Acclaimed Sussex musician Dominic Ferris will produce and host a star-studded gala concert at Cadogan Hall

A special gala concert at Cadogan Hall, London, on Monday 20 October will celebrate 90 years of Friends of the Royal Marsden, Chelsea. The unique event will take the audience on a journey of music and reflection in honour of the award-winning charity’s history, from the formation of the Ladies’ Association in 1935 to the flourishing Friends of The Royal Marsden, Chelsea today.

Dominic Ferris, the internationally acclaimed pianist, singer and Steinway & Sons Ambassador from Lancing in West Sussex, will produce and host the show. He will also perform solo, as well as alongside his piano partner Elwin Hendrijanto as The Piano Brothers in a special tribute to Steinway & Sons.

Joining Dominic in the line-up are No.1 vocal group BLAKE, West End soprano Georgi Mottram, ITV Britain’s Got Talent winner Colin Thackery MBE, soloists Joseph & Benjamin from Libera Choir, The Chelsea Pensioner Singers, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra guest leader Stephen Morris and Glyndebourne’s Jack Redman. There will be songs from the Great American Songbook and West Side Story as well as standalone classics such as You Raise Me Up, I Dreamed A Dream and What A Wonderful World.

Guest readers will present short segments illustrating the evolution of Friends of The Royal Marsden, Chelsea and the volunteers’ invaluable work. They will include author and former Politician Lord Jeffrey Archer, Consultant Gynaecological Oncology Surgeon MRCOG MBBS BSc John Butler, acclaimed author and journalist Sophia Money-Coutts and broadcaster and Psychologist Dr Sian Williams. There will also be recorded readings from former professional tennis player and television presenter Annabel Croft, and actress Charlotte Ritchie.

Dominic Ferris said: “It has been a great privilege to devise this landmark event on behalf of Friends of The Royal Marsden, Chelsea. I am proud to be presenting a first-class line up of artistes for our concert, who will take the audience on an emotional journey of music, storytelling and reflection. They will give an insight into the priceless work carried out by the volunteers through the decades.”

In 1935, a group of women came together to support the work of the world’s first ever hospital dedicated to the study and treatment of cancer. Called the Ladies Association, these women oversaw the canteen, tended to the garden, created a hospital library, manned a trolley that circulated the wards, handed out Christmas presents to patients, and in general provided patients and hospital staff with much-needed support. Over the decades, the association grew and changed its name but it has continued its vital work.

Friends of The Royal Marsden, Chelsea, is now an award winning charity with over 170 volunteers who annually give around 20,000 hours of their time, commitment, energy and dedication to support the work of the hospital, while also raising funds to purchase equipment, services and amenities for the benefit of patients, their carers and staff. In 2019 the Friends was awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award given to any voluntary group in the UK and the equivalent of an MBE. On average the Friends contribute c.£250,000 each year to the hospital, raised through a combination of fundraising, subscriptions, donations, and legacies.

Wendy de Capell Brooke, President, said: “Following the success of our collaboration with Steinway & Sons last year, which was marked by a concert featuring Min-Jung Kym, it felt only fitting to partner with Steinway once again as we celebrate our 90th anniversary. This gala concert reflects nine decades of support for The Royal Marsden, Chelsea, through music and narrative in the form of ‘letters live.’ We are very grateful to Dominic Ferris and Sophia Money-Coutts for bringing to life the vision of long standing volunteers Emily Eban,  Sarah Phipps and June Torrance.”

Sarah Phipps, Vice Chair of Friends of the Royal Marsden and Meet & Greet Co-Ordinator for the charity, said: “The Marsden saved my life in 2015 and like many volunteers I joined to make a difference. I wanted to give back and enhance the patient experience, raising awareness of the work we do which in turn enables us to give money to the hospital for essential equipment.”

For more information, and to book, call the Box Office on 020 7730 4500 (Monday to Friday 12pm–6pm) or visit the Cadogan Hall website: https://cadoganhall.com/whats-on/friends-of-the-royal-marsden-chelsea-90th-anniversary-gala-concert/.