9/11 relatives stage London concert

Emma Lake and Rob Halligan perform
at a 9/11 memorial concert

Relatives of British victims of the atrocities of September 11 2001 have performed at a concert in London's Grosvenor Square, near the American embassy, in memory of the tragic events of seven years ago.

Singer/songwriter Rob Halligan, from Coventry, whose father, also Rob, was killed in the attack on the World Trade Centre, sang touching songs recalling him, accompanied by his acoustic guitar.

He joked to the audience of about 100 people: "My dad used to like embarrassing me by getting me to get my guitar out and play in front of his friends so I know he would be really chuffed that I'm doing this."

Emma Lake, 21, a student at York University, whose uncle was killed in the same attack, played separately on violin.

US Ambassador to Britain Robert Tuttle had to fight with his emotions as he addressed the audience. His voice breaking with emotion, he told the gathering: "Whenever I come into the square, and I see this beautiful, beautiful memorial (to the victims), I always stop, and it is one of the great, great beauties, not only of this square, but of the entire city.

"It is a pleasure for me to see the families, I feel they have become good friends."

London Mayor Boris Johnson noted that he had himself been born in New York 44 years ago.

"The two greatest cities on earth are branches of the great tree of English-speaking democratic culture of which we are so proud, two cities united in their tolerance, love of freedom, their willingness to welcome people from all over the earth - and united in their grief at the losses they have both sustained."

He added: "I do hope that with ceremonies like this we can entrench the links between our two great cities and work together with all the communities and all the faiths in our cities so we can ensure that the events that we have seen since are never repeated and the freedoms are preserved."

Other performances included singer/songwriter Kris Buckle, opera singers Siphiwo Ntshebe and Anna Johnstone and the London Welsh Chorale.

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