Look To The Stars News: Nordoff Robbins

Annie Lennox Backs Christmas Charity Appeal

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:45:00 +0000

Annie Lennox has announced her support for the charity Nordoff Robbins, launching the 2011 Christmas appeal to help raise £100,000 and transform the lives of vulnerable people.

The Christmas Appeal for Nordoff Robbins is set to raise £100,000 this festive season aiming to help some of the UK’s most vulnerable and isolated children and adults. With a UK wide campaign featuring an online wall of fame of celebrity supporters including Muse, Alfie Boe and Status Quo, the national specialist charity is asking supporters to donate every pound they can in these tough times, to fund 50,000 music therapy sessions needed to deliver in 2012 to vulnerable people.

“By donating to the fantastic music charity Nordoff Robbins this Christmas you’ll be giving the gift of music and help change the lives of vulnerable children & adults across the UK,” said Annie.

Stars To Come Out For Nordoff Robbins Christmas Carols

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Now in its 15th year, the annual Nordoff Robbins Christmas Carol Service is one of the most popular events on the fundraising calendar, bringing together family, friends and supporters in a celebration of music at a special time of year.

This year’s event, which is generously sponsored by Coutts, will take place in the beautiful St Luke’s Church in London on Wednesday 14th December and will be dedicated to Willie Robertson, founding supporter of Nordoff Robbins.

Legendary Rockers Support Charity Christmas Appeal

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:45:00 +0000

Status Quo – the legendary rock band famous for their hit singles ‘Rockin All Over the World’ and ‘Whatever You Want’ – have announced their support to help launch the 2011 Nordoff Robbins Christmas appeal and raise £100,000 to transform the lives of some of the UK’s most vulnerable children and adults.

With a UK wide campaign and celebrities such as Magic FM Radio DJ Kim Wilde and classical tenor Alfie Boe jumping on board, the charity is asking supporters to donate every pound they can to help fund 50,000 vital music therapy sessions in 2012.

It was in 1981 that Nordoff-Robbins awarded the legendary rock group the prestigious Silver Clef Award as part of their annual Silver Clef Awards, and the band subsequently accepted an invitation to become official Patrons of the charity too. This year Status Quo accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Tenor Alfie Boe Named As Charity Ambassador

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Alfie Boe – the sensational opera tenor – has announced that he has taken on a role as an official ambassador for Nordoff Robbins.

Alfie is enjoying huge success this year with his two top ten albums ‘Bring Him Home’ and “Alfie” and is famous for his roles at Opera Houses around the world and as Jean Valjean, in Les Miserables. As part of his role he will be helping to launch the Nordoff Robbins 2011 Christmas appeal.

This Christmas, the organization aims to raise £100,000 to help some of the UK’s most vulnerable and isolated children and adults. With a UK wide campaign launching today, they are asking supporters to donate every pound they can in these tough times, to fund 50,000 music therapy sessions in 2012.

Annie Lennox, Liza Minnelli, Paul McCartney Honored At Charity Awards

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:00:00 +0000

The 36th annual Nordoff Robbins O2 Silver Clef Awards took place on Friday 1st July at the London Hilton on Park Lane.

Tinie Tempah, photo: John Marshall via Nordoff Robbins

Annie Lennox And Status Quo To Be Honored By Charity

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Nordoff Robbins – the charity that harnesses music to reach children and adults whose lives are constrained by illness, disability, trauma or exclusion – has announced the list of winners who will be honored at this year’s O2 Silver Clef Awards Lunch on July 1.

The major O2 Silver Clef Award will go to Annie Lennox.

Joining an illustrious list of artists whose talent has been celebrated with the O2 Silver Clef Award, Annie said about the award: “I am thrilled and honoured to be receiving the O2 Silver Clef Award from Nordoff Robbins. I’ve supported Nordoff Robbins over the years and I’m a firm believer in their work and the healing power of music.”

Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Donates To Nordoff Robbins

Tue, 24 May 2011 12:30:00 +0000

The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation has donated £250,000 to support the work of Nordoff Robbins.

The donation will go towards funding work at the Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Unit based in the grounds of the world renowned BRIT School in Croydon, South London and the running of our music therapy work in the South East. The unit provides an essential music therapy service to children and adults of all ages, who struggle with many different types of physical and mental challenges, as well as being a valuable resource for the community and surrounding areas.

Mark Wordsworth, Chairman of the Trustees of The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, says: “Andrew Lloyd Webber is delighted that the money he gifted to the Foundation is now being used to contribute to a wide range of projects and making a significant contribution to the arts for the public benefit.”

Annie Lennox To Be Awarded Nordoff Robbins Charity Award

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Nordoff Robbins – the charity that harnesses music to reach children and adults whose lives are constrained by illness, disability, trauma or exclusion – has announced that acclaimed musician and campaigner Annie Lennox OBE will be honoured with the prestigious O2 Silver Clef Award at this year’s Nordoff Robbins O2 Silver Clef Awards Lunch.

This star-studded event in aid of music charity Nordoff Robbins, the chosen charity of the music industry, will take place on Friday 1 July at London Hilton, Park Lane. The O2 Silver Clef Award is the most prestigious of the nine awards handed out at the event. It’s given to a British artiste in recognition of their contribution to UK music. Other winners at the 2011 Silver Clef Awards are Tinie Tempah (TAG Design & Interactive: Best Newcomer award) and Alfie Boe (PPL Classical Award). Further award winners will be announced soon.

Annie Lennox joins an illustrious list of artistes who have been honored with the Nordoff Robbins O2 Silver Clef Award including The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, George Michael, Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne, and last year, Muse.

Nordoff Robbins To Host Celebrity Charity Carol Service

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Nordoff Robbins – an organization that reaches out through music to children and adults whose lives are constrained by illness, disability, trauma or exclusion – is excited to announce that none other than The Wanted will be performing at the Nordoff Robbins Carol Service on Wednesday 15th December.

If you haven’t already feasted your ears and eyes on the new boyband sensation, (you might have caught them on the X Factor last week), then you’re seriously missing out as they are already rivaling some of the biggest music acts around today.

Celebrity Rockers Honored By Music Therapy Charity

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:30:00 +0000

British rockers Muse picked up the O2 Silver Clef Award in London last week.

Presented by Nordoff Robbins and hosted by Sharon Osbourne, the event also honored Tony Bennett, Vera Lynn, Slash, Russell Watson, Dizzee Rascal and boyband JLS.

“We are delighted to be presented this year’s Nordoff Robbins Silver Clef and join the ranks of such Artistes as Robert Plant, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Elton John and The Who,” said members of Muse. “Nordoff Robbins is an exceptional charity that has a positive impact on so many people’s lives, and we are very proud to be recognised by them in this way”

Tom Jones To Be Honored In Aid Of Charity

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Sir Tom Jones – legend, national treasure, international superstar – is to be honoured with the prestigious Music Industry Trusts’ Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to music.

Sir Tom, knighted by the Queen in 2006 and celebrating his 70th Birthday this year, has notched up a stellar career over five decades and continues to scale the very highest peaks of the music business, both in the UK and around the world. The Award will be presented to Tom Jones on 1 November at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel. Over 1000 guests attend this celebrated charity award event in aid of Nordoff Robbins and the BRIT Trust.

David Munns, Chairman of the Award committee said: “Tom Jones is one of those rare beings, a timeless entertainer, a great guy, who clearly loves what he does, and whose talent appeals to successive generations. Tom is Mr Cool, one of the world’s greatest singers and performers and we are extremely proud and honoured that he is the 2010 recipient of the Music Industry Trusts’ Award.”

Nordoff Robbins Silver Clef Awards To Rock For Charity

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:30:00 +0000

The Nordoff Robbins annual star-studded 02 Silver Clef Awards is set to rock The Hilton, Park Lane in London as multi-platinum, multi award-winning Devon rock act Muse will be awarded the coveted 02 Silver Clef Award.

This year’s 35th infamous awards luncheon held to raise money for Nordoff Robbins will be hosted by British music mogul Sharon Osbourne. The event will take place on Friday 2nd July and will be attended by guests including the music industry’s high fliers, artists, celebrities and supporters of Nordoff Robbins. Also being honored are boyband JLS and Scouting For Girls.

“We are so honoured and humbled to be winning such a prestigious award,” said members of JLS, who will receive the Best Newcomers accolade. “There are so many amazing new artists at present and to be considered, let alone win the best newcomer award is truly incredible. We are so grateful, and delighted to be attending an event that does so much good work.”

Professional Footballers Put Pen To Paper For Charity

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Wayne Rooney, Didier Drogba, Steven Gerrard and Cesc Fabregas are just a few of the 40 Premier League stars who have drawn-self portraits to be auctioned off in a leather bound book for the music charity Nordoff Robbins.

The leather-bound book will be auctioned on Monday in aid of the charity Nordoff Robbins, which delivers music therapy services. The book was assembled by Premier League World – a Premier League show broadcast to fans in 211 territories across the globe.

Other football personalities featured include Rio Ferdinand, Michael Owen, Carlo Ancelotti, Robin van Persie, Carlos Tevez and Harry Redknapp.

Iron Maiden Launch Charity Auction

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:00:00 +0000

With members of Iron Maiden busy working on their new album (to be released later this year) their manager, Rob Smallwood has been busy training for a charity fundraising bike ride in Egypt to benefit ChildLine and Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy. 

“As many of you know l regularly undertake bike rides to raise funds for Charity,” writes Rod on the Iron Maiden website, “The last one was Peru in Nov 2007 and prior to that I did rides in Kenya, Egypt, Russia, China and Vietnam/Cambodia. The 08-09 touring with Maiden restricted me the last couple of years so this time I have gone a step further organizing one myself on behalf of ChildLine and Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy.”

Rod’s ride will include forty of his friends, largely from the music, sport and entertainment industries, where they’ll peddle over 100 miles along the Nile between Aswan and Luxor in just 48 hours. Between them all, they hope to raise over £150,000 profit for the charities.   "This is a twist on us ‘getting off our backsides’ and doing something to really help as we will be staying on them most of the time, propelling our mountain bikes forward to raise as much money as we can for these two very deserving children’s charities," commented Rod.

Status Quo Honored For Charity Work

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Veteran British rockers Status Quo have been honored by the Queen for their services to charity and music.

The band’s two founders – Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi – were awarded OBEs in the Queen’s New Years Honors List.

“To be perfectly honest with all the hard work we have put in over the years I accept it graciously – I do think we deserve it with all that work and what we have done for charity,” said Parfitt. “We’ve worked hard over the years and done a lot for Nordoff Robbins, the Prince’s Trust and the Heart Foundation and other charities, so I thought there had been a chance that we may have got something, but I had kind of given up hoping.”

Bryan Adams Foundation Holds An Evening Of Opera

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:30:00 +0000

The Bryan Adams Foundation held its inaugural fundraising event, An Evening of Opera and Picnic, last month on the lawns of The Royal Hospital, Chelsea in London.

The Foundation was set up by Bryan Adams to improve the quality of people’s lives around the world, and aims to achieve this by providing financial help and support to those people who are committed to bettering the lives of other people, by providing grants to finance specific projects.

A 4 course picnic, donated by Michelin star chef Gordon Ramsay and eaten on rugs to the accompaniment of music by The Pavao Quartet, was followed by a performance of Opera in the hospital’s chapel sung by the Jette Parker Young Artists from the Royal Opera House, who sung pieces by Puccini, Bizet, Mozart, Verdi and others. Critically acclaimed UK violinist, Charlie Siem, also performed on the evening during the second half.

Big Stars To Hit The Stage Again At Rockwell

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:30:00 +0000

In 1990 some of the world’s biggest musicians put on one of the most important gigs of all time.

In aid of Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy, the event at Knebworth featured the likes of Robert Plant, Pink Floyd and Paul McCartney. An incredible line-up of former Silver Clef award winners performed to 120,000 fans in a show that raised over three million pounds.

Now nineteen years later a new generation are set to do it again at the O2 arena. Rockwell promises to be the star-studded musical event of the year with some of the world’s most influential musicians sharing a stage with the best of UK talent.

Take That Wins Award And Donates To Charity

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:00:00 +0000

British boy band Take That has made a major donation to charity following winning a coveted award during the weekend.

Singer Gary Barlow announced they would be giving £50,000 to Nordoff Robbins, the UK’s leading independent provider of music therapy service, after they took home their second Silver Clef award at the Intercontinental Hotel in London on Friday.

Hosted by Denise Van Outen, this year’s Silver Clef event raised more than £400,000 for the charity. As well as some memorable performances, the event featured an auction of one-off music memorabilia items, including a one-off Mini Cooper designed by former Silver Clef recipient Paul Weller, and a £10 note signed by Take That that was sold for £2,000. The annual event has raised over £7.5m for Nordoff Robbins over the years.

Buy Guitar String Bracelets And Support Charity

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Music fans now have the chance to wear their love of Rock on their sleeves for charity.

Wear Your Music is a New York-based organization that creates 100% eco-friendly jewelry that rocks – literally. The company makes used guitar strings from artists spanning the musical spectrum into stylish bracelets. 100% of the proceeds from the bracelets goes to charities of the artists’ choice, such as UNICEF, Rock the Vote, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Nordoff Robbins, MusiCares, PETA, HeadCount, The Nature Conservancy, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Keep A Child Alive, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Smile Train and many more.

Over 150 musicians have personally donated guitar strings to the initiative, including Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, Metallica, Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Ben Harper, Avril Lavigne, Carrie Underwood, Carlos Santana and Death Cab for Cutie.

Bacon Brothers To Play Hard Rock LA Tonight

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Actor Kevin Bacon will join his brother Michael onstage in LA tonight, March 26, for a musical performance for charity.

The Bacon Brothers – who have been performing together since 1995 and recently released their fifth album, New Years Day – will appear as part of Hard Rock Cafe’s March On Stage program, an initiative about helping people who make a difference and giving back to those people that give so selflessly of themselves. Some of the proceeds from the show will go to Musicians on Call and Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy.

“I like risks,” said Kevin. “And there’s nothing more risky about being a well known actor and playing in a rock band.”

Billy Boyd Performs At Charity Awards

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:30:00 +0000

Lord of the Rings actor Billy Boyd appeared at a charity music awards ceremony in Glasgow, Scotland, during the weekend to raise money for Nordoff Robbins.

The star performed with his band, Beecake, and accepted a People’s Choice Best Live Act award at the Tartan Clef Awards. Beecake also received the most votes from fans in an online poll organized by tourist organization Visit Scotland.

The event raised £100,000 (US$200,000) to help fund music therapy in Scotland.

Sharleen Spiteri Gigs With Autistic Children

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:30:00 +0000

Scottish singer Sharleen Spiteri lent her support to Nordoff Robbins last week when she visited a school that integrates children with autism into classes and provides music therapy as part of their lessons.

The 41-year-old lead singer of Texas played a few tunes for children at Hopefield Primary in Bonnyrigg, Scotland, to raise awareness of music therapy in schools.

“It was great to do a song with the kids playing along on their drums, shakers and bells,” Spiteri told the Sunday Mail in the UK. "It ended up being a lot easier than some big gigs I’ve done where thousands of fans clap along out of time. That’s an absolute nightmare. Playing to a bunch of kids who were totally into the music was both satisfying and very humbling. But that’s the power of music. I was a total stranger but music brought us together.

Stars Become Brokers For BGC Charity Day

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:30:00 +0000

BGC will hold its 4th Annual Global Charity Day on Thursday 11th September.

Consistent with its theme, “Working Globally – Giving Locally”, BGC’s offices around the world will raise money for charity as they commemorate September 11 by reaching out to help others.

In New York, London, Paris, Sydney and Hong Kong, celebrities from the worlds of music, stage, screen and sport will join the company’s brokers to help raise money for a number of selected charities. All of BGC’s global revenues generated from the day’s trading will be donated to charity.

Bono's Fishy T-Shirt Benefits African Farmers

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:41:00 +0000

Bono has designed a new T-shirt for charity, joining a host of other celebrities in an on-going and major charity campaign.

The 47-year-old singer from U2 is the 25th artist to design a shirt for Hard Rock Café’s Signature Series clothing line, an initiative started in 1990 as a way for musicians to raise money for charities of their choice. Sales from the shirts have raised over $6 million for a variety of causes.

Bono’s creation, available for $26 from the Hard Rock website, features his stylized drawing of a fish soaring past the moon, and is adorned with the words “Fish Can Fly”, as well as his signature. 15% of the proceeds will go to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Conservation Cotton initiative – a scheme designed to lift African farmers out of poverty by providing education on proper land management, organic cotton growing techniques, and wildlife conservation. The shirts will also support the trade for aid ethos of EDUN, the conscious consumerism fashion label founded by Bono and his wife in 2005, by being made from 100% African cotton and manufactured by African garment workers.

It's Never Too Crowded For Charity

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:35:00 +0000

Half of the band is American, yet they originated in Australia, and the lead singer is a New Zealander. Veteran pop band Crowded House can truly be considered as one of the most international music groups ever to grace the airwaves. And even though they are currently halfway through a world tour to promote their latest album, they still find time to be part of a new collaborative CD to raise money for Oxfam.

“The Cake Sale” (CD /MP3) is a new record featuring a loose and expansive collective of musicians and writers, including Crowded House founding member Nick Seymore, who have combined to create a 9 song CD of previously unreleased recordings. Profits from the album, which also features Nina Persson from The Cardigans, Damien Rice, and Snow Patrol, will go to Oxfam’s Make Trade Fair campaign, as well as to their overseas program work. It was released in Britain in September, where it has already raised almost $300,000, and was made available in the US on October 16.

Crowded House formed in 1984, as a result of the demise of an earlier band called Split Enz. Ex-Enz singer/songwriter Neil Finn, and drummer Paul Hester, joined bass player Nick Seymore to form the new band, then travelled to Los Angeles. There they were signed to Capital Records. Over the next 12 years, the band released four albums, and garnered a loyal fan base with a strong repertoire of hits on both sides of the Atlantic, including “Don’t Dream It’s Over”, “Weather With You”, and “Four Seasons In One Day”.