Sudbury musician releases uplifting charity single to support NHS in battle against coronavirus pandemic

A Sudbury musician has released an uplifting track to help raise vital funds for front-line medical workers tackling the coronavirus pandemic.

Serena Grant, who is a professional singer, hopes to boost people’s spirits during lockdown with the release of her new song, Stay Home.

After finding all her events – where she had been booked to perform over the coming months – cancelled, due to the threat of Covid-19, Miss Grant was left feeling downhearted.

“I was in quite a deep place,” she said. “I was really low.”

Having secured events throughout the year, the prospect of no work had been extremely disappointing.

“I had a really good calendar coming up,” said Miss Grant, of Chaucer Road. “I’d spent a lot of time making sure I had gigs.”

Determined to help other individuals struggling through the crisis, Miss Grant began composing an inspiring song.

“I had this spark of ideas,” said the 27-year-old, who enlisted the help of five musicians to help her produce the track.

“I got a team of people together and we all recorded our own parts at home. It took a while, but, eventually, we had a song.”

Vocalist Ben Smith and drummer Jamie Parks, both from Sudbury, joined the project, along with Nic Keeble on guitar, Harley Cotton who plays bass guitar and Stephen MacLachlan on keys and strings.

Keen to get others involved in producing a music video, Miss Grant posted a message on social media inviting people to feature in the project to help raise funds for NHS Charities Together.

The post received a positive response, with around 40 people pledging their support, including some of Miss Grant’s family and friends.

The video contains a series of clips where people have filmed themselves holding cards containing lyrics from the track.

Spending time on the community project has helped to boost Miss Grant’s mental state, while supporting other individuals at the same time.

“It has really kept me focused and motivated,” she said, adding that the current lockdown is likely to have had an impact on people’s wellbeing.

“It affects everyone’s mental health, and I wanted to make people feel better,” she said.

Highlighting the vital role of the NHS in tackling the deadly disease, she felt it important to express her gratitude for their dedication.

“I wanted to do something to give something back,” she added. “We can’t do this without them.”

To download Stay Home, go online to Amazon Music, or search for the track on Google Play and iTunes.

To watch the music video, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsYd_M06sn8