ALZHEIMER’S SOCIETY’S SPORT UNITED AGAINST DEMENTIA
Wills & The Willing Featuring Football Legends Petr Cech & Gareth Ainsworth
Drawing Straws
The rule of six doesn’t just apply to us mere mortals. Poor Rudolph has a real dilemma on his hooves this year. Three of Santa’s faithful reindeer are going to have to stay behind on Christmas Eve, and their drawing straws to find out who…
Rudolph says nine’s a crowd Even Santa’s bubble only six are allowed So the reindeers are busy drawing straws To see who’ll ride the sleigh this year with Santa Claus
It’s been quite a year for Ian Wills (described in The Times as “The Ian Dury of the 21st Century”) and his band The Willing. Their long-awaited album London Country was released in October to huge critical acclaim and the first two singles taken from it, Iceberg and Idaho, climbed high in the Country Music Charts and achieved mass airplay in the USA and elsewhere.
Known for his insightful lyrics, the highest of musicianship and perfect production, this special festive release is no different. Ian charts the events of the last 9 months as only he could. From Captain Tom, clapping at 8pm, protecting the NHS, masks and hand gel to Marcus Rashford and vaccines – all done with the most joyful, memorable and insanely catchy melody!
Petr Cech
And of course, it wouldn’t be a Wills & The Willing record without a special guest star or two! This time Ian has again turned to his friends at football’s highest level and engaged the expert drumming of Chelsea FC legend Petr Cech and the perhaps surprising vocal talent of Wycombe Wanderers manager Gareth Ainsworth. Everything comes together to make this a Christmas single LIKE NO OTHER!
Gareth Ainsworth.
And, most importantly, all profits are going to SPORT UNITED AGAINST DEMENTIA…
Sport United Against Dementia (SUAD) is a pioneering partnership between Alzheimer’s Society and the nation’s most loved sports that will shine a spotlight on dementia in a way that has never been seen before.
The campaign will help spearhead change by transforming the way the industry supports people affected by dementia, sharing best practice, and finding positive solutions for past and present sportspeople, their families and fans up and down the country.
Profits raised will help Alzheimer’s Society reach more people through the charity’s vital services such as its Dementia Connect support line, which have been used over 2.7million times since March. People with dementia have been worst hit by coronavirus both in terms of deaths from the virus, but also because of the knock-on effect of lockdown causing isolation and interruption to health and social care services, with an Alzheimer’s Society survey revealing that more than four in five (82%) have reported a deterioration in people with dementia’s symptoms.
Alex Hyde-Smith, Director of Fundraising at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “There are an estimated 850,000 people with dementia in the UK and we know that several of the nation’s sporting greats have sadly been affected by the devastating condition. Like many charities, our fundraising income has taken a hit this year, so we’re hugely thankful to be benefiting from this fantastic track, so we can continue to harness the positive power and incredible reach of sport to ensure no-one faces dementia alone and without adequate support.”
Sport has a unique ability to connect people of all ages, races and backgrounds. It creates memories that last a lifetime and engages people with dementia like nothing else.
Right Said Fred are one of the UK’s most enduring pop exports. Since forming in 1989, brothers Fred and Richard Fairbrass, have a list of achievements as songwriters and a band that include number 1 hits in 70 countries including, two US number 1’s, three UK number 1’s, and a number 1 in Japan – they were also the first band to reach the number one slot in the US with a debut single since The Beatles. They have also played in front of the Queen, Nelson Mandela and at the Bollywood Awards and subsequently released a track for Comic Relief.
As multi-platinum award winning artists and songwriters, their global sales total 30 million and over 100 million plays on Spotify. They have writing credits on Taylor Swift’s ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ and Sofi Tukker’s ‘Batshit’, their music has been featured in over 50 films and TV Shows (Angry Birds 2, The Odd Couple,The Simpsons, West Wing, Family Guy etc etc) and in excess of 100 commercials. The boys have performed with Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger and David Bowie plus plaudits from Madonna, Jay Z, and Prince to name but a few.
The band aren’t short of awards either; they recently won two consecutive BMI Awards in 2018 and 2019, making that three BMI’s in total.
They have also won two Ivor Novello’s for I’m Too Sexy and Deeply Dippy and in 1993 were nominated for Best British Group at the prestigious Brit Awards. Fred and Richard are two of the few songwriters to have two songs included in the PRS Century of Song Book.
They continue to play to thousands of people around the world; in 2019 alone, they travelled all over Europe and flew over to Canada to play to North American fans, playing twenty shows in summer alone.
And it all started in a basement studio in Acton, London.
Recording a song for Nana leads to major record deal for 11-year-old Lancashire schoolboy…CORMAC
Hear My Voice Released 4th December 2020 A simple act of kindness from an eleven-year-old grandson to his beloved ‘Nannie’ – performing her favourite song for her on YouTube as they could not be together due to lockdown – has led to him being signed by the legendary Decca and playing Freddie Mercury’s piano!
When Cormac’s heartfelt performance of ‘Danny Boy’ came to the label’s attention by chance on social media, they immediately signed him up and his album ‘Hear My Voice’ will be released on 4 December 2020.
Cormac is from Lancashire and his maternal grandparents live in Northern Ireland. Due to the Covid travel restrictions, they could not see each other and so he had the idea to perform a song virtually. Now, since the song was shared and people far and wide fell in love with his wonderful voice, he finds himself label mates with the likes of Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo and Lisa Minnelli!
Not only that, but he started work on the album at the Metropolis Studios where everyone from Queen to U2 to Adele has created masterpieces. Cormac even got to warm up by using Freddie Mercury’s piano [he played it wearing gloves so that he could keep them as souvenirs!].
Cormac’s ‘Nannie’ (Colleen) said, “I could never have imagined that his little pieces, sung for me, would have led to this amazing opportunity. My husband and I are so very proud of Cormac, and we hope that his singing will give much pleasure. We also hope that it will help to shed a little light during these dark times we are all having to endure.”
‘Hear My Voice’ features fifteen brand new recordings that showcase the pureness and clarity of Cormac’s voice. The material included ranges from his own takes on songs like Snow Patrol’s ‘Run’, to evergreen classics like ‘Pie Jesu’ and [35 years after the original!]; and there is a very contemporary take on the Christmas classic ‘Walking in the Air’.
Thematically there is a nod towards missing loved ones, distance and the Gaelic tradition. Of course, the album features Nannie’s favourite, ‘Danny Boy’.
TRACKLISTING 1. Pie Jesu (Lloyd Webber) / 2. Run (Snow Patrol) / 3. How Can I Keep from Singing? / 4. Fields of Gold / 5. Walking in the Air / 6. You Raise Me Up feat. Secret Garden / 7. Shenandoah / 8. Tomorrow (from Annie) / 9. Be Thou My Vision / 10. Danny Boy / 11. I Have a Dream (Abba) / 12. Wexford Carol / 13. A Gaelic Blessing (Rutter) / 14. O Waly Waly / 15. O Holy Night
Whilst this has been an extraordinary adventure already for Cormac, and one that he could never have expected when he first decided to cheer up his grandma, he is a very down to earth boy. Singing live, perhaps performing his music in a Cathedral seems a slightly remote possibility at the moment. Cormac will have to content himself with the virtual world – as an 11-year-old he would love to do a show on Fortnite like Marshmello, Travis Scott or Dominic Fike! Whilst that may be a stretch, what is for certain is that Nannie couldn’t be prouder, and the whole nation will love ‘Hear My Voice’.
October 24, 2026 1904 Moss Hart 1930 The Big Bopper 1940 Barry Davies 1942 Frank Delaney 1946 Jerry Edmonton 1947 Kevin Kline 1971 Caprice Bourret 1972 Dervla Kirwan
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