Hope message for calendar crowd

A BOY who is battling a progressive muscle-wasting disease was supported by a performance at this year’s Henley Living Advent Calendar.

The event held at the Hart Street Tavern on Monday last week was raising money for Ben vs Duchenne, a charity set up in aid of Ben Clarke, 11, who has a form of muscular dystrophy.

Ben is a pupil at Gillotts School and was aged four when he was diagnosed and will gradually lose the ability to move independently.

The surprise act was Alana Basinger, a 16-year-old singer songwriter from Hurst, who performed original songs and covers on piano and guitar.

Her setlist included River and Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell, an acoustic cover of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane and her own songs Company and Feel it Now.

The performance raised £560 and Ben’s father, Alex, said the money would go towards improving his son’s quality of life and research into the condition.

Mr Clarke told the audience: “Most of you have probably never heard of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, it is a rare muscle wasting condition which affects mostly boys.

“It is an insidious and horrible condition that robs boys of their ability to walk, normally by the age of 12 and shortens their life with a life expectancy of between 25 and 30. There is no cure, and so we set up this fund to ensure that Ben had the best quality of life but also so that we could invest funds into research to find a cure.

“The money raised tonight will go towards anything Ben may need to make sure that he is comfortable, and a large portion will go towards Duchenne UK, a national charity that has over the last 10 years invested £20 million into finding a cure.”

Mr Clarke said that one of the milestones in the research of the condition included the approval of vamorolone by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence earlier this month.

The drug is a steroid that will be available to all with the condition and has fewer side effects than current treatments. It will now be available on the NHS to patients aged four years and older.

On Tuesday last week, about 20 students with the Henley Music School performed a mix of Christmas and classical tunes at Simmons and Sons estate agents in Bell Street.

Youthful Strings, comprising string instruments, started the performance by playing Christmas Concerto by Correlli, followed by O Holy Night and La Fete des Toreros by Iradier. Next, the flute group played Deck the Halls, Ding Dong Merrily on High and Jingle Bells.

Soloist Ava Reineke performed her own renditions of Silent Night and Porgi Amore by Mozart. The musicians then came together to perform I Wish it Could Be Christmas Every Day, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

The school’s founder, Laura Reineke, said: “Henley Music School is still going strong and we are growing nicely. We are in three of the five primary schools, Gillotts School and we are individually teaching in all the schools, so every penny counts.”

On Wednesday last week, The Tonyx, comprising Helen Marlow, Louise Johnson, Holly Stothard and Ali Kinch performed a cappella at Hotel du Vin in New Street.

After blowing a pitch pipe to find the right note for the start of each song, the group performed a set of festive songs, including the Carol of the Bells, Mister Santa, Ding Dong Merrily on High and It’s a Holly Jolly Christmas.

The crowd were also surprised to see town councillor David Eggleton dressed as a cavalier captain from the English Civil War and he auctioned off an historic tour of Henley for six people, which raised £90 for Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice.

The performance had been due to take place in the courtyard but was moved inside due to the predicted weather forecast of rain and wind but it did not come to pass.

Richard Rodway, who organises the calendar, said: “This wasn’t the plan but every second I looked at the weather forecast over the last 24 hours it got worse and worse. In true Christmas style we have been invited into the inn and, of course, it’s not going to rain now.”

He added: “I think I am going to get a job as a weather forecaster now because basically you can say anything you like, it really doesn’t matter and there are no consequences, what a great job that is.”

Yodelling ukulele player Lynne Nash was the surprise act at the Chiltern House Business Centre in Station Road on Thursday last week. She began with I Wanna Be Like You from the Jungle Book, which the audience sang along and clapped to.

Ms Nash then brought out her “alter ego”, a puppet called Annie, with which they sang a duet.

George Campbell then joined Ms Nash to take over playing the ukulele on stage to sing Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt as Ms Nash and Annie joined in with the chorus.

The crowd laughed as Mr Campbell’s microphone sank down while performing the penultimate rendition of Shakin’ Stevens’s Merry Christmas Everyone.

Ms Nash said The Jungle Book song was an easy crowd pleaser to get the evening started, despite her nerves.

She said: “I was nervous because I have never done ventriloquism live before because I have only been doing it seven months, but Annie made her debut, and it was such a delight. I usually get nervous when I’m performing, even though I know what I’m doing. With ventriloquism it could go either way. My lips could have moved and at one point there might have been a bit of crossover.”

The Spinoff performed at the Eyot Centre in Wargrave Road last Friday. The five-piece band played a number of rock and pop tunes including Addicted to Love by Robert Palmer, Pride and Joy by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen and Maria by Blondie.

The band, who all live in and around Henley, comprised lead singer Liz Howard, Trevor Barstow on bass, Nigel Paice, lead guitar, Marcio Pizzeghello, guitar and Andy Bent-Marshall on drums.

The night was raising money for the centre which provides access to social and river-based activities for the young people of Henley and surrounding areas.

Sue Perry-Whitehead, who manages the centre said: “The Eyot Centre is the home of Henley Dragons, Henley Canoe Club, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s award, all the way through to gold level.

“So, what does all that actually really mean? It means that for kids of all backgrounds from Henley and the surrounding areas, we’re trying to foster a love of the river and paddle sports. It’s not just for posh people, the river is for everybody and to enjoy it and be safe on it.”

Jazz band Freddie & the Freeloaders performed on Saturday night at Henley Rugby Club. The group comprises Wilf Eaton on tenor sax, Ginny Cooper on alto sax, Ross Law on trombone, Mike O’Riley on drums, Alan Metcalf on bass and Steve Rivett on guitar.

After opening with the Fifties staple Little Suede Shoes by Charlie Parker, the band was joined by singer Mary Rivett who sang All of Me by Billie Holiday and Fly Me to the Moon by Frank Sinatra.

The band then played a New Orleans funeral march, The Second Line, before playing Alligator Bogaloo by Lou Donaldson, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and finishing with Tequila by the Champs.

The night was in aid of the Friends of Townlands Hospital. Caroline Newton, who chairs the group which aims to fundraise to support the hospital in York Road, said the money donated would go towards making the waiting rooms more child-friendly.

She said: “People have been extraordinarily generous and we will really look forward to seeing how we can best put the money raised to the use of users and staff at Townlands Memorial Hospital.

“We’re looking at just making the waiting rooms, particularly the ones that the children use, more appropriate for kids because at the moment they’re quite stark. We’re looking at how we can soften them and decorate them.”

This year’s calendar closed on Christmas Eve. A final round-up of performances will appear in next week’s Henley Standard.