It is really most satisfying when everyone works as a team and makes it happen! ‘Wouldn’t it be fab,’I said to Nick Weaver, our performing arts technician during a faculty social, ‘if we could record a single in order to raise funds for the Haiti Disaster Appeal. Oh there’s just one thing. We need it written and recorded within the week to tie in with the school’s non uniform day, to also raise funds for the Haiti Appeal.’ Monday morning the track was on my desk!

As a performing arts school we have a lot of talented students and four girls in particular in Yr 11 have absolutely cracking voices. I have nicknamed them The Commonweal Fab Four! The girls heard the song for the first time on the Monday morning, took it away, played with it over night and came back in on the Tuesday with designs of their own. Sophie Goldsworthy rearranged the track into a different key and turned it from a dance track to a slow meaningful ballad. Nick and I were in rehearsals with them offering loads of encouragement as I knew, despite the short time scale that they could do it. The girls arranged the harmonies and hours of hard work later the track was recorded. They were bouncing around the room with excitement and they all agreed it was one of the most exciting things they have ever done.
“To be able to create such a beautiful piece of music with such a meaningful purpose is an honour to all of us. However, we would never have been able to achieve this without the help of Nick Weaver and Josie Williams. We hope it raises a lot of money for this worthy cause,” said Sophie, age 16. The other three members of the Fab Four are Carine Conway, age 16, Beth Preddy, age 15 and Connie Paul, age 16.

“ The girls are fantastic singers, their enthusiasm and compassion for fellow mankind is truly admirable. The world has been affected by the tragic disaster in Haiti and we at Commonweal School, like thousands of like-minded people are doing our bit to raise funds for this tragedy.” Keith Defter, Headteacher.

“One Drum, One Beat” is a song written by Nick Weaver below he talks about his inspiration...

When a human tragedy on the scale of the Haiti earthquake happens, it is cause for reflection to us all. The frailty of mankind in the face of Mother Nature is terrifying and a reminder to cherish not only your own life but of those close to you, and to perhaps look out into the wider world at why we allow so much misery and unhappiness to occur.

The song binds together around the idea that we are One human race, sharing a heartbeat and common needs and goals, and to focus on celebrating the differences, but recognising we are One people who inhabit a planet, and it is in our interests to look out for each other, and to respect our home, The Earth.

Images of the many agencies coming to the aid of the earthquake victims are stirring and uplifting, and we all share in the emotions of those who perished, and in the joy of a life saved. It brings to the screen the equality of all humankind, as the disaster showed no favours to either rich or poor, to shack or presidential building.

It isn’t money that sends a man into a dangerous, derelict building to search for survivors, but the inner spirit of the knowledge that at the most basic level, we are here for each other, regardless of race, colour, language or belief.

Josie Williams,
Community Arts Development Officer