Sixth student releases first EP for charity

A Year 13 student is turning his passion for music into a fundraising opportunity, releasing an EP of original songs to raise money for an international charity.

Harry V, part of the band HARRYV, will be releasing his debut EP in the coming months alongside charity fundraising for War Child UK.

Harry’s new EP will be named, ‘Songs I Wrote on a Dog Walk,” and is inspired by his evening walks around a local park.

“I used to always take the dog on evening walks around this park, and for some reason, you can see the stars so clearly,” Harry shared. “I just started thinking about song lyrics, and now every time I go on a walk, I work on the music. All of the songs on the EP have come from those dog walks.”

“What I love about writing music is that you can quite literally say whatever you want. You can say everything you’ve ever wanted to say to a person without having to say it to them, and you can also talk to yourself. It’s quite an introspective opportunity.”

The album includes five original songs and two covers. Harry recorded the music alongside his band at Soundhouse Studios in Acton.

“We actually did the recording slightly differently to normal: we got to perform the whole thing sort of as a live set. I think that comes across in the record as well,” Harry shared.

Harry’s EP also involves a charity component, embodying our value to Serve Others alongside Aiming High with Integrity.

“The EP is in partnership with Hotvox, who are a music production company, and their Rising scheme in partnership with War Child,” he stated. Rising is a live performance platform and national fundraising competition, who grant rising talent the opportunity to record a live EP alongside a commitment to raise money for War Child UK. The 20 artists who raise the most money for War Child UK will then have the opportunity to present their music to a panel of music industry professionals. “It’s a really awesome opportunity to get a bit of industry feedback, and have a lot of fun doing it,” Harry said.

“The next few weeks, me and my band are going to be raising money and doing some absolutely crazy stuff. We’ll be mowing lawns, we’ll be playing gigs in back gardens, and someone will be choosing my next bumper sticker! Anything we can do to raise money.”

To contribute to Harry’s fundraiser, you can use the following link: HARRYV – Hotvox

Harry has been involved with music and drama at Berkhamsted since his arrival in Year 9, appearing in numerous musicals and ensembles. “Music at Berkhamsted is really fun, and the staff are just brilliant. They really love the music as well, and they’re passionate about what they’re teaching.”

“It’s so fun to have access to these amazing facilities, and to come up to a music room with brilliant producing equipment and Logic Pro X. You can have a lot of fun and learn a lot.”

The Music department are proud to see Harry’s growth and adventurousness. Malcolm Melling, Head of Ensembles and Co-Director of Music, shared, “Harry is very much a musical free spirit and has been a valuable member of the department for several years, contributing to Choirs, Barbershop, and regular performances at Proms in the Quad. Over the past two years, he has really come into his own as a highly capable singer‑songwriter and an engaging, assured performer.

These days he is increasingly self‑sufficient and confident in his abilities; our role is now to support, listen, and help in any way we can. There is no doubt that he has a bright and exciting future ahead of him.”

Good luck to Harry in all his fundraising endeavours, and we can’t wait to listen to his remarkable new EP.