A Happy New Year to you all
As it’s the beginning of the year, I want to highlight something special, and with the war still raging in Ukraine, this wonderful, heart-warming project offers a positive start to 2023.
The internationally acclaimed concert pianist Margaret Fingerhut is known for her innovative recital programmes where she explores lesser-known piano repertoire. Margaret’s distinguished career has taken her all over the world. She has made numerous recordings which have received much critical acclaim and won many accolades.
In 2019, she undertook a major recital tour performing a programme called “Far from the Home I Love” at 32 venues across the UK to raise money for refugees and asylum seekers. Her specially created programme of words and music gave a cultural context to the theme of migration. Margaret raised a total of £88,000 – which is £1,000 for every piano key – and she was presented with a ‘Champion of Sanctuary’ award by City of Sanctuary UK in recognition of her humanitarian work.
Margaret’s grandfather was born in Odesa in Ukraine, and she has always felt a proud connection with the country. She has recently collaborated with Viktoriia Levchenko, a young filmmaker from Ukraine, to create a short, powerful video called ‘Ukraine will rise again!’
The video features a stirring piano piece played by Margaret and written by Ukrainian composer Sergei Bortkiewicz (1877-1952). Bortkiewicz wrote ‘Les Rochers d’Outche-Coche’ in 1908 after he was inspired by the mountain scenery in Crimea. The music conjures up the awe and beauty of the landscape. Viktoriia has matched it with a series of extraordinary images. These images include powerful footage of the devastation caused by the war. The result is a moving and uplifting video.
Margaret is raising funds for British-Ukrainian Aid, a charity that sends vital supplies such as ambulances, first aid kits, and portable generators. It also assists the victims of the war: orphanages, schools, the elderly, and internally displaced people.
You can watch the video by clicking on the link below. If you are able, please consider supporting this worthwhile cause.
For more information and to donate, click here: www.justgiving.com/Margaret-Fingerhut
