The fundraising year for encore ended on 31 March and we’d like to thank everyone for the generous and varied support we’ve received over the last year. It’s been a very busy year with lots of concerts, fundraising activities and new initiatives.
We hosted two intimate House Music Classics concerts in private homes with the String Ensemble and past players, a Winter Dinner with the Kemp Town Society and Friends of St Georges Church, and a stunning evening with pianist Philip Fowke and BYO at Brighton College.
In addition to the encore concerts, the orchestra played at a private event for Bungard Funeral Directors, past player Ayla Sahin hosted her own fundraising concert, current players Monica Richards, Iona Waters, Amelia Callard and Conrad Burton hosted their own fundraising recital, and the ensembles collected at events throughout the year. We received funding from The Pebble Trust for our fundraising programme, and Stuart Reed Legacy for our new inclusive Orchestra 360.
We’d like to congratulate Jonathan Ockenden, who ran the Brighton Marathon for encore! By his own account it was an epic and painful journey, but completed in a very respectable time of just over 4 hours. Read his blog about it at www.facebook.com/encorebh.
A special mention goes to BHMA Parents and Friends Association, who dedicate time and energy to fundraising throughout the year. This year they presented a very generous anonymous donation to buy the orchestra a set of much-needed new timpani. The donor said “The Music Service was the best bit about bringing up children in Brighton”.
All together, we raised £19, 238 to help young people access music. Sign up to the free encore archive and newsletter to receive updates from us, or become a member and help the next generation of young musicians – www.encorebh.org.