Kentish Express Ashford & District
Family ensemble to host a war concert
A father and his two sons are planning to stage a concert to help children in war-torn countries.
Conductor Jonathan Webb will play piano, accompanying his sons Emmanuel, 13, on violin and Gabriel, nine, on cello at Mersham Parish Church in aid of War Child.
Youngsters from Ashford’s Norton Knatchbull School, which Emmanuel goes to, and Mersham Primary School, where Gabriel is a pupil, will read poetry relating to the First World War to mark 100 years since the start of the conflict.
Jonathan, 50, who has conducted performances in some of Europe’s leading opera houses, said: “This summer, having witnessed the horrors of wars today brought vividly to our television screens in news broadcasts, we have decided to give a concert in aid of War Child in support of children who find themselves trapped in conflicts from which they have no escape.
“The event will commemorate the sacrifices made 100 years ago and, through music, offer a vision of the future and peace, which so many lost their lives striving to bring us.”
The musicians will play pieces by Beethoven, Bach, Elgar, Rachmaninov, Gabriel Fauré, Max Bruch and John Williams.
The Webb Family Trio has performed throughout Kent and Sussex, including putting on a series of Olympic concerts in Ashford venues and a fundraiser in aid of St John the Baptist Church in Mersham last year.
War Child describes itself as a small charity that protects children living in the world’s most dangerous war zones.
The concert, Requiem, takes place in Mersham Church from 3pm on Sunday. There is no admission charge but there will be a collection for War Child.