The campaign is on to get ‘Tiny Dancer’ the single recorded by a group of musicians and singers to raise funds for Galway girl Lily-Mae Morrison, to the top of the charts for Christmas. The single will be launched at the opening of the Galway Continental Christmas Market tomorrow (Friday ) and Lily-Mae, who is suffering from a rare childhood cancer, will turn on the Christmas lights at the event with the help of singers Paddy Casey and Declan O’Rourke, and Anthony Ryan, chairman of the Galway City Business Association.
Casey and O’Rourke are among the musicians who got together to record ‘Tiny Dancer’, a cover of the 1971 Elton John hit, to raise funds for the Sunni Mae Trust, a charity which has been set up to support Lily-Mae and her family through her illness. The single also features Mundy, John Spillane, Mickey Harte, Camille O’Sullivan, Mary Black, trad/world music band Kila, veteran indie band The Pale, and Athenry vocalist/composer Julie Feeney.
Lily-Mae Morrison, the daughter of Judith Sibley and Leighton Morrison of Galway dance companies Chrysalis and Youth Ballet West, was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma in June. ‘Tiny Dancer’ forms part of the fundraising campaign for Lily-Mae and is the largest charity single recorded in Ireland. The single will be taking on the X Factor to reach the top of the charts for Christmas, and the campaign has launched a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/asongforlilymae The song is available on CD single and can also be downloaded from iTunes, and people are being asked to buy the song during the week beginning December 14 to get it to the top of the Christmas chart. Each purchaser can download the song from iTunes three times, and each sale will count towards its chart total. The song can also be gifted an unlimited number of times.
Lily-Mae will be among the guests of honour at the opening of the Christmas market in Eyre Square from 5.30pm tomorrow, and will turn on the Christmas lights at 6pm.
The launch will begin at the bottom of Mainguard Street at 5.30pm with Anthony Ryan, Mayor Terry O’Flaherty, and town crier Liam Silke leading a colourful festive parade, featuring fire breathing stilt walkers, St Nicholas’ School choir, popular children’s characters, and Santa and Mrs Claus, towards the market on Eyre Square.
Tenors Sean Costello and Frank Naughton will perform at the opening as Duo Voci at the Square before the arrival of the parade, and Galway Bay FM’s Keith Finnegan will assume the role of MC for the evening.
The turning on of the lights will be followed by the official launch of ‘Tiny Dancer’, which will be performed by Paddy Casey and Declan O’Rourke, accompanied by a choir of some 100. Local school choirs will then perform at the Market stage followed by entertainment from local DJs and the Kiltullagh Choir – which continues the entertainment in to the evening.
The Galway Continental Christmas Market will runs until Saturday December 22. For more information visit www.GalwayChristmasMarket.ie or search ‘Galway Continental Christmas Market’ on Facebook.
For more information on fundraising for Lily Mae contact The Sunni Mae Trust, which is also raising funds for other families affected by neuroblastoma or to donate go to www.idonate.ie/lily
