The message was — I’ll be there for you
By Murray Scougall
AMERICAN sitcom
Friends may have come to its final episode, but the
staff at Rachel House proved they’d always be there when they
organised a special teenagers-only music event last week.
 The
highlight was an opportunity for seven youngsters to record vocals
from the comedy’s theme tune,
I’ll Be There For You.
Although some were at first a little apprehensive to sing solo into the mobile recording equipment, they all had a great time being pop stars for a day.
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 Patricia belts out her solo, while, from left, David, Kevin, Christopher, Stephen, James and Charlene wait their turn. At the back, “The Rachelettes”, from left, staff Gillian, Mags, Avril, Amanda, Linda and Denise provide back-up vocals and some not-entirely-choreographed dance moves.
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Rule the roost
There was also a performance from a local rock band and a visit from Real Radio DJ Dave Knight, who recorded song requests from each of the budding musicians which he later played on-air.
The teenagers in Rachel House look forward to days like these — they get to rule the roost with no younger children around.
It’s a parent-free zone, they stay up late, have a good time and do things they wouldn’t normally do.
CHAS run five or six youth-only events each year and they’re in big demand amongst the teenagers. The idea is to put illnesses to the back of their minds so they can relax and have fun. And there’s no better place for that than Rachel House.
The seven music lovers were childhood friends David Niven and Kevin Shand (both 18), from Penilee, Glasgow, Patricia Coleman (22), from Edinburgh, 16-year-old Charlene Gay from Kilmarnock, James Gall (16), from Dundee, 20-year-old Christopher Baldwich from Eaglesfield, near Gretna, and Stephen Wight (23), from Whitburn, West Lothian.
Kevin was first to record his vocals on Saturday. He dreams of a career in the music business, although maybe not as a singer!
Singing
“I’d really like to run my own record company, have my own label and a recording studio,” he said. “I don’t know how my singing was, I haven’t heard it yet, but I think they can do things with your voice to change it. I didn’t actually know the words because I never watched
Friends, but they gave me the lyrics.”
Stephen, on the other hand, knew the words by heart. “I’m a huge fan of the show and cried my eyes out when it finished,” he confessed.
Patricia, who celebrated her birthday in Kinross last Monday, said, “I’ve been coming to Rachel House since it opened and at that time I was feeling really down and had no confidence. But the atmosphere here changed all that.”
Charlene is in total agreement and says she owes her life to CHAS. “I don’t think I’d be alive today if it wasn’t for Rachel House.
“Two years ago I was told I had a fortnight to live and the doctor wouldn’t let me go home. He said I could come here for a while, but I was afraid because I thought a hospice was a place you went to die.
Brilliant
“But the doctor explained it was also a place for respite. So I came to Rachel House and ended up staying three months. After that I was allowed home for short periods until I was well enough to stay.
“I think it’s brilliant Robin House is being built because more people will be able to go to the hospices. They’ll also have a choice of where to stay, and that may mean they won’t have to travel so far, as that can be tiring.” |
You can e-mail us at:
hospice@sundaypost.com
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