Kaiser Chiefs to headline London Christmas carol music therapy fundraiser concert

30 November, 2023

Ricky Wilson from Kaiser Chiefs performs at Victorious Festival 2023 at Southsea Common on August 26, 2023 in Portsmouth, England. (Photo by Rob Ball/Getty Images)

Kaiser Chiefs have announced that they will be headlining a London Christmas carol music therapy fundraiser concert.

The ‘Ruby’ hitmakers will perform at the Nordoff and Robbins Christmas Carol which will take place at St Luke’s Church in London on Tuesday, December 12.

The service will also be hosted by Beverley Knight and Joe Stilgoe, with Knight leading the audience in traditional carols as well as singing a few of her hits. Ayanna Witter-Johnson will also be performing alongside the Kaiser Chiefs. Visit here to purchase tickets.

Kaiser Chiefs have supported Nordoff and Robbins since they received the charity’s O2 Silver Clef award for Best British Act in 2006, continuing with a fundraising gig in 2016, breaking ground at the charity’s first music therapy centre outside of London in Newcastle in 2017 and performing as part of the Nordoff and Robbins virtual Christmas Concert in 2020.

Speaking about their upcoming performance in a press release, the band’s frontman, Ricky Wilson said: “We’ve played a lot of memorable shows as a band, including a brilliant, intimate gig for Nordoff and Robbins a few years back, but this one really stands out. We can’t wait to be a part of this festive institution and rock the pews at St Luke’s Church with some of our anthems.”

He continued: “Music has been such an enormous part of our lives for the past 20 years and what Nordoff and Robbins’ music therapists can do with music’s power is remarkable. They are able to reconnect people who may otherwise feel isolated from the world – whether a young person with a life-limiting condition, those living with dementia, or somebody rebuilding their lives after an accident. We’ve been long-term champions of the charity’s great work and we’re proud to be continuing our support at this incredibly special Carol Service.”

Nordoff and Robbins’ trained music therapists work with children and adults with extreme life challenges, including injuries, disabilities and terminal illness. In 2022, Nordoff and Robbins music therapists held 46,453 therapy sessions reaching 11,807 individuals throughout the year. The charity also worked with 359 partner organisations such as schools, care homes and hospices to provide much needed music therapy.

Sandra Schembri, the CEO of Nordoff and Robbins said: “We’re excited and grateful for the incredible artists who are supporting this year’s Carol Service. As well as marking the festive season, we are coming together to celebrate the power of music in offering inclusion and belonging to people who might otherwise feel isolated.”

She continued: “We believe that music is a superpower, and for clients like six-year-old Emmie who has Down’s Syndrome, sessions with her music therapist Nicky have helped her gain confidence – giving her the opportunity to express herself and develop her creativity.

“People like Emmie and her Mum, Lauren, are at the heart of everything we do and thanks to the money raised through the service, we can deliver music therapy to more clients across the UK, including some of the most vulnerable people in society. We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone to the spectacular setting of St Luke’s Church in London for this truly magical and uplifting evening.”

In other Kaiser Chief news, earlier this month, the band’s drummer and songwriter Nick Hodgson revealed the original inspiration behind the band’s hit song ‘Ruby’.

In a new video feature posted by The Other Songs where Hodgson retold the story for a live audience, he recalled playing a verse on the keyboard when someone called Ruby walked in, prompting him to sing the track’s famous hook, “Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby…“.

“At the time we didn’t say who Ruby was,” he shared. “But I can tell you now that Ruby was a dog.”

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