. The Sing2G7’s ‘G7 Mega Zoom’ is planned for June 9th to unite more of the hundreds of choirs worldwide who are learning the ‘Gee Seven’ song.
The choristers are aware of how vulnerable to Covid many of their fellow young singers around the world are, and the Sing2G7 VaccinAid appeal began as a practical expression of this. Besides direct donations to their Crowdfunder, the choristers are also donating all the royalties from their single, ‘Gee Seven’, to the VaccinAid appeal.
The Crowdfunder appeal to raise £5,000 for the VaccinAid campaign to fund UNICEF’s work is the choristers’ own practical application of the last lines of ‘Gee Seven’ with their bold challenge to G7 leaders:
Gee Seven – let nation speak to nation
Gee Seven – don’t let the others down
Gee Seven – don’t forget the not so fortunate
Gee -Seven – or we’ll run you out of town
Sir Tim Rice, Lyricist behind Gee Seven, said: I’m delighted to see Gee Seven uniting children across continents through the Sing2G7 initiative. I’m proud to see Truro Cathedral Choristers using their beautiful singing to make a tangible difference in the effort to bring Covid Vaccines to poorer countries as part of UNICEF’s vital VaccinAid appeal
Steven Waugh, Interim Executive Director at the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK), said: “UNICEF UK is greatly inspired by the generous amount of time, dedication and passion of the Truro Cathedral Choristers, who are all coming together ahead of the G7 this June to and raising vital funds to help UNICEF support the biggest vaccine drive in history - safely delivering Covid-19 vaccines around the world, to the people and places that need it most. Their aim of reaching out and uniting children all over the world with their voices while also supporting VaccinAid is something we are incredibly proud to be a part of. Thank you, Truro Cathedral Choristers, for choosing to support this campaign which will help provide Covid-19 vaccines, tests and treatments to vulnerable communities around the world; your efforts will help transform the lives of many families and children and ensure equitable access to the vaccine for all”.
UN Global Ambassador and former UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown:
‘It’s moving to see the Truro Cathedral Choristers determined to make a difference and leading in this way on the vital issue of Vaccines for All. With 25,000 young voices in their global Sing2G7 chorus, already learning the wonderful 'Gee Seven' song this courageous pre-Z generation is working so hard and harmoniously across international boundaries and timelines to share their vision for how their world is run. With their words “Don't forget the not so fortunate” they sing truth to the powerful. I hope the G7 leaders will open their ears and their hearts to this touching children’s’ communiqué and grant them their twin wishes of action on global vaccination equity and on climate change.”
Choristers:
Truro Cathedral Chorister Harris, 9, said: ‘Not every country is so lucky to have lots of vaccines and when older people die there it can leave children without their mums and dads which is very sad. Me and my friends would like it a lot if you could help us to help the world and donate whatever you can and hopefully, we can give everyone a shot. Thank you!’
Truro Cathedral Head Chorister, Jacob, 13, said: ‘I can’t imagine how worried I’d be if Covid was everywhere, and my mum or dad couldn’t get a vaccine. I’d be really scared. That’s why I think it’s so important that the choir supports VaccinAid’
Truro Cathedral Chorister Josh, 12, said: ‘Everyone can make a difference, even a child. Just because we’re children, it doesn’t mean we can’t make a difference to these things.’
Organizer:
Esmé Page, co-founder, Sing2G7, said: ‘When we asked our choristers how many two family members had vaccinated, every hand shot up. Ask the same question of the 35 children in Khayelitsha Children’s Choir, and not a single child can raise their hand. This really brought it home to us all. We’re singing the same song together across Zoom but our choristers are acutely aware of how scary life is at the moment for their peers, where no vaccines are available. The choir wanted to make a difference, and this is a concrete way of doing that - if we reach the target of £5,000 that will be over 6,000 families the choristers have helped to protect.’
Supporters:
The Very Reverend Roger Bush, Dean of Truro, said: ‘I’m proud of our choristers for living out the words of their ‘Gee Seven’ song and supporting UNICEF’s ‘Give the World a Shot’ campaign. As they meet in Carbis Bay, the world leaders would do well to take the same starting point and look after their neighbours, especially those in less wealthy countries. We only enhance the true value of our worth as people by how we treat our poorer neighbours’
Rob Love, Crowdfunder CEO, said: “Sing2G7 is a brilliant project started in Cornwall that is uniting children across the globe and giving them a voice in their future. Projects like this really resonate with Crowdfunder’s aim to bring people together to create change for good. We are proud to see projects from our part of the world have such international impact, and honoured that they chose to fundraise for VaccinAid to help us fund UNICEF’s vital work delivering vaccines to the people who need them the most”
Donors:
One of the first corporate donors to the choristers' VaccinAid appeal, is Isles of Scilly Steamship Company. Chairman Ian Howard said, “We love the way that Sing2G7 is uniting children everywhere. We immediately wanted to support our Cornish choristers in their bid to ‘Give the World A Shot’ and protect more families from Covid, wherever they are in the world.”
About Sing2G7
Sing2G7 is a concept created jointly by Chris Gray (Director of Music, Truro Cathedral) and Esmé Page (Founder, Cornwall Hugs Grenfell). It is an international children’s engagement programme prompted by UK’s hosting of the G72021 and grew out of the suggestion, ‘Imagine if we could put children’s voices at the heart of G7 and make the summit relevant to their young lives.’ The chosen vehicle of the initiative is a song, ‘Gee Seven’, written specially for the project by Tim Rice, Patron of Truro Cathedral Choir, with music by Peter Hobbs in an arrangement by Joseph Wicks.
Through the song and its moving youtube video, the 35 choristers aged 8-18 are inspiring children around the world to unite and ‘sing to G7!’ with a strong message, urging them to take full responsibility for the rest of the world. So far over 25,000 voices have registered to sing the song in 27 countries. Singers are posting recordings and videos under #Sing2G7, aiming to make the musical message of this pre-Z generation un-ignorable to world leaders.
The song is released as a single on all digital platforms with the choir’s royalties going to Unicef’s ‘Give the World a Shot’ VaccinAid campaign through Crowdfunder.
The song’s video was created by a pro bono professional team. Sing2G7 is volunteer led, with Vicky Garner and Sarah McLachlan working closely with Chris Gray and Esmé Page.
Sing2G7 sits on its own website, www.sing2g7.org, where free music resources and an extensive 16 module Education Pack for primary schools is hosted, created by Truro School, Sing2G7, Kensa and South West Water.
Sing2G7 Partners are Truro Cathedral, Truro School, Cornwall Music Service Trust, Cornwall Council, The Diocese of Truro, Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station and Future Leaders Network.
For more information visit www.sing2g7.org and follow Sing2G7 on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
About UNICEF:
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.
The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) raises funds for UNICEF’s emergency and development work for children. We also promote and protect children’s rights in the UK and internationally. We are a UK charity, entirely funded by supporters.
United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK), Registered Charity No. 1072612 (England & Wales), SC043677 (Scotland).
For more information visit unicef.org.uk and follow UNICEF UK on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
About Crowdfunder:
Crowdfunder is a leading crowdfunding and fundraising website. Crowdfunder connects individuals and organisations to supporters who care and empowers them to turn their ideas into reality.
Crowdfunder can provide specialist fundraising advice and support from expert coaches and enables Crowdfunders to access match-funding opportunities. Well over £100 million has been raised by our Crowdfunders, plus tens of millions more unlocked by our partners to support campaigns for start-ups, charities, social enterprises, communities, businesses, political movements, and individuals. For more information visit: Crowdfunder.co.uk and follow Crowdfunder on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
For further information or more images please contact:
Sing2G7: Esmé Page: Sing2G7@gmail.com
Images:
Harris and chorister friends with Give the World a Shot Poster
Truro Cathedral Choristers and UK and South African Choirs on Sing2G7 Zoom Rehearsal
Truro Cathedral Choristers during international Sing2G7 Zoom rehearsal
Truro Cathedral Choristers for Sing2G7 with Sir Tim Rice
Truro Cathedral Chorister Sing2G7 Soloist Thomas with Globe
