On the 25th of October, in the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, the team that created Tiny Dancer by A Song For Lily-Mae in 2012, the second biggest selling charity single in Irish chart history, second only to the 1985 smash hit, Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas, recorded a brand new charity single. Check out photos from the performance below!
'I chose "When I Grow Up" as the AIMS charity single because of its deeper meaning in the context of its portrayal of the simple childhood dreams and ambitions that we all once projected into our adult lives, eating sweets all day, climbing taller trees, no longer fearing monsters, and how those dreams and ambitions are the same for all children, including those who face an uncertain future due to illness and who may never live to see their fulfillment. It's that context that makes the song so special and meaningful.'
He said that when you listen to the lyrics, a child's hope for a bright future is captured beautifully by Tim's words, but also, in this context, is the resonance of the tragedy that is serious childhood illness and how it jeopardises that future. For this reason, and because AIMS is a thirty-two county, all Ireland organisation, the beneficiaries of the proceeds of the charity single will be the Children's Medical Research Foundation, Crumlin and the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children. The single will go on sale at the end of November.
Matilda was played by ten year old Grace Lee from the Isle of Man who, in her short life, has had over thirty heart procedures. Grace was chosen because she is a wonderful singer and performer, having already performed as Matilda with the Matilda West End cast thanks to ITV's Surprise Surprise television show, and because she epitomises everything that the song stands for, courage, resilience and, above all else, hope.
Grace Lee, Shane Filan
Grace Lee, Shane Filan
Jack Lam, Stacey McHugh
Shane Filan, Grace Lee, and Company
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