.png)
IN THIS UPDATE:
2. GRANT ROUND 6 - JULY 2023
3. CONTINUO CONNECT
GRANTS IMPACT - FEEDBACK AND FIGURES
In March, our grants supported ten live concerts in ten different locations across the UK! We received the following feedback from the Chelys Consort of Viols who reached new audiences with their tour of The Leaves Be Green, a programme of renaissance and traditional folk music:
It's so good to be able to bring people an enjoyable evening, to share beautiful music and create lasting memories of time well spent appreciating something special. Continuo Foundation allows this to happen in small local venues, as well as large concert halls, and it is such a valuable contribution to life! As an ensemble this concert series has allowed us to branch out into new repertoire, we have expanded our mailing list, sold some CDs, and generally grown as a group, so it has started our year off extremely well – thank you!'
Continuo Foundation's impact since the first round of grants in 2021: £560,000 awarded to 77 different ensembles 810 individual freelance musician beneficiaries 21,735 live audience members 61,366 online audience members 9 CD recordings released so far
GRANT ROUND 6 - JULY 2023
Following the exciting announcement of the Grant Round 5 awards to 27 ensembles, of which eight were recently formed groups, we are making good progress towards our next £100,000 target for July 2023. We have raised £76,500 so far and £23,500 is required to close out the round. We have been overwhelmed by our donors' generosity and encouraging feedback about the impact of our work. In the words of one of our Project Supporters, "I have just arranged a donation to be paid on the anniversary of my gift last year. I have never felt money better spent!" The impact of over £500,000 in grant awards has rippled across the sector, benefiting musicians in ensembles large and small. If you are able to help us keep this going and growing, please contact Tina Vadaneaux to discuss how you can make a difference.
CONTINUO CONNECT
We were thrilled to launch the Continuo Connect digital hub to the general public on 21st March. This interactive directory of musicians active in the UK early music scene provides a free, self-service events listing platform for the 90 ensembles on the site. Currently, there are more than 100 concerts coming up across the UK to browse.
Since March 21st, there have been over 2,000 visits to the Continuo Connect events pages! We aim to put an end to
"I wish I had known" so that keen audiences don't miss out on concerts in their own communities due to a lack of publicly available information.
Please do have a look and help us to spread the word about this new resource for musicians and audiences alike - visit www.continuoconnect.com.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT - with Katarzyna Kowalik
Meet harpsichordist Katarzyna Kowalik, founding director of grantee ensemble Royal Baroque. She will perform this summer with the Dunedin Consort who have been awarded support in Grant Round 5 for
'Out of Her Mouth,' a project to stage Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre’s biblical cantatas for the first time.
How has Continuo impacted you personally? It’s wonderful that Continuo has supported two projects I have been involved in: Royal Baroque’s ‘Italian Grounds and Skies - The Art of Duello’ and the forthcoming Dunedin Consort’s project ‘Out of Her Mouth’. Thanks to the Continuo grant, my group Royal Baroque have a professionally filmed performance, which contributed to our digital portfolio and online presence. Obtaining a grant definitely gave us more recognition and the confidence that developing new projects is much needed and worthwhile. Which doors have opened since receiving our Grant? Since receiving a grant from Continuo, one of the highlights for me as a harpsichordist was being selected in an open call for the ‘Out of Her Mouth’ project, with performances in Findhorn, Glasgow, Edinburgh, York and London. Part of this project also includes coaching sessions with John Butt, giving me the opportunity to learn from the best. Royal Baroque has also been working on exciting new projects and started approaching new venues and promoters, which is much easier with high-quality video material available. What do you love about your job / being a musician? What I love most about being a musician is that every day is different! There is so much variety coming from music making; musical interactions with other people are a constant source of learning and inspiration. No. 1 listening recommendation? Anything by Capriccio Stravagante / Skip Sempé - I love what they do! More about Katarzyna Kowalik is available on her musician profile on Continuo Connect. Please click on the video for Uccellini: Aria sopra “La Bergamasca” by Royal Baroque.
MARCH PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
Linarol Consort – Inn Stetter Hut
We love this photo of the happy faces of the Linarol Consort and James Gilchrist after their concert in Leominster as part of the tour to promote their new album 'Inn Stetter Hut': 16th century German love songs. Further concerts took place in Tunbridge Wells, at Cambridge Early Music and the Holywell Music Room in Oxford, which was preceded by a sold-out pre-concert lecture.
Linarol's latest album 'Inn Stetter Hut' is available to purchase or stream HERE
Galliarda - An Enlightened Heart
Galliarda were in the studio with Sean Rafferty on BBC Radio 3's In Tune prior to their concert tour of 'An Enlightened Heart' to Cornwall, Buckinghamshire, Leicestershire, Essex and Bath. This programme shines a light on neglected women composers of the 18th century such as Anna Bon, Elizabetta da Gamberini and Anne Ford, as well as presenting two new commissions from contemporary composers Jenni Pinnock and Rebecca Rowe.
The Mozartists - 1772 String Quartets
The Mozartists gave a recital in connection with the filming of string quartets composed by Mozart and Haydn in 1772. The film will form part of the MOZART250 resources made available on their website. There will be a related schools’ project taking place in May.
