A FEATURE film on the success of a charity project by a Rann na Feirste man to raise funds for ‘Doctors Without Borders’ is set to be screened on a German television station next month.
Rann na Feirste’s adopted son Harald ‘Mór’ Juengst was behind the beautiful Healing Hands for ‘Doctors Without Borders’ charity CD. It featured a selection of top class traditional and folk musicians and singers from Donegal. Among them were Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Manus Lunny (Capercaillie) and Eamon McElhom (Solas, Stockton’s Wing) to name but a few.
Donations to the cause have reached almost €7,000, with CD sales close to 500.
The album had its first launch on July 23 in Áislann Rann na Feirste, followed by another launch in Leo’s Tavern, Meenaleck, Crolly, on July 27.
Prior to coming to fruition, the fundraising project had been in the works for five years.
Speaking to the Donegal News, Harald revealed the charity project has sparked the interest of media outlets in Germany.
“I started a media campaign over here in Germany at the beginning of December. I got great interest and coverage in the German press, and also on different radio stations plus a live television interview on channel studio 47,” he said.
“In January there is a feature film planned on the main TV station, WDR on my charity project. The best news is that WDR, Germany’s biggest radio station registered three pieces of the album into their permanent playlist. The tracks are Seinnimid, Caide Sin and The Wild Atlantic.”
Harald said there is a further privilege for his charity project as Germany’s biggest radio station has registered three pieces of the album into their permanent playlist.
“That’s a really great, great honour for our charity project,” he said.
Having arrived back to Donegal for Christmas, Harald is preparing for a few musical performances to continue to raise funds for ‘Doctors Without Borders’ to continue to support their immensely important humanitarian work worldwide. He will play the handpan today at The Cope Dungloe, followed by another performance at Supervalu Dungloe tomorrow.
“It was in the year 2018 that creative forces began to align to make this project a reality,” said German-born Harald, who said his “very special relationship” with Donegal first ignited the idea.
“There was my very special relationship with Donegal, that stretch of land in the northwest of Ireland with its breathtakingly wild and romantic landscape, its rich culture, living traditions and the Irish language as well as the magic of music. And, above all, there were the uniquely open and warm friendships that I have been able to experience and enjoy since 1978.
“All of this together is what Donegal means to me and I wanted to capture and preserve this spirit in my project with the help of the musicians there.
“Among them are neighbours from my adopted home Rann na Feirste, the Fior Uisce band colleagues, as well as many musicians whom I had learned to appreciate as artists of the highest quality throughout my radio work and promoter activities in Germany.