Em cast album (by Benjamin Till)

My name is Benjamin Till.

I am a composer and film maker, and I have spent the last six months turning my latest musical, "Em", into a cast album. We have received very generous funding from PRS, the Arts Council, and the Richard Carne Foundation to get the project to a stage where it is fully recorded and mastered, but we still need to raise £1500.00 to be able to create a run of professionally produced, physical CDs.  

I'm not personally seeking to make any money on this project: the profits of all sales will go to CoramBAAF , a hugely important charity dedicated to securing the best outcomes for children separated from their birth parents. 

"Em" is a hugely personal project, as it tells my own mother's story. Set in Liverpool in 1965, it deals with a young, unmarried mother's desperate attempts to keep her baby, when the authorities want to take him away from her. 

The show's music evokes the vibrancy of the Mersey Beat, and features outstanding performances by the young cast. Foot-stomping, uplifting, and exhillirating up-tempo numbers rub shoulders with tender and heart-breaking ballads.

The album has been recorded to the very highest standard, and absolutely NEEDS to be heard. 

See the video above for an excerpt of actress Ruby Ablett singing We Will Be Loved in the recording studio. 

Unlike a lot of other crowd-funded projects, I am not looking to find purely altruistic donations. Any amounts recieved over £15.00 will purchase the giver their own copy of the CD (incl P&P), so this is actually a pre-ordering service! 

Once we reach our goal, any extra money will go directly to the charity, so please don't think we no longer need your support, even if our target has been passed! And remember, you'll still get your CD!

The plan is to release the album at the beginning of April 2018, and pre-orders will be sent out two weeks prior to that. This means that all donations need to be in by the end of February in order to meet these deadlines.

In 1965, sadly, my mother's son was taken away from her, and for the next forty years, each of them felt the pain and isolation of that separation. It was only when a charity similar to CoramBAAF helped to reunite them, that they felt they could begin to heal, and put a lifetime of searching and damage behind them.

It is so important to me that this album can raise money for such a wonderful cause, and help other families who need such vital assistance.

By pre-ordering a copy of this album, you are not only helping families in need of CoramBAAF's services, you are also helping to support new Britich Musical Theatre writing, at a time when it needs all the help it can get.

I am so grateful to you for your support, and for your faith in this project.

SUPPPORT REWARDS:
£15.00—CD Pre-Order: This will purchase your copy of the CD, which you will recieve up to two weeks before it goes on general release.

Should you wish to give a little bit more, I have several other rewards for your generosity.

£20.00—Bronze Donation: This includes the purchase of your copy of the CD, and as a thank you for your extra support, I will send you three mp3s of other popular tracks from my previous albums: one from the Original Cast Album of "Brass," a track from "The London Requiem," and a track from "The Pepys Motet."

£25.00—Silver Donation: If you are able to be a little bit more genrous yet, £25.00 will get you your copy of the CD, the tracks included in the Bronze Donation, and something very special indeed: alongside the Em album tracks, I have produced every song from the album as a backing track (that means the full orchestral recording, with the lead vocals removed). This is PERFECT for singers and Musical Theatre performers, and you can use these backing tracks for performing your favourite songs from "Em" in concerts, karaoke, cabarets, or auditions. The Silver Donation will include mp3s of the backing tracks for the entire album! This is an opportunity not to be missed!

£40.00—Gold Donation: For anyone who feels that they want to support the project, the charity, and British Musical Theatre in general to this level, I think you'll fnd it very worth your while! Not only will you recieve your copy of the "Em" CD as standard, as well as all the rewrads from the Bronze and Silver Donations, you will also, as an exclusive and special bonus, recieve physical copies of the CDs of my previous releases, "The Pepys Motet" (Including "Oranges and Lemons"), and "The London Requiem," both of which have receved rave reiews for their scope and ingenuity. This really is a package that any music lover will be glad to recieve, and great value too. How can you afford to miss it?

Please remember, that although I have done my best to make these reward packages as attractive as possible, if you do decide to support this project, you are doing something that benefits people who really need your help. CoramBAAF assists so many people, and will be incredibly grateful to you for allowing them to continue their important work.