[dropcap type =”circle”]N[/dropcap]orth Oxfordshire MP Victoria Prentis organised an impromptu Singing for Syrians concert on College Green, Westminster in support of Giving Tuesday.
Victoria was joined by colleagues including Attorney General Robert Buckland MP, Fiona MacTaggart MP and fellow Oxfordshire MP, Nicola Blackwood as well as Year 6 pupils from St Matthew’s School, Westminster. The pop-up event aimed to raise awareness of Giving Tuesday and Victoria’s “Singing for Syrians” fundraising initiative.
Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving which encourages people to “do good stuff” for charity by giving their time, money or voice to a worthy cause. Together, everyone sang carols including “Away in a Manger”, “The 12 Days of Christmas” and “O Come All Ye Faithful”. Will Quince MP also performed a solo of the first verse of “O Holy Night”.
Passers-by stopped to listen and joined in with many of the carols. Many of the MPs who participated will be joining the choir for the flagship “Singing for Syrians” concert at St Margaret’s Westminster on 13 December. Simon Callow, Robert Peston and Michael Morpurgo will also be performing on the 13th. Tickets have now sold out.
Speaking after the event, Victoria said: “When I met the Charities Aid Foundation – who coordinate Giving Tuesday – they asked me what I might be able to do to lend my support to the day. I thought it would be a lot of fun to try and get some of my Parliamentary colleagues to come along and sing outside Westminster. It was all rather last minute, but it just shows how easy it is to organise a Singing for Syrians event. I was really grateful to all my colleagues and the school children who sang their hearts out.
“Like last year, local support for Singing for Syrians has been brilliant. In the coming weeks, I know that concerts will be taking place in Adderbury, Somerton and Banbury. I am really looking forward to all of them. I would encourage people to look at www.singingforsyrians.com to discover more or to find an event taking place near them.”
