This summer, soprano Alice Woodbridge and pianist Susanna Stranders will embark on an ambitious 20-day concert tour from the southern English town of Wells to Fort William in the Scottish west Highlands. The tour, which will include some 13 different programs, will be a test of their skill and stamina, and not just on stage: Susie and Alice will travel entirely by bicycle. While they expect the tour – dubbed Song-Cycling – to be an opportunity for musical and personal growth, they were primarily motivated by the desire to raise money for and awareness about two diseases that ravage the human mind and body.
Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common cause of dementia, a severe loss of intellectual and social abilities. Every year, 4.6 million new cases of dementia are reported worldwide, and of those, 60 – 70% are caused by Alzheimer’s. Alice has witnessed the disease’s devastating effects first-hand: “My uncle was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s when I was young,” she says. “It made me want to do something.”
Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease affecting the nervous system. Although the condition was first described over 140 years ago, it still has no known cause or cure. Today, 200 new cases are diagnosed every week. Susie has a close friend from school who suffers from the disease, which can be debilitating. “Becky is my age—33—and everything she has to do in a day is one big struggle,” says Susie. “I’m doing this for Becky.”
The 700-mile trip represents a tremendous challenge for Susie and Alice. “We’re both quite fit, but not obsessively so,” says Alice. Susie says that she enjoys commuting around London by bicycle, “but in terms of really hitting the road, neither of us have actually done anything like this.” As summer approaches, the duo is planning training excursions of increasing length. Later this month, they’ll see how it feels to perform after spending a day in the saddle.
For much of the trip, their mothers will trail by car. “We’ll be able to dump our diva outfits, our extra bits and pieces,” says Susie. “Originally we were planning to carry everything, but we will have support vehicles for at least 70 percent of the trip. In more ways than one, it is a weight off our shoulders.”
Song-Cycling has caught the imagination of many important supporters. Composer Mark-Anthony Turnage is composing a theme song that will be performed at every concert. Coutts Bank will be supporting with a pre-tour fundraising recital at their London headquarters, and a couple of well-known singers have agreed to participate at various stages. “At first we thought we’d have a lot of fun, maybe raise a few thousand pounds,” says Susie. “Now it seems there is a possibility of raising quite a lot more. It is incredible how people have come forward.”
Song-Cycling is a 100% volunteer effort – not only will the artists volunteer their own time and talent, they will depend on volunteer support for the duration of the tour, according to Susie: “We’re not going to stay at any hotels. We’re relying on friends and friends of friends to host, feed and water us.” They’ve also relied on local volunteers to organize and publicize each of the concerts, which in some cases have been incorporated into existing festivals or series. “We do not know these people from Adam,” says Alice. “But they tell us, ‘We love this idea and we want to support you. Don’t worry about anything. We’ll sort it out for you.’”
Song-Cycling begins on July 2, 2010. If you’re not able to catch Susie and Alice on tour, you can follow the journey on their blog. You can also contribute online to their fundraising efforts for Multiple Sclerosis and/or Alzheimer’s Disease.
This article is written for the Sing for Hope e-newsletter by donor artist Kelley Rourke (Dramaturg, Glimmerglass Opera; Editor, OPERA America Magazine).
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