Legendary musician’s charity album raises fantastic amount
The legendary guitarist and composer Gordon Giltrap recently released a new album, called Heartsongs, to raise money for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity. Gordon underwent two bouts of major surgery in 2016 and has since turned his attention to raising money for the hospital that treated him.
Heartsongs has proved to be a huge hit amongst music fans and charity supporters alike, with the initial run of the CD selling out, raising £2,500 for QEHB Charity. The CD is now back in stock online, and Gordon hopes to raise even more money for the hospital charity.
Gordon said: “Creating this album for QEHB Charity has been one of the most joyous and profound moments of my life. I have had many albums released since those far-off days of 1968 when my first recorded efforts were released onto the market.
“Over the years, I have had a degree of success commercially, but artistically that really belongs to another realm, outside the remit of record sales and big bucks. To that end I regard Heartsongs as one of the most significant albums I have ever produced.
“This is truly my way of saying a heartfelt thank you, and the opportunity to give something back for the life I am living right now.”
The album includes tracks featuring major artists from the rock worlds such as Brian May of Queen, Midge Ure, Steve Howe from Yes, Neil Murray from Black Sabbath, Simon Phillips from Toto and the national treasure Rick Wakeman.
Whilst music royalty may feature on the album, the reverse of the album booklet features medical royalty in the form of Mr Samuel Ford, who was Gordon’s surgeon at QEHB. Gordon said: “Mr Ford is truly a beautiful and gifted man. On the day that the photograph was taken I told him that ‘I owed my life to him’. His reply was something along the lines of ‘No Gordon, I just did my job and you got better.’”
Heartsongs has raised money for QEHB Charity, which works to provide equipment, facilities and research that go ‘over and above’ that which the NHS is able to provide, helping to improve the hospital experience for patients and their families at Birmingham’s busiest hospital.
Justine Davy, Head of Fundraising at QEHB Charity, said: “The Charity is hugely grateful for Gordon’s generosity in releasing Heartsongs to raise money for patients here at the hospital. It is so special that he has used his musical talents to raise money for a cause that is close to his heart. Heartsongs is a wonderful album and it has been flying off the shelves, which is credit to Gordon’s talent and popularity.”
Click here to buy your copy of Heartsongs. Alternatively, if you’re at the hospital, you can also pop into the Hub in the atrium to pick up your copy.
