WritersShowcase

A year ago aspiring author and fan of Chris de Burgh, Chris High, could only have dreamed that one year on, a chance Internet email would propel his inspired stories onto an innovative CD-ROM to raise money for Henshaws Society for Blind People based at Old Trafford, Manchester with the help of his musical idol. HSBP also has many Resource Centres, with the nearest to Wirral being at The Strand in Liverpool (Tel. 0151 227 1226)

With record sales in excess of 40 million, Chris de Burgh has inspired many people in many different ways. Whilst listening to his music, Wirral author Chris High, 37, was inspired with the storytelling nature of the lyrics in Chris de Burgh’s songs to go on to write twelve short stories.

Over the years, Chris de Burgh has performed more than 2,500 concerts worldwide, at one of which at Guernsey in 2002, Chris High asked a competition winning friend who had a back stage access, to pass along some of his manuscripts. Chris heard nothing for a while and never really expected to. However, he was overwhelmed when the phone rang some months later to find Chris de Burgh thanking him for writing the stories and saying that he had enjoyed reading them.

At the same time a chance email to another Chris de Burgh fan Steve Bennett, a multimedia designer who runs a small business from his home in Cheshire called Winsford Multimedia, led to the idea of the Interactive CD-ROM. Steve read the stories and was so impressed he offered to publish them in this innovative format. It was at this point that Chris High asked if he could also make the CD-ROM accessible for visually impaired people. A search for another similar medium made Chris High and Steve Bennett realise that, although there are talking books, there is a definite shortage of interactive computer entertainment accessible no matter what ones level of vision is.

With this realisation, they named the CD-ROM ‘Untrained Melodies, 12 Short stories inspired by the songs of Chris de Burgh’. The CD-ROM has been enhanced so as to be fully accessible by those who have any form of visual impairment.

As Chris High’s partially sighted fiancée, Helen Ryan, has received so much support from Henshaws Society for Blind People’s Merseyside Resource Centre, Chris and Steve Bennett realised this would be an excellent opportunity to raise much-needed funds for the Charity. Therefore it has been decided that some of the proceeds from the sale of the CD-ROM will go to Henshaws.

Delighted by the design of the CD-ROM where all sections are explained in audio and navigated by mouse or keyboard, both Chris and Steve decided to ask Chris de Burgh to support the project. Chris High was once more lost for words when Chris de Burgh telephoned him personally again recently to say he would love to help by contributing the foreword featured on the CD ROM.

Henshaws Publicity Officer, Tom Walker added: "I have had the opportunity to play the CD-Rom and it is absolutely superb. Not only has the quality of the writing and recording been done to a very high standard, I can also say, as a visually impaired person, it was really easy to navigate around. Chris and Steve have every right to be really proud of the CD-Rom and it goes without saying of course, that we at Henshaws both admire and appreciate their hard work".

Sales of the CD-Rom have been so great, Chris and Steve have also decided to expand the Tales onto 4 Audio CD’s, giving almost 4 ½ Hours of listening pleasure. These are a complete narration of the Tales contained on the CD-Rom BUT can be played in ordinary CD players.

Now with the support of the singer-songwriter, who’s hit ‘The Lady In Red’ sold in excess of 8 million copies and achieved No. 1 status in 25 countries, Chris High is hoping fans, and fans to be, of Chris de Burgh will discover another way to enjoy his hits in the form of short stories on "Untrained Melodies" which is now available on his website www.chrishigh.com.

The website has also been designed with visual impairment high on its agenda. There are in fact two sites; one for sighted people and an accessible site for fans with a visual impairment.

For either website, please go to www.chrishigh.com where full details of how to order the

Untrained Melodies Interactive PC CD-ROM can be found, along with many other entertaining and interesting features. For more information regarding HSBP, log on to www.hsbp.co.uk OR call 0151 677 1226.Should you wish to receive a complimentary copy of the Untrained Melodies Interactive CD-ROM please do not hesitate to contact us at the e-mail address below.