Charity Gala in aid of Pancreatic Cancer UK
Out of the shadows
A concert of Fauré, Vaughan Williams and Holst,
24 November 2009 at Cadogan Hall,
to raise funds for PANCREATIC CANCER UK
“I encourage people to support this concert in memory of Robert Brown, a thoroughly decent man and a class act.” Elton John
Fauré’s serene Requiem, Vaughan Williams’ ravishing Serenade to Music and iconic The Lark Ascending, two nostalgic extracts from Walton’s Henry V Suite and Holst’s fresh-faced Brook Green Suite - the programme for this concert on 24th November at Cadogan Hall, with Stephen Layton conducting the English Chamber Orchestra, The Holst Singers, violinist Matthew Trusler and four exceptional young vocal soloists – is appealing enough in itself, but it will also raise funds for a genuinely deserving cause: Pancreatic Cancer UK.
Pancreatic cancer is the fifth most common cause of death from cancer, but general awareness of the disease is relatively low – perhaps because the pancreas (important to both the digestive system and the production of hormones, notably insulin) is an organ little understood by the general public. Music-lovers, however, will know that Luciano Pavarotti died of the disease in September 2007, 18 months after diagnosis, while his fellow operatic legend, Marilyn Horne, who was diagnosed in 2006, now seems to have fought it successfully with the help of innovative treatments. Another public figure fighting the disease right now is Hollywood star Patrick Swayze.
"Large sums of money are spent on research into cancer, but only 1% of it is directed at pancreatic cancer, which is the fifth most common cause of death from cancer. Fewer than 3% of those diagnosed with the disease survive for five years. Please help to change this situation by supporting Pancreatic Cancer UK”. Nicoletta Pavarotti.
Over the past 40 years, survival rates for many cancers have improved significantly. The 5-year survival rate for testicular cancer is 95%, 77% for breast, 73% for uterine, 65% for prostate and 61% for cervical. The 5-year survival rates in the UK for pancreatic cancers have been lowest of all – running at between 2% and 3%. On a more positive note, advances in treatment have occurred over the past decade; these could raise survival rates if adopted more widely, and they demonstrate that there is hope for winning the battle against this disease, historically considered incurable.
This fundraising concert has been organised by James Brown, Managing Director of Hazard Chase Limited. His brother, Robert died of pancreatic cancer in November 2008 at the age of just 54, leaving a young family devastated. Robert, a highly-regarded and senior figure in the City, who numbered investment for charities among his areas of professional expertise, was a founder of Evercore Pan-Asset Capital Management Ltd, the sponsor of the concert. Chairman of the company is John Redwood, investment expert and Conservative politician. He says: “As we have learned to our great cost, in the case of pancreatic cancer, diagnosis is generally a death sentence. My friend and colleague Robert Brown lived just thirteen weeks beyond that point. He was the kind of man who, had he survived, would have wanted to do something constructive to address the need for earlier diagnosis. I am therefore pleased to support this concert and thereby to help raise funds for research into the disease and support for those affected. I look forward to a splendid evening’s music-making and I urge people to come along and support Pancreatic Cancer UK.”
Someone else who knew Robert Brown well was former newspaper editor and now TV personality Piers Morgan. “Robert’s death was a terrible shock to all of us who knew him and a tragedy for his family,” says Morgan. “He was a great guy, in the prime of life, with everything to live for. His death highlights the urgent need for greater understanding and awareness of pancreatic cancer. I urge people to support Pancreatic Cancer UK and I hope that this concert will help to draw attention to this issue. “
A webpage, linked to the concert, has been set up for anyone wishing to donate to Pancreatic Cancer UK in memory of Robert Brown - http://www.justgiving.com/robertbrownconcert
For further information please contact Simon Millward at Albion Media, 020-7629-3252, simon@albion-media.co.uk
English Chamber Orchestra with The Holst Singers
Stephen Layton conductor
Natasha Jouhl soprano
Madeleine Shaw mezzo-soprano
Ben Alden tenor
Dawid Kimberg baritone
Matthew Trusler violin
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Serenade to Music
WALTON: Henry V Suite - Passacaglia: The Death of Falstaff and ‘Touch her soft lips and part’
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: The Lark Ascending
HOLST: Brook Green Suite
FAURE: Requiem
In aid of Pancreatic Cancer UK
Tickets: £30, £26, £22, £18 available from the Cadogan Hall box office: 020 7730 4500 or online: www.cadoganhall.com.
