Gala concert raises record sum for Cardinal Hume Centre

An evening to remember

On a dark January evening, a packed concert hall full of friends, family, MPs and music lovers came alive to celebrate the life of Paul Goggins MP and the work of his beloved Cardinal Hume Centre. The evening, held at St John Smith’s Square, London, raised an incredible £25,000 to support the work of the Centre, of which Paul was Chair before his untimely death in January 2014.

The evening featured concert pianist Ashley Wass, the Southbank Sinfonia conducted by Maxim Rysanov, as well as a moving performance of Mozart’s Requiem by soloists Eleanor Dennis, soprano, Jean Rigby, mezzo, Peter Davoren, tenor, and Tim West, bass, supported by the Schola Cantorum from The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School. The conductor was Scott Price.

Cathy Corcoran, CEO of the Cardinal Hume Centre, said: “The evening was a lovely mix of a stunning standalone musical performance and a poignant tribute to Paul. We are immensely grateful to everyone who made the evening a success.”

The Memorial Concert was the idea of Ben Warren, a long term supporter of the Cardinal Hume Centre, who originally had the idea of a concert to support the Centre’s work and was working on the idea with Paul. Paul’s sudden death halted the preparations, but Ben decided it was a fitting way to celebrate Paul’s life as well as raise money for the Centre.

Before the performance began, Matt and Dom Goggins, Paul’s sons, paid tribute to their Dad. Dom shared that the only time he could remember seeing his dad nervous was the night before his interview to become Chair of the Cardinal Hume Centre, such was Paul’s respect and admiration for the Centre’s work.

Money raised on the night will support the work of the Cardinal Hume Centre in enabling people to gain the skills they need to overcome poverty and homelessness.

Writing in the Concert Programme, Paul’s friend and colleague Andy Burnham MP, summed his friend up: “Paul was a rare politician because he listened more than he talked. He was more interested in other people’s opinions than his own. He wasn’t interested in power. He was more interested in giving power to others.”

For more information on the work of the Cardinal Hume Centre, visit www.cardinalhumecentre.org.uk or call 020 7222 1602