Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust Choir create charity single dedicated to key workers

A singer-songwriter has collaborated with the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust Choir to create a charity single dedicated to key workers, with proceeds going to NHS Charities Together’s COVID-19 Urgent Appeal.

Dan Healy and the choir have released The Forgotten Ones track and music video which are now available for download on the iTunes Store, Amazon Music and Google Play.

The ballad and accompanying music video take the perspective of the citizens obeying the Government’s stay-at-home mandate, while expressing appreciation for NHS healthcare professionals and key workers.

The music video features footage and messages of celebration and thanks to healthcare workers, posties, rail workers, refuse workers and others.

The track features the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust Choir, which is comprised of NHS healthcare professionals.

In addition to releasing singles including a Christmas No1, and full-length studio albums, the choir has performed on television as well as major events and venues including Glastonbury Festival, The FA Cup Final and at the Royal Albert Hall.

A spokesman for Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Choir said: “When Dan contacted us via NHS Charities Together we wanted to support the project.

“It’s an original song, thanking NHS staff and key workers. All the choir are incredibly busy at work, but we have found the choir to be a source of moral support in this time, and some of us were able to send voice recordings using our phones.

“We think it important to say thank you to all key workers as we’re all a team.”

Dan Healy is a regular writing partner of Ronan Keating and session player for many other artists, he is also a songwriter for Concord Publishing.

Performed and recorded remotely, Dan and the NHS Choir are joined by international session musicians who have performed countless shows and studio recordings with the likes of Van Morrison and Mick Jagger.

“Thank you to everyone involved in the process of making this production,” said Dan Healy. “Thank you to those who took time out of their lives to send in videos, with smiles and creativity in the midst of a pandemic.

“Thank you to those people on the front line risking their health so that we can stand, for a moment, in shade of normality.”

Ellie Orton, CEO of NHS Charities Together said: “When we heard The Forgotten Ones, it encapsulated exactly the gratitude we are feeling towards NHS staff and volunteers.

“Nothing about the choices staff and volunteers have made in their lives has changed – it’s just that their courage and willingness to risk themselves to keep us safe has suddenly been thrown into stark relief.

“You can say thank you by downloading this track as it will generate proceeds that NHS charities will use to support staff and volunteers dealing with COVID head on.”

To download the song, visit https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/danhealy/the-forgotten-ones-feat-the-nhs-choir