Raising money in memory of Catherine Adie

Dear friends,

As many of you know, Catherine Adie, my Mum, passed away unexpectedly on 18th January 2025. She passed away peacefully in her sleep at the end of a long struggle with her health, and leaves behind a whole world of talented musicians and musical connoisseurs who will miss her dearly. Whilst many of us are still coming to terms with the shock of her passing, I want to take the opportunity to offer her many friends the chance to commemorate her life; I know there will be many people who would like to help provide her with a beautiful, fitting ceremony as we say goodbye to a passionate musician, a loving friend and a devoted mother.

Many of you knew my Mum as a dedicated teacher of music, specifically flute, piano and music theory. Her love for music drew her to teaching from the age of 14, and she went on to have a far-reaching influence, inspiring hundreds of ambitious new students whom she has always felt proud of. Those of you who studied under her care will remember her as an insightful and wise mentor who strived to see her students realise the same love for music that she had.

Mum shone most brightly when she was taking on the role of musical director, either for local amateur operatic societies in Cornwall or for the 2 choirs she ran during her lifetime. She loved to work with all levels of musicians and thrived on creating the sound she had always imagined come to life. This really manifested in her work with her first choir; “Balanced Harmony” was formed to be an easy-listening style choir who raised money for charity. As 3 of the founding members were diabetic, the main charity they supported was Diabetes UK. Balanced Harmony raised lots of money for charity thanks to almost 20 years of performances around Cornwall.

Eventually, after moving to Malvern, Mum started working in a branch of Morrisons and found herself trying to undertake a project much like Gareth Malone does in his choir-building programmes for the BBC. Unbeknownst to the staff of Morrisons, Mum’s inescapable love for music would soon turn a small number of the workforce into a community choir; they came to be known as “OneAcChord”. Mum loved the challenge of helping people find their voices for the first time so it didn’t matter that most of the members had never read music before, or even sung in a choir! They soon learnt to sing as one voice and became well known in the Malvern area, raising money for charity (with Morrisons help). In time, the choir grew beyond its origins and members from around Worcestershire found their way to be part of the OneAcChord family. After around 10 years of performances raising money for various charities, OneAcChord sang their farewell concert in 2022 before Mum moved to Brighton.

Funds made from this collection will help contribute to giving my Mum a funeral and ceremony that reflects the amazing woman she was, and the goal presented will cover the overwhelming expenses involved. However, we now all know that charity work meant a lot to Mum; Diabetes UK, British Heart Foundation, Air Ambulance, The Joey Appeal (Cornwall), Dogs for Good, St Richard's Hospice (Worcestershire) to name but a few charities supported by her choirs over the years! Those closest to my Mum may be aware of the health struggles she endured in life; she was diagnosed at an early age with type 1 diabetes, and saw many treatments come and go over the course of her life. Those familiar with diabetes will know how life-changing and restricting the condition can be. Having been diabetic for 61 years, Mum was so grateful for the changes and liberties that modern technology brought her. As such, it would mean the world to me, and to Mum, if she were able to continue to contribute to Diabetes UK and British Heart Foundation with the support of her friends and family; consequently, any amount raised over the target will be split between the two aforementioned charities.

I would therefore like to encourage you all to donate whatever you can. A generous sum to donate in Mum’s name would mean that she can leave an even bigger impression on the world by helping people like herself continue to see medical advancements bring them peace, comfort and happiness in the same way it did for her.

Many thanks and much love,

Kirsten x