The awe-inspiring backdrop to the last night of the tour, which has seen Welch and her band traverse the globe to play more than 100 gigs, isn't the only thing that made it special. For every ticket sold, £1 was donated to Doctors Without Borders, which provides emergency medical care to those affected or displaced by conflict, natural disasters or disease outbreaks around the world. As Welch's haunting vocals rang out at the Herodion Theatre on Sunday night, the total sum raised had exceeded half a million pounds.
“At a time of ever-increasing nationalism, xenophobia, and [with] the refugee crisis still ongoing, their work is more vital than ever,” Welch said of the humanitarian organisation the band has worked with for a number of years. “I have had the privilege of playing in many countries all over the world, and what I have seen in those audiences is love, a love based on shared humanity, vulnerability and empathy, rather than ideas of nation or country. So Doctors Without Borders seemed a natural extension of that ethos.”
In addition to approaching her concerts with a conscience, Welch is also famously hands-on when it comes to the aesthetic side of her theatrical performances. For the High As Hope tour, the singer worked with her long-time collaborators, stylist Aldene Johnson and Alessandro Michele's Gucci, on a dreamy, ethereal wardrobe that looked right at home among the last vestiges of Ancient Greece.
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