Off the Record Cake Sales for Off the Record Fundraiser
RhythmMix put their baking skills to great use this weekend for their first big fundraiser to support Fascinating Rhythm’s Charity of the Year, Off the Record. OTR (as it’s known) is a brilliant Bristol-based charity covering Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and North Somerset. It is run by and for young people aged 11 – 25 and provides support for good mental health.
Wotton-under-Edge, a delightful town on the edge of the South Cotswolds, allows local charities to run Town Hall Teas on Sundays – and it’s the perfect place to host a fundraiser as it’s a regular favourite with locals as well as visitors, walkers and cyclists who happen to be passing on the day.
Guests were treated to an amazing range of mouth-watering cakes, from luscious fruit cake to tasty carrot cake and yummy flapjacks, to delicious lemon drizzle, squidgy chocolate brownies, and an amazing pear frangipane—shame I missed that one, but you can’t try them all now, can you?
RhythmMix were delighted to serenade visitors as they enjoyed their cakes throughout the afternoon. They played Fascinating Rhythm favourites like “Feelin’ Good,” “Can’t Take my eyes off of you,” and “We go together,” as well as a few of their own songs, “Somewhere Out there,” “Sweet Dreams,” and one that is becoming a firm favourite: an ancient song, originally written in the fifteenth century, a delightful melody called “Spring Song.”
With recent recruits to the Lead and Baritone sections, RhythmMix sounded top-notch and had many compliments throughout the afternoon. One chap, as he was leaving, asked, “Where have you been hiding?” and added, “That was amazing!” Another lady said, “I could stay and listen to you all day!” and chorus members reflected “You sounded the best yet!” So, as you can guess RhythmMix were feeling super-proud, thrilled to have their new recruits to enrich their sound and very happy to have supported the event.
It’s always lovely to see old friends from the chorus, and it was great that they could come along to support the event and OTR– as you can imagine, there was lots of catching up to do!
As well as thanking RhythmMix members, the main planners and organisers, we must thank all the wonderful bakers and give special recognition to Imogen, who is a brilliant helper (and whose Mum, Caroline, is in Fascinating Rhythm and RhythmMix), for running the tombola. It was also great that additional chorus members Sharon, Kate, Briony, and Trina gave up their Sunday afternoon to help – so grateful thanks go to them too! They also joined in one final song – “Titanium,” which the audience loved.
Sharon, Fascinating Rhythm’s Social Media Queen took lots of lovely photos and videos, so check them out on Facebook or Instagram.
Thanks to the generosity of the chorus, a fabulous range of cakes were on offer—so many that Fascinating Rhythm will be hosting a mini-cake sale at their next rehearsal and hope to increase the current total raised from a fantastic £490 to over the £500 mark.
We hope to be back at Wotton Teas next year and with all those scrummy cakes on offer, maybe next time I’ll volunteer to be the Fascinating Rhythm Official Taster!
Written by Julie Macnamara – Fascinating Rhythm and RhythmMix member
