The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Sande’s hope for charity single
Emeli Sande hopes a charity single for the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire will help bring people together.
The Scottish singer, who was brought up in Alford in Aberdeenshire, has joined artists including Stormzy, X Factor winner Louisa Johnson, Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones, Rita Ora and Leona Lewis on a version of Simon and Garfunkel’s hit Bridge Over Troubled Water.
Organiser Simon Cowell hopes the cover will raise millions of pounds to help those caught up in Wednesday’s blaze.
Sande, who visited a recording studio in the shadow of Grenfell Tower to record her part, said: “It’s a hard time not to feel quite helpless, I’m just happy I could give my voice and my passion. It was quite emotional.”
The single will also feature local choirs and local people and Sande added: “It’s going to be very powerful, I hope we can bring
“I hope we can bring people together with one song”
people together with one song.
“I feel so lucky to be able to make music, it’s rare to live your passion, I just wish I could do more
“I hope it shows the power of community and the strength of people.”
Sande also saw the healing power of music on a visit to the Nordoff Robbins charity, which uses music therapy with vulnerable children and adults.
She said: “I was very inspired. I was working with three young adults close to my age and we ended with Next To Me.
“It was a very emotional day and I’m so happy people do work like that.”
She will be crowned best female at the charity’s Silver Clef Awards next week, where Dame Shirley Bassey will be honoured with the O2 Silver Clef Award, while Phil Collins will be named American Express icon and Blondie will receive the Amazon outstanding achievement award. Three more victims killed in the Grenfell Tower disaster have been named after Scotland Yard announced the death toll had risen to 79.
Ya-Haddy Sisi Saye, also known as Khadija Saye, 24, Abufars Ibrahim, 39, and Anthony Disson, 65, all lived in the 24-storey west London block, which was destroyed by a huge blaze last Wednesday.
Five people have been formally identified, including 23-year-old Mohammad Alhajali and a woman whose family do not want her name released.
The rest are missing presumed dead, Metropolitan Police Commander Stuart Cundy said yesterday.
In a statement, the family of Mr Disson said: “Our family are devastated at receiving the news that Tony sadly did not survive the fire at Grenfell Tower.
“Tony leaves behind a large family, his wife, sons and grandchildren, including one grandchild he will never get to meet.”
There were emotional scenes at the site in north Kensington at 11am as firefighters halted work to join residents for a minute's silence.
This was observed at government buildings across the country.
Mr Cundy said the death toll may still change, but not as significantly as it has in recent days, adding: “The awful reality is that we may not be able to identify all those that died.”
He fought back tears as he told reporters about the scene inside the tower.
Mr Cundy said it had been “incredibly emotional working in there”, adding: “On Saturday I went in myself and went to the top floor. And it is incredibly hard to describe the devastation in some parts of that building.”
Speaking later he added: “I have investigated major crime for most of my service
“Nothing could prepare me for what I was going to see when I was in there”
and I have seen some terrible things. But I don’t think anything prepared me for what I was going to see when I was in there.
“I think it’s fair to say it is incredibly emotional.
“But we will do it with our utmost professionalism and we will do everything we can as quickly as we can to locate everybody who is in there.”
Five people who had been reported missing after the fire have been found safe and well, he added.
Mr Cundy would not be drawn on the specifics of the criminal investigation.
He said a team of some 250 investigators were now working on the case, with a primary aim being to identify victims and inform their families.
Downing Street confirmed that several London boroughs had come together to co-ordinate assistance to those affected by the disaster. Asked whether Mrs May had considered resigning following criticism of her performance, the spokeswoman said: “These are incredibly challenging times, with a couple of terrible incidents in a week and she is leading the country through this difficult time.”
Following reports that some families had been offered alternative accommodation as far away as Preston, a spokeswoman said Mrs May stood by her promise that all those affected will be rehoused within three weeks either in Kensington and Chelsea or a neighbouring borough, unless they want to move elsewhere.
The Department for Communities and Local Government had asked all councils and housing associations to check by the end of yesterday whether their tower blocks are clad with materials similar to those at Grenfell.