The 18th annual Jonathan Beech Memorial Concert will take place on Saturday, April 5 at 2 p.m. in the auditorium of Kennett High School in Kennett Square. The featured work this year is Kim Andre Arnesen’s “Requiem for Solace,” for chorus and orchestra.  In addition, the Wilmington Handbell Ensemble, the Kennett High School Chorale, and the Kennett Middle School Chorus will also perform.  

This year’s concert will benefit the Neuro-Oncology Unit of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The suggested donation is $20 for adults and $10 for students, and gifts of all amounts are appreciated.  

More information can be found on the website JonathanBeechMemorialConcert.org., where supporters can also make a donation online via PayPal.

The Jonathan Beech Memorial Concert is a concert of choral music presented annually by a community choir, (participants are involved in area choral groups, church choirs, and school vocal ensembles), accompanied by professional instrumentalists.  The concert was started in 2008, in memory of Jonathan Beech, who died of a brain tumor when he was 15.  The concert has benefitted organizations that help children with life-threatening illnesses.  

Funds raised from most concerts have gone to either Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Make-A-Wish, or Camp Sunshine.

Last year’s concert raised $14,600 for Camp Sunshine in Casco, Maine, a special place for families who have children with life-threatening illnesses. The camp has helped families from all of the United States, as well as a number of foreign countries.  

To date, the Jonathan Beech Memorial Concert has raised over $190,000 for organizations like the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Make-A-Wish, or Camp Sunshine.

Those who would like to hear the concert, but are unable to attend, can visit the JonathanBeechMemorialConcert.org website and click a link to its YouTube channel. The video stream will be posted for viewing during the week after the concert.

Jonathan Beech Memorial Concert is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and all donations are tax-deductible.