Last month’s piano recital by Margaret Fingerhut at The Stables Theatre raised almost £1,000 for Hastings Community of Sanctuary.

The money will allow the group to further the work it does supporting refugees living locally.

The Hastings recital was just one stop on a national tour for Ms Fingerhut. The show called Far from the Home I Love is travelling all over the UK with a target to raise £1,000 at each of the 28 performances. Described by Gramophone magazine as a pianist of ‘consummate skill and thrilling conviction’, she has a distinguished career which has taken her all over the world. She is particularly known for her innovative recital programmes in which she explores what are described as ‘the highways and byways’ of the piano repertoire

Felicity Laurence of Hastings Community of Santuary said of the concert at The Stables: “Margaret Fingerhut gave a thoughtful and carefully-worked out concert, with playing that was both brilliant and sensitive, as well as a really effective ongoing commentary about the pieces and composers in her programme.

“One really nice aspect of the concert was that one of our new fellow-Hastonians who has come here from Syria came along and really loved it, especially the piece Margaret had commissioned from a Syrian composer.”

Ms Laurence was particularly pleased by the numbers who attended the Hastings concert especially considering that it was Easter Sunday when many people had other commitments.