I'm raising funds for St Wilfrid’s hospice in Eastbourne, a wonderful  community hospice which relies heavily on voluntary income, but lost donations during the pandemic.

I'm a Brighton based amateur pianist who has dreamed of playing Rachmaninov's second piano concerto with an orchestra for 50 years!  Andy Sherwood, former conductor of Brighton Youth Orchestra (among many others!) has agreed to conduct an orchestra of amateurs and professionals for an afternoon concert on 26th November 2023 at the Birley Centre in Eastbourne.

The concert is intended to be joyful and fun and will be about an hour long, followed by a reception. The programme will be:

Sibelius: Finlandia

Rachmaninoff: Piano concerto no 2

Arnold: A Grand Grand Overture.

The concluding Arnold overture, written for a Hoffnung concert, is scored for orchestra and three vacuum cleaners whose players meet an untimely end…

One donor has kindly agreed to help defray the costs of putting on this event. In addition to raising money on the day and through ticket sales I'm aiming much higher by seeking to raise £100k in donations between now and the concert for a great cause as I pursue a labour of love in learning the concerto.

Concert tickets cost £15 ( which will be given to the hospice, and can be bought here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/st-wilfrids-hospice-charity-concert-with-charles-wookey-tickets-536900041477

Thank you for your support!