A Concert To Inspire Faith And Hope Out of Tragedy.

BRIGHTON, U.K. - June 10, 2013 - PRLog -- In June 2011 a young fourteen year old boy, Declan Hubert, was hit by a car whilst doing his paper round and listening to music on his mobile phone. His father Jeremy, who had been alerted by a local shop owner, was soon at his side as he lay unconscious by the roadside. For a number of days he was cared for at Hurstwood Park the nearest neurological hospital where his head injuries were accessed. His family really believed and were praying, with many others, that he would be miraculously restored to them. Then the dreaded news came from the consultants. Declan was clinically brain dead and that it was now time to turn off the life support machine. Jeremy and his wife Caroline then had to return home to break the news to their other children.

Not perhaps an unfamiliar story and on the face of it nothing immediately remarkable. Many families loose children - but there the similarity ended. It soon became apparent that something profound and special was happening. Such was the public interest both locally and internationally that many visitors had been streaming to the family home and communications were coming from all over the world with messages of hope and comfort and scripture. Such was the interest that it was necessary for the family to hire a large Marquee, which was erected on a green near their home, for the memorial service. Nearly one thousand people attended that event. An international speaker, Ian McCormack, of ‘box jelly fish’ fame, agreed to speak at the celebration. Ian had been stung by five box jelly fish (among the earth’s most deadly creatures) and after being pronounced dead retuned to life whilst lying in the morgue. No stranger to the question of life and death, he was more than a qualified speaker for this special event.

But there had been no resurrection for Declan and the story of how the family came to terms with his death is now the subject of a documentary. This has been produced by Media Matters the arts department of the Brighton and Hove City Mission. Declan’s death particularly affected Clive Manning a staff member who knew him through contact at a local youth club. As the remarkable events unfolded, it was an easy matter for Clive to persuade the City Mission to embark on producing a documentary.   During one filming session, Clive and the producer Tony Smith, were moved to tears when they heard Melissa, one of the Huberts’ seven remaining children, sing ‘Voice in the Choir’ - a song dedicated to the memory of Declan.  They immediately realised that something very special was developing. The DVD was directed by Clive Manning and Peter Munro with narration by Israel Oyelumade ( The Long Firm, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Bill) . Since that tearful premier Melissa has been inspired to write and perform a number of memorable songs and has produced her first Album ‘Beyond the Frame’. Melissa will be performing live at the scheduled event on July 20th.

Those two strands are being brought together for the first time at a special evening featuring both Melissa’s songs and the documentary. It is a free ticketed event.