On Saturday 7 September a memorial concert was held at St Edmundsbury Cathedral for Robert Davies. His parents, Neil and Nettie, are working to ensure that only good emerges from his tragic suicide, a year ago. Sir Mark Waller and Sir Eldon Griffiths were among the audience, which packed the cathedral’s nave. The concert was introduced by the author Kevin Crossley-Holland and included a wide variety of music performed by the St Edmundsbury Male Voice Choir conducted by Mark Jefferson, the organist Mark Blatchly, the harp and flute duo ‘Antara’ and the Cathedral’s Lay Clerks.

The audience reaction to the variety and quality of music has quite overwhelmed Rob’s parents, with many people saying, ‘The concert was just amazing… a wonderful evening… beautiful and deeply moving… a privilege to be there.’ Neil added, ‘We hope that continued exposure of the silent killer will encourage more people to be vigilant and get help earlier in life, before the cycle of depression can bite too deeply.’

£5000 was raised for the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust, a charity focussing on depression in young people. All the takings and donations from the concert have gone directly to the trust, but if readers of the Bury Free Press would like to add to this they can do so by visiting the website,cwmt.org.uk, click on Fundraising/How You Can Help/Donate or call 01635 869754.

Neil and Nettie Davies