Members of Burnham-On-Sea’s Ritz Social Club have been treated to a special visit and performance from chart-topping brain tumour survivor Lyra Cole from Highbridge.
Lyra, 6, wowed the audience with a superb performance of her hit Christmas single, a cover of ‘When a Child is Born’, during the club’s Christmas party night.
She was introduced on the club’s stage and, after a few initial nerves, she gave a perfect rendition of her song, which was met by applause and cheers from the audience.
Lyra’s song has reached number one in the Amazon music download charts and, as Burnham-On-Sea.com reported here, she has made it to raise funds for the charity Brain Tumour Research after going through emergency brain surgery as a five-month-old baby.
Paul Hale, the Ritz Club’s manager, thanked her for the performance and presented her with £100 from the club towards the charity.
Last week, Sir Cliff Richard said he thinks Lyra’s version is ‘absolutely wonderful’ and describes her as a “beautiful, brave young lady” and says he is “thrilled” she made the record to help other brain tumour patients in future.
Lyra, who is a pupil at Berrow School, and her aunt, Jessie Hawkins, chose to raise money by covering the song, which was also covered by Cliff in 2003.
Jessie, Lyra’s aunt, said: “We are so thrilled with the response we have had and to get a message from Sir Cliff really is the icing on the cake.”
“We hope that when people listen, they think about everything Lyra has been through and make a donation to give hope to families who, like us, know the devastation caused by a brain tumour.”
The single is being sold as a 99 pence download on Amazon here and is the UK’s number one single and the UK’s second best-selling album.
The single was shot at several local locations including Sanders Garden Centre in Brent Knoll, Mendip Snowsport Centre and Tropicana Icescape in Weston.
Amid a whirlwind of media coverage, the family has appeared on BBC Points West, ITV West and ITV’s This Morning and been featured in the national press.
