A Centennial Celebration Concert was organised by the Rotary Club of Estoi Palace International to celebrate 100 years of the Rotary Foundation. “We should not live for ourselves alone, but for the joy in doing good for others.”
This is the motto of the Rotary Foundation. Formed 100 years ago with a donation of 26 US dollars. Since then Foundation has donated over 3 billion dollars worldwide to improve the lives of the underprivileged. The Algarve has benefitted from its generosity as the Foundation helped Rotary Club Estoi Palace purchase a refrigerated truck for the Faro Food Bank and a fully equipped new ambulance for the Sao Bras Bombeiros.
3 local choirs took part in this charity event held at Lethes Theatre in Faro on the 20th of April. The São Lourenço Singers who are a choir with around 35 members from various European countries. Joyce Whitelaw, the choir’s Scottish director, arranger and composer, creates all the vocal harmonies and musical arrangements tailored to the interests and abilities of the singers.
Bella A Cappella sing Barbershop a a style of unaccompanied vocal singing, characterized by four-part chords for every melody note: Lead – Tenor – Baritone – Bass. They are an international mixed gender group who love to sing. They currently have 15 members and have room to expand if anyone is interested in joining them. Their musical director is Isabel Matos who has master's degree in Music Psychology (2005) and a PhD in Education Sciences and teaches in Olhao.
The Coro dos Amigos do Museu choir was founded in 2006 in São Brás de Alportel as an international classical .The choir has a wide repertoire of songs in many different languages, reflecting the cosmopolitan membership, which is drawn from at least 7 different countries. Their musical director is Antonio de Jesus the co-founder of the Grupo Coral Ossónoba in 1980 and also a conductor of the Coro da Sé Catedral of Faro for many years.
The 3 choirs provided an excellent evening’s quality entertainment performing a diverse repertoire of songs enthusiastically received by the audience. The Portuguese finale song “Sorriso” was written especially for the occasion by Olhao based poet Maria Goreti Ferreira with the melody and choral arrangement provided by Joyce Whitelaw, Musical Director of the Sao Lourenco singers. The final song Heal the World by Michael Jackson reflected the aims of the Rotary Foundation and seemed particularly appropriate in these troubled times. In the region of 1200 euros was raised which will be used to support Rotary charities.
The audience received a complimentary glass of pink champagne on arrival sponsored by About Wine, a boutique wine shop in Faro run by a young couple, Luis and Alexandra who are passionate about wine. aboutwine.gourmet@gmail.com
Other sponsors of the event were IBC Security, info@ibcsecurity.com, The Printshop, info@theprintshop-algarve.com, Cardoso Drain Cleaning, lfe@sapo.pt and Shirley Dunne Villa Management, info@shirleydunne.com.
For further information on RC Estoi Palace International and the work we do please contact moc@rotaryestoipalace.org
