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The 5th of June this year marks ten years since my father, Roy Auker, died at the age of 92. Although in good health for most of his life, his last months were the most challenging for him due to a rapid onset of vascular dementia.

I would like to mark the ten years which have gone past since 2013 by challenging myself in aid of the Dementia UK Charity.

I am not a runner (much as I would like to be fit enough to run a marathon!) but one thing I CAN do is play the piano! And this is a really appropriate way for me to remember my dad because although he was not a musician he was a great lover of all kinds of music, supporting my music studies and my life as a music professional every step of the way.

As a result, I have decided to take on a 12-hour Piano Challenge. On Saturday 10 June (which is close to the date of his death and also one day away from what would have been his 103rd birthday on 9 June), starting at 8.00 am I will play the piano continuously (allowing for the inevitable short breaks for visiting the bathroom!) for 12 hours, finishing at 8.00 pm. The Challenge will start and finish with a tune that was very close to my dad’s heart – Always, a song made famous by Ella Fitzgerald. In between I will play an extensive repertoire of music in an eclectic range of genres, reflecting my dad’s own broad tastes in music – classical, pop, jazz, easy listening, musical theatre, and film music. Apart from 'Always', I am aiming to NOT repeat any music during the whole of the 12 hours!

I will undertake the Challenge in my own piano studio, which is equipped with a small Yamaha grand piano. It’s a small space, so sadly I cannot allow visitors. However, the whole 12-hour Challenge will be live-streamed so that everyone can drop in virtually to leave comments or just to listen and enjoy the music.

There are so many families whose lives are touched by dementia. All diseases are cruel, but this one is especially vicious as it takes away the core personality of the sufferer. I’d love you to help me do the memory of my dad proud and see just how much money we can raise for this hugely worthwhile charity.

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