Latest updates - 17th Jan 08
Music by Moonlight in Dubai. Just back off the plane from the most amazing visit to Dubai in the UAE, working for the fantastic charity, Foresight, which works towards research into Retinitis Pigmentosa in the Middle East. After performing in a concert last year for the BRPS in Newbury, Denise was invited to sing for the charity, in a concert held in the grounds of the Le Meridien Mina seyahi, in aid of Retinitis Pigmentosa, which affects around 1 in 3000 people, and devastates lives all over the world. “We flew out on Saturday, Business Class, thanks to Emirates Airline, and Skywards. Arriving in Dubai in the early hours of Sunday morning. Three hours sleep, and then up again and off to a press conference, to talk about the charity and the concert.” Foresight helps fund research into many treatments for RP, including stem cell treatment, and gene therapy, not only trying to find a way of slowing down sight loss in sufferers of RP, but actually restoring vision. “Having RP myself, and having received my diagnosis late in the day when I was 22 and worried about my children, it’s essential that people have as much information to hand as possible.” Says Denise. “And the possibility of reversing the effects of the disease is very exciting.” Press conference over, Denise and Stefan had the chance to catch up on some much needed sleep. Having corrected their body clocks, they were free to enjoy some of the local facilities, and attended a concert hosted by the Dubai Concert Committee, and finished off the evening with a meal in a local bar. Next day, concert day, saw Denise and Stef shopping for the children’s Christmas stockings, buying traditional Arabic drums, shoes and perfume. Short rehearsal, and then full on preparation for the evenings events, with a free blow dry by the hotel salon , and then down to the outside venue, in temperatures of 25 degrees, to sing a selection of operatic arias and seasonal music, to an invited audience of 350 people, including TV and journalists, supporters of Foresight, and sponsors, amongst many others. “It was luxurious standing on the beach infront of Parm Trees, decorated for Christmas, in such heat, and singing John Rutter and Harold Darke,” Said Denise. “And then to follow up with an encore of Summer Time,” she laughs. Denise and Stefan were called back for 3 encores, Summer Time, Funny Valentine and Omio Babbino Caro, and then had the opportunity to meet the audience and share in mulled wine and pudding. “We’re both so proud to have been invited to perform for Foresight, I know personally how devastating RP can be, and the research which they’re funding is essential.” “We’d like to thank everyone who supported the event,
sponsors, charity workers, technicians, audience members; everyone
made it a perfect evening, and helped to raise a considerable amount
of money towards research into RP.”
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