British Council hosts Paraorchestra special dinner

Manama : The British Council hosted a performance by the British Paraorchestra along with a special dinner at Adliya on Friday. This event took place at British Council Director Alan Rutt’s residence, where about 100 guests gathered.

Five members of the Paraorchestra attended the event, along with its founder Charles Hazlewood and executive producer Jonathan Harper.

Rutt started off the event with an introductory speech, saying, “The British Council is about promoting diversity and inclusion in the arts, and our goal here, with the British Paraorchestra, is to introduce the public to some of the world’s most talented musicians.”

Charles Hazlewood then took the microphone, and said: “Art is a conduit that binds cultures together, and music is the most universal language we have,” he said.

“The musicians performing tonight happen to have a disability. I want to emphasise that they are not disabled musicians; they excel in their field beyond their disability. Technology has advanced to such a degree that there are no barriers for anyone to play music, whether they have a severe handicap or not,” Hazlewood added.

“Just because you’re disabled doesn’t mean you’re going to be any less brilliant, and I have found a great lust for life within this community of musicians. It seems as though every one of them is glad to be alive and this comes across in the music they play.”

Then, Hazlewood invited the audience to partake in singing an Old English folk song together.

“If every parliament had to sing in harmony before they voted together, we would have a better world,” concluded Hazlewood.