Cathedral concert promises to put the fun into fundraising

Patrick Comerford

Tickets are still available for ‘The Great American Songbook Concert,’ what promises to be a fun evening tomorrow evening in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin [16 June 2016].

The concert is in aid of Bishops’ Appeal and includes the Midwest Young Artists Conservatory Orchestra from Chicago, conducted by Allan Dennis, and the Irish tenor, Paul Byrom.

The evening’s programme includes popular classics and show songs from some of the most accomplished young musicians in the US who will showcase the best songs from Broadway musicals, Hollywood films and theatre stages, celebrating works having melodies that have become timeless treasures.

The causes supported by the Bishops’ Appeal include fund-raising effort on behalf of a solar panel for al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza.

The Residential Priest Vicar in Christ Church Cathedral, the Revd Garth Bunting is already committed to raising €10,000 through the cathedral towards installing solar panels at al-Ahli Hospital, and the cathedral board is supporting the venture with a donation from its charitable giving.

A few weeks ago, ahead of another fundraising concert, Garth said: “The people of Gaza … are living in a difficult situation.”

During Advent 2014, the people of the Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough raised €115,000 for the hospital in Gaza, which is run by the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem, with which Dublin and Glendalough has a partnership link.

The hospital faces critical problems with its electricity supply on a daily basis. The intermittent supply means it has power for four hours a day and those hours are not regular. As a result the hospital use expensive generators, but the installation of solar panels will greatly improve life for both staff and patients.

Tickets for the concert tomorrow evening [16 June 2016] are only €15 each and are still available here.

Needing another boost following a week of walks in the countryside

In the fields and farms of Comberford … walking in the countryside is good for body, mind and spirit (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2016)

Patrick Comerford

My walks in the English countryside last week made me feel better about myself, if they had no immediate effect on my long-term health or did anything to reverse the symptoms of my Sarcoidosis or my B12 deficiency.

An app on my phone acts as a good counter for walking distances, and also acts as incentive to walk more each day.

However, despite walks on the beaches in Bray last Friday [10 June 2016] and in Skerries and around the harbour on Sunday [12 June 2016], my daily average has slipped this week. My only excuse lies in an exceptionally busy few days, with an academic committee meeting in Trinity College Dublin, teaching throughout Saturday on the reader course, being with students for two days while they defended their dissertations over two days, meetings with students planning their dissertation work next year,a working dinner and meetings with the external examiner and then this afternoon’s meeting of the Court of Examiners.

Of course, a sedentary posture for Ireland’s opening match in Paris against Sweden late yesterday [15 June 2016] did not nothing to reverse my sedentary disposition.

But last week I was particularly pleased with the distances I clocked up in the English countryside. On Sunday [5 June 2016], I had long walks in Lichfield and Tamworth, and through the fields and farms in Comberford, totalling almost 20 km. On Monday, I walked through the countryside between Lichfield and Farewell, before travelling on to Derbyshire, and walked almost 13.5 km.

Then, during the USPG conference in Swanwick, some of my walks around the lake and through the fields and countryside totalled over 7 km each day.

All of this makes me feel much better in body, mind and spirit, but by the beginning of this week it seemed all the good I had done for myself had been reversed. It was if there had been no pay-off for the symptoms of both Sarcoidosis and my B12 deficiency, and makes no difference to the joint pains, my coughing and sometimes a real lack of energy that comes with the pains.

After this afternoon’s meeting of the Court of Examiners for the MTh course, it was time to get back to my GP for my regular B12. I had a three-hour wait, but all because my GP provides careful attention for each patient, and is never reluctant or hesitant about giving each patient the individual care and attention they need.

There was the additional good news that recent biopsies have been positive, and my fears about Sarcodosis spreading to my head are unfounded.

The B12 injections take a few hours to begin to kick in. After this evening’s injection, I should be back to normal energy levels tomorrow. By the time it kicks in fully, I should have plenty of energy for a few weeks in Greece. I am really looking forward to being back in Crete later this month.

Meanwhile, as I say so often, I may have Sarcoidosis, but Sarcoidosis does not have me.