Daily Times

The pandemic, Covid-19 has totally changed the global behaviour. In the changing global scenario, from education to buying groceries to conducting corporate meetings, everything is being done online.

Musical concerts which even few months ago were regarded as the best form of outdoor entertainment are now moving online. In the time of this global pandemic, many famous singers and musicians have enthralled their fans with breath-taking performances.

Taking a leaf out of the changing world, Rashna Gazder’s group ‘Harmony In Helping Hands’ organised their first ever online concert on May 37 2020. The proceeds collected from this concert will be utilised for the treatment of needy children at NICH.

The online concert has been a brilliant masterpiece with fantastic visual effects created by her talented son Dr. Darayus Gazder who took time out from his stressful duties to support his mother in this noble cause.

Rashna Gazder’s group Harmony In Helping Hands have regularly visited NICH and have gifted them their artwork. Sharing love through Music and art.

The Online Concert was breathtaking with themes of our world in lockdown, themes of hope and a tribute to doctors.

Taking a leaf out of the changing world, Rashna Gazder’s group ‘Harmony in Helping Hands’ organised their first ever online concert on May 37 2020. The proceeds collected from this concert will be utilised for the treatment of needy children at NICH

The lovely singer Janelle Dias started the concert ACROSS THE RAINBOW with her beautiful voice.The pianists were all superb performing Classical pieces to semi classical. Beautiful blends of Vivaldi’s Spring, Yiruma’ s River Flows in You, Ballade for Adeline, Skyfall, Nostalgie , Love Story, The Blue Danube Waltz and Nostalgia by Yanni were played with feeling. Touching finale was the beautiful piece Nearer My God to Thee played by Furrukh Suleiman on the violin for PIA’s Aircrash Victims

The Guest singers touched hearts. Azad Iqbal, the grandson of Allama Iqbal entertained the onlookers with his powerful voice and emotive singing of Country Roads, Imagine and the fantastic rendition of Con Te Partiro in Italian, showing our world in lockdown.

Brendon and Eden Emmanuel, a husband wife duo, Iyanah and Aspy Bhathena, a father daughter duo sang with immense feeling.

At a time when people were locked down in homes, this novel concert gave them an opportunity to enjoy themselves. All the performances were home based and the Concert had a beautiful, touching air to it.

This is the sixth fundraiser organized by Rashna Gazder’s group Harmony In Helping Hands. Previously, they have organized fund raisers for LRBT EYE HODPITALS, CHITRAL CHILDRENS EDUCATION FUND, INDUS HOSPITAL’S CHILDREN’s CANCER WARD, ABSA School & College for the Deaf and Parsi General Hospital

Professor Syed Jamal Raza, Director, National Institute of Child health thanked Rashna Gader and her group Harmony in Helping Hand for coming up with the initiative of organizing the online concert for raising funds for NICH in these tough times due to Covid-19 situation.

NICH is the largest children hospital in the Southern side of Pakistan where more than one million children are treated every year. At NICH, every year 10,000 surgeries are conducted. At NICH, approximately 175,000 lives are saved in Emergency room. NICH is catering the downtrodden population of country who sadly lack financial resources for healthcare. This institution charges nothing from patient’s family and they have to rely on Zakat, donations and fund raised by philanthropists to meet their expenditure.

The writer is a freelance journalist. He can be reached at kzk1972@gmail.com and Tweets at @KhurramZiaKhan