LONDON, October 6, 2009 (WAFA)- The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) prepared a concert for Humanitarians Orchestra to play for Gaza in the 24^th of this month in Augustine’s Church in  Queen’s Gate in London.

PSC aims to raise public awareness about the occupation of Palestine and the struggle of the Palestinian people. It also seeks to bring pressure on Israeli government to bring its policies in line with international law.

'My musician friends and I got the orchestra together when it was decided not simply to grab a collection or concert profits after an unrelated gig, but actually to raise some hard cash on purpose for small scale international humanitarian charities, and have fun doing so. Sustaining the musicians not just with fine music but with food is a priority for the orchestra as it works,” Ellie Merton, founder of Adhoc Humanitarians Orchestra, explained.  “The entire band survives off Green & Black's organic biscuits during the rehearsal period, and holds a very foody party after each event, but the main aim of each concert is to give our all, musically, for our chosen cause.  It's passionate stuff, but it's easy to let the music do the emoting when you commit to playing it with heart and ability.”

He added for this concert, supporting Viva Palestina's efforts to get into Gaza and bring humanitarian relief to this besieged province, we've chosen highly romantic and moving Russian music, on purpose.  “There are many meanings to the music and to our choice of repertoire and we're happy to let people use their intelligence to work out what we intend.  Most importantly we just want audiences, probably new to this kind of music, to be transported and carried away with the sense of the sounds and rewarded instantly for their philanthropy with outstanding musicianship, more than just knowing they are helping the right cause and making people's daily lives better in an oppressed far off land.”

Merton said but the concert doesn't just entail classical vibes. “Uniquely, we intersperse the classical music with traditional folk music relevant to the cause for which we are fundraising.  It's unusual for classical concerts to have this, and has brought us many fans - again, audiences probably new to the indigenous traditions of the region being introduced to it in an accessible and vibrant way, over a glass of wine, or orange juice (!) at half time. And the concert always goes on after the gig, with traditional music playing on whilst we clear up and people have a last chance to talk in the venue, the extremely beautiful and generous Church of St Augustine. We love our concerts and we hope you will too.”

Adhoc Humanitarians Orchestra, together with its conductors, soloists and interval musicians, brings together a staggeringly generous array of some of the best professional and top amateur musicians in and around London, determined to give their time for free, to play because they care about the plight of the world, love the music and enjoy making a difference, with pizzazz.  All donations raised by all of our concerts go direct to the humanitarian charities, intact because, uniquely, all orchestral and concert costs are funded separately.  In 2003 and 2004 the orchestra played acclaimed concerts for Palestine, Romania and Tibet and this is the first project the orchestra has undertaken in 2009, returning once again to Palestine.   Adhoc Humanitarians Orchestra – “Altruism in Tune”.