GREAT Witley's magnificent Baroque church was a perfect venue for a

fund-raising concert which raised more than £7,000 for the charity Mandalay

School for the Deaf.

It was also held to celebrate the life and work of the charity's founder,

David Blakeway Smith who, until his death in December 2016, lived in Pensax

Common, Worcestershire. He established the charity in May, 2015, in memory

of his late wife, Sandy, who had started the school with two pupils in 1962.

The origins of Mandalay School date back to the arrival of Sandy and David

Blakeway Smith, in Mandalay, Burma, in the early 1960s. While David began

teaching at a small college, Sandy – a trained teacher of the deaf – made it

her mission to provide some support to deaf and hard of hearing children in

the local area.

Thanks to donations and ticket sales the concert in Great Witley raised more

than £7,000 towards providing deaf aids for the children at Mandalay School.

Seven choral scholars from the choir of St John's College, Cambridge,

enthralled the packed audience by singing a repertoire of music, ranging

from early 16th century to contemporary, close-harmony arrangements.

The charity's chairman, Robin Youngs, hosted the event and The Venerable

Robert Jones, Archdeacon of Worcester, a family friend, gave the audience a

personal and moving insight into the lives of the late Sandy and David

Blakeway Smith.

The concert organisers want to say thank you to all those who helped in any

way to make the occasion such an enjoyable success.