A GROUP of musicians have come together to raise more than £1,000 for people affected by an explosion in Beirut last month.

More than 190 people were killed in the blast in the Lebanese capital, with a further 6,500 injured.

The Aberlady Moonshine Orchestra performed on August 28 in an empty garden before uploading the concert to the internet, with donations flooding in.

John Donoghue, who plays drums and percussion with the quartet, was glad to see the band of Alan McLay, Bob Buchanan and Charlotte McMillan get back together for the special concert.

He said: “The current pandemic is a threat to all musical activities and all musicians, whether they are individuals or play in bands.

“We were active and trying to stay together and do interesting things where guidelines allowed us to get together or do them via Zoom or send recordings to one another.

“When we got to phase three and the regulations changed, Alan suggested doing a live concert via Facebook or YouTube.”

The performance took place at Alan’s home on the outskirts of Aberlady, with Alan, lead vocals; Bob, who plays bass; and Charlotte, who provides vocals and also plays keyboard, clarinet and percussion; and John social distancing.

The band has performed at the Tartan Heart Music Festival in the Highlands as well as the Aberdour Festival in Fife. However, on this occasion it was to a much smaller audience.

More than 100 people tuned in for the concert, with more than £1,200 raised so far for Save the Children, which is helping youngsters following the explosion.

Donate at justgiving.com/fundraising/Aberlady-Moonshine-Orchestra