News & Articles > NEWS

CLASSIC LAUNCH VOICE IN A MILLION

Added 27th of August 2009

---

‘VOICE IN A MILLION’

AN EXCITING NEW RECORD-BREAKING PROJECT

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

We will record a song featuring a record-breaking ONE MILLION children’s voices singing in harmony.

WHY?

To raise awareness of all the children who have suffered abuse, neglect and abandonment. Children who need a new mother, a new father, a new home – a new family for life.

WHERE & WHEN?

On Thursday 28th January 2010, Classic Media Group in association with the British Association for Adopting & Fostering is launching Voice In A Million at London’s 02 Arena. This will be the first in a series of events throughout the UK and worldwide over the course of the coming year which will enable us to reach our goal of recording ONE MILLION VOICES.

WHO IS TAKING PART?

The first 4,000 children will be recorded at the O2 show. We need large singing groups, schools and choirs to participate. We are also looking for extra-talented children to sing solos and are holding open auditions at the world famous Shepperton Film Studios.

WHO IS SUPPORTING THE PROJECT?

A host of household names are already backing Voice In A Million and more are coming on board daily.

"There are around 4,000 children that need adopting in the UK. I fully support the British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF), the ‘Voice In A Million’ project and the phenomenal concert planned for the 02 Arena that will raise awareness of the children who need a loving, safe and permanent family" - Sinitta, Mother of two adopted children, their godfather is Simon Cowell.

‘Whilst Celebrity adoptions of third world children sell newspapers, I choose to support the ‘Voice In A Million’ project as it focuses on those thousands of children in care that are not fortunate enough to win that lottery. After all, surely adoption is about finding a family for a child, not finding a child for a family’ - Rick Wakeman, Rock Star, Grumpy Old Man and ‘adopted’ uncle to the producers adopted son.

“Being adopted is the best thing that has ever happened to me and countless other people but it remains an issue plagued by misconceptions and confusion. The ‘Voice in a Million’ project is a truly fantastic way to increase public understanding and so hopefully help find permanent, loving homes for some of the country’s most deserving kids.” - James O’Brien, LBC Talk Radio Host.

“There is nothing on earth more precious than the life of a child; they are the future of the world. I am indeed proud to have my song performed as part of this most noble and worthwhile cause.” - Greg Lake, co-founder and the voice of rock legends King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

“Voice in a Million is a brilliant way for children to experience a once in a lifetime opportunity of singing live at the 02. It will also highlight the need for more people to come forward to adopt some of the 4,000 children currently looking for a new permanent and loving family in the UK. I was adopted as a baby and was very lucky to have been brought up by wonderful parents. I’m proud to be supporting Voice in a Million and BAAF at this event.” - Nicky Campbell, TV and Radio Personality

Voice in a Million, in association with the British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF) launches an inaugural concert at the 02 Arena in London on Thursday 28th January 2010. The concert brings together as one voice 4,000 children from throughout the country, representing the estimated 4,000 children that need adopting in the UK. The inaugural album for Voice In A Million will also be released on 9th November 2009 to coincide with National Adoption Week which takes place 9th-15th November 2009.

The 02 concert is the first of many planned worldwide over the next twelve months in which one million children will air their voices as one. One million voices singing in harmony, throughout the world, bringing awareness of all the children who have suffered abuse, neglect and abandonment. Children who need a new mother, a new father, a new home – a new family for life.

There are around 4,000 children in the UK who need a loving, safe and permanent family. Many of these are older, children with disabilities, sibling groups and children from black minority ethnic communities.

In 2001, Tony Blair said; "Now is the right time to get back to basics and ask what we want to achieve for children.

When children cannot live with their birth parents, for whatever reason, we all share a responsibility to make sure
that they have a chance of a fresh start, and an opportunity to enjoy the kind of loving family life which most of us take for granted”

Who cares for children in care? The answer is we all should care.

Today there are over 80,000 children in the UK’s care system.

- More than 75% of care leavers have no academic qualifications of any kind
- 71% of our homeless spent time in care
- 33% of adult prisoners and 38% of young prisoners have been in care
- 90% of all prostitutes on our streets who have been arrested at least once have come from the care system.

It doesn’t have to be this way - children behave as well as they are treated.

For many, being in care is temporary and they will be reunited with their birth families. For some, fostering or a
residential home may be the most appropriate option. But there are thousands of children for whom adoption is the best possible outcome and they desperately need a permanent, secure, loving home.

There are many orphans in history that by finding loving families achieved greatness. Julius Ceaser, Johann
Sebastion Bach, Tolstoy, Keats, Aristotle, Rudyard Kipling and William Wordsworth were all orphans.

And more recently, there many famous adopted celebrities including Nelson Mandela, Debbie Harry, John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe, Richard Burton, Roman Abramovich, Steve Jobs, Eric Clapton, Vanessa Mae, Bruce Oldfield, John Fashanu and Bill Clinton.

There are countless fictional orphans, created by the hand of some of the worlds’ most notable authors and filmakers…Harry Potter, Oliver, Annie, Batman, Superman, Spiderman, Luke Skywalker (Star Wars), Dorothy (Wizard of Oz) and Jamal Malik (Slumdog Millionaire) to name a few.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Two of the producers of Voice in a Million are themselves adoptive parents of a beautiful young boy Samuel. They are well aware of the emotional, long and winding road of the adoption process. Jo Garofalo says; “The adoption
process was a very long and emotional journey but the end result was better than anything we ever dared to dream of, our beautiful and delightful son Samuel. We would do it all again tomorrow! – Our lives have changed forever, our house is now a home and we are a family!”

Voice in a Million is delighted to include ‘A Song For Samuel’ performed and composed by Samuel’s ‘Uncle’ Rick Wakeman. Another host for the London 02 event is TV & Radio personality Nicky Campbell.

Nicky was himself adopted shortly after he was born. His story featured in the BBC show ‘Who do you think you are’ along with Bruce Oldfied and Sharon Osborne, both of whom had experience of foster care.

Well known singer, actress and entertainment personality Sinitta is an adoptive mother of a gorgeous little brother and sister. Sinitta recalls when she met her children for the first time; “We rang the doorbell and a beautiful little girl appeared behind her foster mother. She ran off and my heart sank. Was she scared of us? "But she returned with the little photo book. She pointed her chubby little finger at me, then pointed to my picture in the book and said:'Look. Mummy!

A TV Documentary for the project will be recorded throughout, for broadcast Nov 2010 to coincide with the release on the One Million Voice Album. In addition a recording of the inaugural 4,000 voices will be available Nov 2009, along with the first single from the project. Possible promotional cover-mount opportunities.

We hope that by bringing together one million children’s voices singing together, we can bring awareness to the world and ‘make a difference’ to those children that are alone, with no mother or father to watch over and guide them. As Margaret Mead (US Anthropologist & popularizer of Anthropology 1901 – 1978) said; “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”.

In a world where Human Rights are considered so fundamental we should all remember;

Every child has the right to loving and secure family relationships, and the right to a family…for life.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW
CALL: 01932 592016
ONLINE: www.voiceinamillion.com