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IN THIS UPDATE:
2021 GRANTS - IMPACT
In January, three live concerts took place - in Hastings, Oxford and London - two new recordings were made and two previously filmed episodes of a series began streaming. The figures until the end of January:
£198,650 disbursed to 30 ensembles 714 musician engagements since April 2021
We received this feedback in the post-project report submitted by Pocket Sinfonia in January, following their four-concert tour of ‘Mozart and a Miracle’:
"The impact of Continuo Foundation’s grant for Pocket Sinfonia has been huge.
Being able to hire a fortepiano and knowing that we could pay fees to each player enabled the concerts in Sherborne and London to happen. Quite simply, if we had not had the grant, two of these four concerts would not have been able to happen.
Being able to do a whole week of concerts together, rather than a one-off concert or two, was extremely beneficial for Pocket Sinfonia’s artistic growth as an ensemble. It allowed us to grow musically throughout the week and experience the benefits of repeating a programme a few times in quick succession. By the end of the week, we felt even more gelled as an ensemble, able to take greater musical risks, and really let go during our performances.
Finally, Continuo Foundation’s grant has significantly influenced the morale of the group. All members have been working on future plans with a notably renewed vigour and energy. We are extremely grateful to Continuo Foundation for making our week of concerts possible, and we plan to apply again in the future."
GRANT ROUND 3 LAUNCHED!
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we reached our £100,000 target and opened applications for our third round of grants on 11 January 2022, as planned. Grant applications arrived in steadily increasing numbers as today's submission deadline approached. All applications will be evaluated by our expert Advisory Panel and Trustees, and grant awards are scheduled to be announced by 18th March 2022.
FUNDRAISING - ROUND 4 AND 2023 GRANTS
We are making great progress toward our £100,000 milestone for launching Round 4 in July 2022, with donations and commitments of £67,000 received so far.
The £100,000 donation secured from the Maria Björnson Memorial Fund (MBMF) in December includes a £50,000 advance commitment for the two grant rounds being planned for 2023. This multi-year support is incredibly valuable, has given us terrific momentum and is a wonderful endorsement of our longer-term role in supporting ensembles and musicians, helping careers to flourish and bringing excellent period music to every region of the UK.
Sir Richard Eyre, Chair of the MBMF trustees, said:
"We find the work Continuo Foundation is doing to be exemplary in every way."
If you'd like to contribute or renew your support for our work, please contact Tina on tina@continuofoundation.co.uk to discuss how you can make a difference. Knowing in advance is always really helpful.
PRIVATE EVENT FOR SUPPORTERS - 17TH MARCH 2022
Continuo will be hosting a private pre-performance reception and session with the musicians for our supporters before the concert to be presented by Chelys Consort of Viols and Fieri Consort on Thursday 17th March. Personal invitations with full details are going out separately. Tickets for the concert, open to the public, are available here.
JANUARY PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
Rautio Piano Trio – ’The Dawn of the Piano Trio’
The Rautio Piano Trio presented the first of two concerts in Hastings, charting the
evolution of the piano trio leading up to Beethoven. The ensemble also made a recording of Beethoven trios with Resonus Classics as part of their project to record all of his piano trios on historical instruments. Click on the image to watch the trailer for the concert series.
Fretwork and The Kings Singers – ‘Tom and Will’
Fretwork and The Kings Singers teamed up to record works by Thomas Weelkes and William Byrd, both of whom died in 1623. We look forward to concerts of this repertoire planned for 2023, when the CD will be released. Click on the image to watch a clip from the recording sessions.
The Mozartists – ‘1772’
The Mozartists, together with sopranos Chiara Skerath and Jessica Cale (both Associate Artists), performed a fascinating array of music composed 250 years ago, in 1772, including works by Mozart, Jommelli, Traetta, JC Bach, Gassmann and Haydn.
Instruments of Time & Truth - 'Divine Music: Songs and Odes in Praise of Music'
Instruments of Time & Truth presented a programme of songs by Purcell, Blow and Croft in Oxford. This concert included a vocal consort of students who were given the opportunity to participate in a masterclass on 17th century English song as well as performing alongside the professionals.