A couple of months ago, quite by chance, I met Esther Caplin who is chair of trustees for the Camden Music Trust. I told her about Salon Music, she told me about the Camden Music Trust – and we both went our separate ways. However, for interest, when I got home I looked up the Camden Music Trust just to see in more detail what they did. And they do a lot.
They run more than 35 different instrumental and choral groups for children across Camden. Among many others these include:
- The CamBand, their junior Saturday Centre Orchestra who, last term, composed an original soundtrack for a silent film.
- The Camden Youth Brass for brass and percussion players
- Voyagers, a music group for primary school children with Special Educational Needs
- A Camden Youth Steel Band with their newly donated steel pans.
- Intermediate and advanced Jazz groups whose music is showcased each year in a performance at Lauderdale House
They also provide bursaries to enable children from low income families to access music tuition, run holiday courses all round the borough, have set up free access to digital pianos at Swiss Cottage and Holborn Libraries, loan instruments to children whose parents cannot not afford to provide them – and, once a year, bring all the schools in Camden together for a massive sing-in the Albert Hall.
Strictly speaking it is not the Camden Music Trust that does all this, but it is the service body, Camden Music. But it is the Trust that raises the money to underpin these activities. Absolutely vital if children outside the ranks of those whose parents can afford to send them to private schools are to get the chance to be introduced to the joys of playing and listening to music.
At Salon Music we do offer young composers and players the chance to air their skills but how good would it be if we could offer a little bit of help even earlier in the process?
As you know, the £30 donation that you make to come to an evening concert is used to pay our musicians a reasonable fee, with anything left over going towards the food and wine that we consume. Nothing to spare there, I fear, for supporting anyone else! But I do believe that giving Camden kids the chance to be introduced to music is vital work.
So I am going raise the amount that we suggest you donate for each ticket to £35. £5 of this will go to the Camden Music Trust and the rest to paying our musicians with a bit towards food and drink as usual. I hope you all think this is a worthwhile use of both yours and our funds. It will start in the New Year with our first concert with the Bellot Ensemble on January 29th.
Meanwhile….
Have you booked for out Clarinet Fest on November 12th?
Hannah with her throaty bass clarinet and Boyan with his classical clarinet have been playing together for nearly five years: contemporary classics, jazz, South American rhythms and a sprinkling of electronics. For their full programme see the booking page here.
The concert will be followed by a suitably vibrant buffet supper and wine. £30 to include supper and wine.
Book here.
And…..
Have booked for the London Chamber Ensemble on December 11th?
Madeleine and the Ensemble will be playing the Brahms sextet no.2 in G (the first time we will have had a sextet at Salon Music) and one movement from Schubert’s wonderful Cello Quintet in C major. Full details on the booking page.
Supper and wine to follow – £30 donation per ticket.
Book here.
To come very soon…..
Full details of our spring programme to include:
- January: The Bellot Ensemble
- February: Nathaniel Mander and La Pompadour (his beautiful spinet)
- March: Beethoven Trios with Joana Ly, Kirsten Jenkins and Dorothea Vogel – and –
- And also in March and hot off the press, An evening with Noel Coward…..
Do not forget to look at our Upcoming Events page for other concerts not listed in this post.
