THIS was a night to make organisers, performers and enthusiastic audience members alike extremely proud, prompting a review written with a heart full of love and a deep, renewed appreciation for this fair city and the wonderful people who call it home.

Raising money for the Alzheimer’s Society, with a collection for York’s Harmony café too, A Night To Remember was brimming with an array of "diamonds", as Big Ian Donaghy, event organiser, compere and performer, affectionately called them.

All the acts, local to York and largely consisting of big names on the busking circuit, generously performed for free. Add sponsorship from Radar Healthcare, and more than £10,000 will be heading to the Alzheimer’s charity, an astonishing feat for one wonderfully entertaining and extremely successful night.

Acts ranged from street performers The Y Street Band to a Bob Harris favourite, the wonderful Boss Caine, and a genuine talent with originality to boot, Toby Burras, who incorporated a loop pedal and utilised his guitar for percussion for his take on TLC’s No Scrubs. Last act Chris Helme performed a spine-tingling The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, accompanied by cello and a second guitarist.

The event ended aptly with Big Ian accompanied by all the acts for With A Little Help From My Friends. The audience joined in too, standing hand in hand and singing along. The small city with the big heart had done itself proud yet again. A great night, for a great cause.

More details on the work of the Alzheimer’s Society can be found at alzheimers.org.uk

The Harmony cafe, at St Aelred’s Community Centre, Tang Hall, York, welcomes fund-raising contributions at fundraising@mindsinmotion.org.uk

Review by Gemma Rossi