Survivors of the Manchester terrorist attack will be singing alongside Ariana Grande when she returns to the city for a benefit concert on Sunday.
Twenty-four pupils from Parrs Wood High School’s Harmony Choir were chosen to join the star on stage after they recorded a cover version of her song My Everything in tribute to the victims.
A number of the singers had been at Manchester Arena when the bomb went off, killing 22 people — many of them children. They said they wished to pay their respects through music at the One Love Manchester event.
Survivors of the Manchester terrorist attack will be singing alongside Ariana Grande when she returns to the city for a benefit concert on Sunday.
Twenty-four pupils from Parrs Wood High School’s Harmony Choir were chosen to join the star on stage after they recorded a cover version of her song My Everything in tribute to the victims.
A number of the singers had been at Manchester Arena when the bomb went off, killing 22 people — many of them children. They said they wished to pay their respects through music at the One Love Manchester event.
Twenty-four pupils from Parrs Wood choir will join Ariana Grande on stage
Their teacher, Daniel McDwyer, 24, was delighted. “I can finally confirm my choir have been asked to perform on Sunday,” he announced. “So so proud! Love you Manchester. Going to be such a beautiful tribute.”
Shaunna Burns, 17, a sixth-former at Parrs Wood, won tickets to see Ariana Grande on the day of the bombing in a competition on local radio. She took her friend Adam Khan, 17, who is also in the choir, and two friends.
“It’s so surreal. You do not think one second you are going to see a performer and then the next be on stage with her. It’s been crazy ever since the attack, none of it seems real. It’s something you see on TV but not in real life.
“We were right at the front and if we looked up to the top left, that’s where the bomb went off. We didn’t speak, we knew instinctively what it was, grabbed each other and ran.
“Our exit was blocked so we had to climb the stairs farther away. It’s a case of glad we are safe but let’s do something for the people that weren’t.
“The first few days I just wanted to lock myself away but then our music teacher said our cover was going to be recorded and it’s been so busy since then, it’s kept us together.”
It emerged yesterday that the idea for a fundraising concert came from 23-year-old Grande herself, who suggested it to her manager days after the attack.
Fans who went to the US singer’s gig last Monday have been offered free tickets for Sunday while all performers will be paying their own travel expenses and charging a low rate for the concert. All proceeds — it hopes to raise £2 million for victims’ families and survivors — will go to the We Love Manchester emergency fund.
The fund, which has been set up to incorporate the £6 million given in total to the campaign, had its first meeting last night to discuss a plan to distribute cash. One option under consideration is to give an initial lump sum to the bereaved, the injured and all those who were affected by attending the concert.
People with specific needs — such as adapting their house for disabilities following the attack — could then apply for extra cash from the fund.
Melvin Benn, the director of Festival Republic, said the singer’s manager had come to him last Friday. “The whole thing will come together in less than nine days,” he said.
The organiser of the event, which will take place at the Emirates Old Trafford cricket club, said Manchester United had moved a Michael Carrick testimonial match so it did not clash with the concert. ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent final will also be moved to 7.30pm.
Coldplay was the first band to sign up for the event, followed by Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell, Usher, Take That and Niall Horan.
Not everyone is happy about the concert, however. Annemarie McNally, 46, from Prestatyn, was at the concert with her 13-year-old daughter when the bomb exploded. She said the event did not “show a great deal of respect” to victims and survivors. “It’s not given them a chance to show their respects to their loved ones or for the individuals and hospitals to get over the injuries.”
Tickets were due to go on sale at 10am today.
(credits: thetimes.co.uk)