| Dear Music Lovers
As time seems to stand still it is incredible to think we are heading into week 7 of lockdown, but as the chilly evenings are revealing winter is on its way, it is still a surprise to discover we are already half way through May!
The committee of Friends of Orchestral Music had their second meeting via Zoom last night and are working at ways to help keep the music flowing during these difficult times. Even without live concerts, each FOM membership of just R200 has helped support the continued spread of orchestral music in Cape Town. If you have not yet renewed and would like to please email me at: info@fomct.com
At the beginning of this year, thanks to your ongoing support, FOM were able to offer funding contributions to a number of organisations as part of our orchestral development portfolio. Three of them have been postponed until 2021- the Franschhoek Chamber Workshop, the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival and the SA National Youth Orchestra Course.
Three others are now very much in our thoughts as they strive to find ways to continue teaching music during these difficult times. FOM’s earlier donations have been utilised to help with supporting the online teaching of Hugo Lambrechts, Beau Soleil and the CPYO programmes, who have all been experimenting and brainstorming innovative ways to teach via Zoom, Skype and WhatsApp video and even audio. However, many students that come through these programmes are from families who are struggling right now and many do not have access to fibre, internet, data or even their own phones and rely on lesson times happening when a parent can spare their phone or computer to use for the lessons.
Each are now appealing to donors for urgent funding to cover lesson fees for students whose parents have lost their jobs, and data for teachers and students to teach online. Even after the schools have returned, it is not yet certain if extra mural activities will be included in the school curriculum for the year and it is so important for these students to be able to continue with their music. Hugo Lambrechts have started a fund initiative ‘Drive the Future whilst you are not driving to work” asking people to donate petrol money they have saved during lockdown, Beau Soleil and CPYO also have fundraising drives for data for teaching. FOM is always happy to help distribute funds to these organisations on your behalf, but as these payments are urgent we have listed at the bottom of this newsletter – details for each organisation so that you can also contact them directly to make payments that they can use straight away.
Whilst these are sobering times indeed – it is heartwarming to see the efforts people are making to keep musicin our lives. Firstly a wonderful article in the South African highlighting our Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and the ways they are keeping connected to the public; https://www.thesouthafrican.com/lifestyle/the-cape-town-philharmonic-orchestra-lockdown/
Vox Choir Cape Town also put together a special video and this was featured in the UCT news letter:
https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2020-05-05-recorded-alone-but-singing-together?fbclid=IwAR02eTmWdHCYlimhECKktCtb3meQuQXKO4y5hFwt-ZWBa-Dud1SZl7ASTPE
Baroque Folk Group Here be Dragons put together a fun interactive video where you can click on options and decide how you would like the presentation:
https://video.eko.com/v/V2gxeJ?autoplay=true
Pianist Charl du Plessis took advantage of the Level 4 media streaming allowances and went with his trio into the Atterbury Theatre this week to put together a new concert presentation which will be available online for R50 a ticket this coming Sunday 17th May.
You can find the details here: https://optog.co.za/e-kaartjie/ode-to-joy-charl-du-plessis-trio-17-mei/
Further afield you can find some wonderful concert highlights from the Wigmore Hall (https://wigmore-hall.org.uk) and Carniegie Hall (https://www.carnegiehall.org)
Closer to home Fine Music Radio continues to bring you 24 hours of classical and jazz on 101.3fm as well as DSTV channel 838 and streaming via their website http://www.fmr.co.za. They are planning to start a new series of Sunday Symphony Concerts featuring archive performances of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra. Please contact me If you would like to know more about being a sponsor for this new series celebrating our own orchestra.
We hope all FOM supporters keep well and safe and we look forward to being in touch again very soon soon. Please do contact me with any queries and please keep all our Cape Town musicians in your thoughts.
Kind regards
Louise Howlett
for Friends of Orchestral Music |
