The Queen makes it a memorable diamond day for Grenville and Tessa...

PRESS RELEASE 
Wednesday May 23, 2012

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Goldies founder Grenville Jones and Diamond Day song composer Tessa Cox are presented to the Queen 

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As founder of the Golden-Oldies charity, Grenville Jones was asked to represent the Big Lottery Jubilee People's Millions at the Queen's Jubilee Garden Party at Buckingham Palace yesterday - Tuesday May 22nd.

Last year the Goldies charity - which brings smiles through singing to hundreds of isolated people - won a Big Lottery (public vote) grant to run an inter-generational schools project called Jubilee Time after Time. 

Grenville invited Bath housewife Tessa Cox to attend with him as his guest. Tessa composed a song called Diamond Day for the Jubilee Time after Time project which schools across the UK are downloading to sing as part of their Jubilee celebrations.

Says Grenville:

"We were asked to stand apart from the hundreds of other guests and were presented to Her Majesty.

"She spoke to Tessa and myself for about 3 minutes. The Queen was very interested to hear of the progress of Goldies in such a short time and how Tessa's song was a celebration of the 60 years of her reign.

"She was so gracious and wanted to know about our work. What a huge honour it was for Tessa and I to be given the chance to speak to the Queen."

Tessa, 48 married with two children, lives just outside Bath. Last year she entered a song writing competition in Bath and made it to the final. 

One of the judges that night was west country music man Grenville Jones, well known through his leadership of a number of choirs including the Last Choir Standing Bath Male Choir as well other music projects. Last November he featured on the BBC's Children in Need night conducing a west country youth choir linking with Gareth Malone. 

Grenville is founder of the Golden-Oldies Charity that brings music to hundreds of elderly and isolated people. ‘Goldies’ as it has become fondly known, was started in Bath in 2008 with just four singing sessions. It now runs over 60 taken by 23 session leaders. These take place from Swindon to Weston super Mare and Gloucester to Yeovil.

For hundreds of people Goldies is the highlight of their week. Independent academic research by the University of Bath concluded, "without question Goldies IS good for for."

The charity has developed across the West of England and launched into South Wales last November with Goldies Cymru. Sir Cliff Richard is Patron.

Tessa said:

“I had an idea in mind for a song to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and after the ‘Song for Bath’ evening contacted Grenville who immediately said that he wanted to hear it. Little did I know that he was working on a project called Jubilee Time After Time. This would be led by his Goldies Charity and would encourage Schools across the West of England to engage with the elderly in their communities. 

“When he heard me playing and singing the song called ‘Diamond Day’ he immediately said that this would be the theme for the Jubilee Time After Time project.”

Explains Grenville;

“Tessa was the obvious choice to take to the Garden Party. ‘Diamond Day’ is a lovely song and through our Schools project we now have hundreds of children who are learning it as part of their School Jubilee Celebration. It can be downloaded from our website and is accessible to all schools. "

www.jubileetimeaftertime.org.uk/diamond-day---the-song.html

Tessa came to writing music later in her life. She inherited her Grandmother’s piano which she played as a child. 

ENDS

www.golden-oldies.org.uk
Grenville Jones mobile 0777 828 2934 or office 01761 472468.