Concert to honour memories of Natania and Graham

27 August 2014

A SPECIAL concert headlined by Bap Kennedy has been organised to honour the memory of two young people from Killyleagh.

The Delamont Country Park event on September 13 will mark the lives of Natania Hagen and Graham Ross, who tragically took their own lives earlier this year, and raise money for suicide prevention charity PIPS.

Kennedy, who is performing with his band The Breadheads, will be performing a mixture of Bap classics and country roots favourites and donating his time alongside a number of local musicians and bands.

Kennedy has a career spanning nearly 30 years with a string of solo hits as well as a number of high profile collaborations with artists such as Mark Knopfler and Van Morrison — and to coincide with the event he has released a country rock version of the Hank Williams classic ‘I Saw The Light’ with all proceeds going directly to PIPS.

Organised by friends Martin Hanna and Conor Galbraith, the event line-up also includes well known band Rosetta Stone, who are making a long-awaited return to the stage.

Martin, who is from Killyleagh, said: “It started as myself and a couple of mates just thinking of a simple gig to raise funds for PIPS but we had chats about doing something on a bigger scale and it quickly escalated to what we have organised so far.

“After Natania took her life it hit the community very hard, she was such a lively and lovely young woman who loved singing and playing guitar. “Shortly after this Graham took his life and that also was hard for the community especially just after Natania’s death.”

Natania, a talented musician, took her own life at the age of just 27 in January. The following month Graham Ross (26), also from Killyleagh, took his life.

In May, the Graham Ross Memorial Cup was held in his name, with over £5,000 raised for PIPS.

Natania’s sister Lorna McCormick, who recently released a CD of Natania’s music called ‘Just’ in aid of PIPS Downpatrick, has been vocal in her calls for better mental health care provision.

Despite her family’s grief, she said they had been “overjoyed” by the response to the CD and news of the fundraising concert.

“It makes me realise how people loved our Natania,” said Lorna. “I think she would have been shocked so much was being done.

“I would just love her to be able to hear her own CD herself.”

Also performing at the PIPS Festival Concert on Saturday, September 13, will be local covers band Pretty Tied Up, acoustic artists Ciaran McElhinney (Omagh) and Damian Hanna (Holywood) as well as Lisburn band The Couth. Completing the line up is well known Rory Gallagher tribute The Barry McGivern Band.

Bap Kennedy’s fundraising new single ‘I Saw The Light’ is now available to download from iTunes.

Tickets for the Delamont concert are £10 and available by calling Down Arts centre on 028 4461 0747 or by logging on to: www.wegottickets.com/event/286622.

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