CHESHIRE Fire and Rescue Service choir – which includes members from Warrington – is a step closer to reaching their fundraising target to perform at Ground Zero in New York, thanks to a generous donation from technology solutions company Telent.
Members of the choir, which was formed for the BBC TV series The Choir: Sing While You Work, will travel to New York in February to perform their signature song, The Rising, at Ground Zero Memorial Plaza in tribute to the 343 firefighters who died in the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers.
The song, written by Bruce Springsteen, tells the story of a firefighter who was inside one of the towers on that fateful day and realises he isn’t going to survive.
Choir members have been raising money for flights and accommodation for some time now and will be taking leave to undertake the trip in their own time.
Telent, who provide the mobilising systems for North West Fire Control have donated £1000 towards their £8000 target.
Gus O’Rourke, head of operational policy and assurance and tenor in the choir said: “We are really grateful to Telent for supporting our trip to New York. The events of that fateful day in September 2001 had a profound effect on all of us in the UK fire and rescue service.
“Performing The Rising is our way of never forgetting our colleagues in America and to be able to perform it at Ground Zero will be a most moving and poignant experience.”
While in New York the choir has also been invited to sing in a special concert at the world-famous Carnegie Hall where they will be performing Paul Mealor’s “Stabat Mater”.
