News
2009
January
The Exuberant Trust's fourth, annual Showcase was held at the Jaqueline du Pré Music Building, Oxford, on 10th January. The performances by all of the award-winners involved were outstanding, as always, showing a diverse range of talent.
Closing act Disclosure, a young rock band from Faringdon, closed the showcase with an wonderful, acoustic performance (vocals and three guitars). They kindly agreed to perform without their electric guitars and drum kit, as the venue was too small for their usual amplified sound! The showcase raised £640 for the Exuberant Trust.
The Pavilion, at The Limes, Standlake.
March
A new series of Music at The Limes Sunday concerts, starts on 8th March with pianist Geoffrey Hopkins playing Listz. This concert is the first to be held in the Pavilion, which has now been completed and is to be the new venue for The Limes concerts. Mary Hofman (Violin) and Anya Fadina (Piano) continue the season on 22nd March and will play Bartok, Brahms, Enescu and Ravel.
On Saturday, 28th March, there will be a very special Gaelic concert in aid of the Exuberant Trust, at the Methodist Church, High Street, Witney. The line up includes Singer/Songwriter Padraigin Ni Uallachain, Fiddler Ed Harnett, The duo Anything Goes and the popular local choir Voice Box, all organised for us by Lesley Morris, local singer & teacher.
April
The last of the Spring, Music at The Limes concerts will be on Sunday, 26th April, with pianist Lionel Sainsbury, playing Bach, Chopin, Schumann and Sainsbury. All welcome!
A total of £1,115.50 has been raised from the last three concerts. A huge thank you to everyone who performed, clapped and donated to the Exuberant Trust! This money will enable the trust to award more grants to young people in Oxfordshire.
May
There will be an extra special Music at the Limes concert on 31st May, to celebrate Michael Graham Jones's 89th Birthday. Henry Herford and Robin Bowman will be performing Schumann's Liederkreis and Johnny Herford's song cycle. Music from 6.00pm and picnic lunches and teas in the garden from 2.00pm.
June
Wild Ruby, who are Karen Kay (voice) and Andrew Kay (viol, flute) will be performing Seraphic Songs at the Music at the Limes concert on Sunday, 21st June. Gardens will be open from 2.00pm and Music will be from 3.00pm. Donations to the Exuberant Trust.
This promises to be an exiting concert with a difference, with songs based on the Seraphic tradition (the culture of the Jews who descended from Spain and Portugal, prior to the expulsion in 1492 and spread principally into the former Ottoman lands, Turkey, Greece, Yugoslavia and Bulgaria).
The Commedia Project. The Commedia Project was formed when Sebastian Graham-Jones died in 2004. Sebastian and his father Michael Graham-Jones had once had a conversation about two family friends, Rob Holloway, composer (Opus 41, Serenade in C for octet) and Claude Harrison, artist. Sebastian said that he would like to have done something to bring the two things together to celebrate their music and art.
The Commedia Project aims to fulfil this wish of Sebastian’s by producing a choreographed piece of work set to the music of Holloway and incorporating the artwork of Harrison. A memorial concert was held in London, which included a fundraiser for the Commedia project and £1,500.00 was raised. This money has been held by the Exuberant Trust until the Commedia Project can be realised.
Susie Crow, Choreographer and founder of Ballet in Small Spaces has been asked to consider organising the project and attended the Exuberant Trust committee meeting this month to discuss her proposals for making and performing the Commedia piece.
August
The Music at The Limes season continues on Friday, 14th August with a concert of trios for piano, violin & cello by Schumann, Mendelssohn and Haydn performed Tom Alasdair Beatson, Tom Hankey and Robin Michael.
The next Limes concert will be on Saturday, 29th August, featuring some lovely vocal (Handel, Bellini, Fauré & Bach) and Chamber music (Bach, Haydn, Kodaly & Piazzolla) performed by Anthony Wilkes and friends.
October
The last three Limes concerts in June and August raised just under £570, which is fantastic news and will help to fund another one or more grants. Many thanks as always to all performers who very kindly play for free and to our supporters who's donations make grant-giving possible.
December
There will be a final Limes concert on 13th December at 5pm to celebrate Christmas, which has been entitled 'The Elephant in the Room' to help publicise the 'Save the Indian Elephant' appeal that has recently been in the news. There will in fact be a statue of an elephant in the Pavilion, created by Ellen Stuart, which will be auctioned to raise money for the appeal. Kate Whitley will play piano pieces by Janacek and Scriabin and there will be our first dance performance in the Pavilion by Anuradha Chaturvedi, who specialises in Kathak dance.