Every other year music lovers are treated to a music bonanza, combining favourite classic hits with some of Malta’s best voices in a series of concerts.

About 20 organisations will be helped

Voices is back and it is in aid of a good cause. This year’s concert, themed Dream a Little Dream, will see 10 performances by the 200-strong choir and live band.

Voices concerts are well-known fortheir vast repertoire of music genres and songs from a variety of eras.

This year’s programme will include a medley of pop and rock classics as well as more contemporary songs.

Hits by the Beatles, Adele, Sting, Queen, Abba, Alicia Keyes and Pink Floyd will feature together with tributes to Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson.

Voices is also remarkable because it is made up completely of volunteers. Every two years, these people dedicate their summer to raise funds for deserving charities – the sum raised to date has reached over €1.5 million.

About 20 organisations and NGOs will be helped through the funds collected from this year’s concerts.

The lead project this year – Mamma Margherita, co-ordinated by the Osanna Pia Home – will help provide accommodation for young homeless men.

What was achieved by Voices 2010

Over 200 vulnerable individuals and their families would have continued to strugglehad it not been for the funds provided by the Voices Foundation in 2010, Nora Macelli,from the St Jeanne AntideFoundation, said.

The foundation spearheaded the Ġamra Community Social Work Project, which was created with the idea of bringing together a team of professionals and volunteers to help vulnerable families in the Fgura, Tarxien and Żabbar area.

The project, which was chosen as the lead beneficiary of the Voices 2010 concert, is run together with the Fgura parish priest and members of theDiaconia Commission.

Through the funds channelled from Voices, a number of services were made available to vulnerable individuals. The services ranged from advocacy to counselling, family consultations, nursing and social work.

The funds also enabled the opening of a drop-in office, managed by a team of volunteers. An outreach programme was also initiated in 24 streets.

The Ġamra Community Social Work Project includes other ‘sub’ projects, such as the Smiling Kids and Smiling Teens club, organised by a project leader for children and youngsters residing inthese areas.

A ‘how-to’ book, in Maltese, aimed at family caregivers of people who are mentally ill, is also in the pipeline.

Voices concerts, sponsored by the Vodafone Malta Foundation, are taking place from Wednesday to Sunday and October 10-14 at 7.30pm at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta. Next Sunday’s performance starts at 3.30pm.

Tickets are available fromthe Mediterranean ConferenceCentre, the Manoel Theatre and online.

www.voices.org.mt