The Sing 2 Beat Breast Cancer Choir featuring Camilla Kerslake and vocal
trio Blake release the new single “You Raise Me Up”. The single is being
released on October 13th in aid of Breast Cancer Campaign during Breast
Cancer Awareness Month.
Breast Cancer Campaign is a charity that is very close to Camilla’s heart.
In June 2011, three months after her critically acclaimed second album
‘Moments’ was released, Camilla chose to step out of the limelight when her
mother Deborah was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a year caring for her
mother, Camilla began tirelessly campaigning both for the Royal Marsden, who
saved her mother’s life, and many breast cancer charities whose research
enabled them to do so. As an ambassador for Breast Cancer Campaign, Camilla
was asked by the charity to record a single to help raise awareness of the
lifesaving research that the charity funds.
“When my mother finally regained her health, after nearly 2 years of
operations, procedures and a string of debilitating complications, my first
thought was ‘what can I do to repay the people who saved her?’. Having been
asked by Breast Cancer Campaign to record a single for them I knew I had to
choose a song that would be relevant. ‘You Raise Me Up’ is an incredibly
poignant, yet uplifting song about what you can achieve when someone you
love supports you. I chose it because, in a way, it reflects the struggle
our wonderful survivors’ choir and cancer sufferers everywhere and their
families face daily. The song’s message is one of hope, strength and unity;
traits we must all employ in the ongoing fight against breast cancer.”
The money raised by the release of ‘You Raise Me Up’ will help Breast
Cancer Campaign to continue its vital research across the UK and Ireland.
Breast Cancer Campaign funds breast cancer research with the greatest
potential to save and improve lives.
The members of the Sing to Beat Breast Cancer Choir are women from across
the UK who have all been directly affected by breast cancer in one way or
another. The majority of the women have themselves been diagnosed with
breast cancer and a number of them are still undergoing treatment. Speaking
about the choir Camilla said “I wanted to create a choir of women directly
affected by breast cancer because I believe both music and a sense of
belonging can be immensely healing. I wanted to share the joy I feel on
stage and provide them with an enjoyable way to give back. I cannot state
fully enough how proud I am of all that the choir has achieved, they have
overcome the most horrendous odds, joined together and raised their voices
in song to save future generations from the ravages of breast cancer.”
Having first worked with Blake when they performed Nessun Dorma together at
the 2010 Classical BRIT Awards, Camilla has invited Blake, Humphrey Berney,
Ollie Baines and Stephen Bowman, to collaborate with her on the single. “We
are thrilled to be singing on the single and were honoured when Camilla
asked us to be part of something that is so very close to her heart. We all
personally know people who have been affected by breast cancer and having
heard about Camilla’s mother’s battle with cancer and what her family have
gone through we wanted to be involved and to try and make a difference.”
Camilla, Blake and the choir will be taking to the stage on October 12th at
Breast Cancer Campaign’s annual Pink Ribbon Ball at London’s Dorchester
Hotel. Now in its 19th year the Pink Ribbon Ball, held annually during
Breast Cancer Awareness Month, is Breast Cancer Campaign’s most glamorous
fundraising event. Last year the Ball raised a record £300,000 for
life-saving breast cancer research.
The ‘You Raise Me Up’ single supports Breast Cancer Campaign’s life-saving
research to help overcome and outlive breast cancer. 50p from every download
of the single will be donated to Breast Cancer Campaign. Visit breast
cancercampaign.org for more information about the charity’s work.
Throughout October Camilla will be joining Blake on their ‘Live In Concert’
tour, where together they will perform ‘You Raise Me Up’ as well as dueting
on ‘The Prayer’, ‘Time To Say Goodbye’ and ‘Jerusalem’. Audiences can expect
an evening of great music and entertainment from Blake, whose stunning
harmonies and rat-pack banter have been entertaining audiences around the
world. As well as classic songs from their three previous chart-topping and
award-winning albums the trio are looking forward to performing songs from
their new album ‘Start Over’ whilst Camilla will be performing songs from
her eponymous debut album.