IRISH artists are raising money for Irish suicide charity Pieta House with a powerful rendition of Michael Jackson’s You Are Not Alone.
The song, sung by 16 artists and two choirs, took four days to record in the Camden Recording Studios in Dublin.
Pieta House provides a free, therapeutic approach to people who are in suicidal distress and those who engage in self-harm across 18 centres in Ireland.
One-in-four people will experience a mental health problem each year in Ireland.
Last year, 451 people died by suicide in Ireland, while 8,791 people presented a total of 11,189 times at hospital emergency departments across the country due to self-harm in 2015.
The collaboration for You Are Not Alone features Irish artists such as X Factor’s Mary Byrne, Ryan O’Shaughnessy and the Dublin Gospel Choir.
The artists are collectively known as Future Hope, and the project aims to help heighten awareness of mental health and suicide in Ireland with all proceeds going to Pieta House.
A year in the making, the project was created by director, Gavin Coll, 19, a current University College Dublin Computer Science Student and a member of the UCD Choral Scholars.
“If the You Are Not Alone single can raise awareness of the services of Pieta House and in doing so, prevent one person from dying by suicide, then all our efforts will have been worthwhile,” he said.
“Many of those involved in the project have experienced first-hand the pain and suffering of losing a loved one and, unfortunately, the reality is that mental health issues are intensifying.
“We all need to play our part in doing what we can to help each other. We are delighted to have released the single and would encourage everyone to download it.”
The track, released today, is available on a all major online music distribution services and a limited edition physical album is available to order on the website.
SOURCE: Irish Post /
