Frances Wilson (AKA The Cross-Eyed Pianist) is fundraising for the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM), a unique charity set up to help musicians and other performers to stay healthy.
BAPAM holds free clinics where musicians (including music teachers) can obtain a free consultation with a clinician who has an expertise in problems affecting performers. These might include, among other conditions, playing-related injuries and pain, tension, hypermobility, voice problems, performance anxiety and stress.
BAPAM’s clinicians are from a wide range of backgrounds. They include general practitioners, physiotherapists, osteopaths, psychologists, rheumatologists and orthopaedists. These practitioners have a special interest in musicians’ health and well-being and many are musicians themselves with a deep understanding of the physical and emotional demands of the musician’s life.
Frances and other musician friends and colleagues have benefitted from consultations with BAPAM’s specialist practitioners, including physiotherapists and hand specialists, in addition to attending workshops and study days on musicians’ health and well-being.
Please make a donation to enable BAPAM to continue its important work.
The Haydn Society of Great Britain is putting up the first commemorative plaque in London to the composer Franz Joseph Haydn.
There have been a number of attempts over the past fifty years to put up a plaque to Haydn in London but none has succeeded, perhaps because there are no original buildings left with which he is associated. However, the Haydn Society of Great Britain has been granted permission to put a plaque on the building occupying the site of 18, Great Pulteney Street in Soho.
We know from Haydn’s letters and diaries that he lived in a house on this spot when he first arrived in 1791, in rooms arranged for him by his promoter, Salomon. We also know he found 18th-century Soho very noisy, just as it still is today!
It’s hard to over-estimate the importance of Haydn to the development of classical music. Often referred to as “the Father of the Symphony” for the contribution he made to the development of that genre, ‘Papa’ Haydn is equally remembered for his influence on the development of the string quartet. Haydn’s music forms the the foundations on which Mozart and Beethoven built their greatest work.
The Haydn Society will commission a plaque from Ned Heywood MBE, a respected manufacturer responsible for many similar plaques across London (and all the square plaques in the City of London). It will look something like this:
The Haydn Society of Great Britain are doing this independently of any official plaque scheme and need to raise all the money themselves. This will be the first permanent commemoration of Haydn’s presence in London and his huge contribution to the cultural life of the city. The original subscribers to his Hanover Square Rooms concerts were attracted equally by his reputation and his musical genius – both of these will be acknowledged in a lasting memorial.
Help make a plaque for Haydn in London a reality by contributing to the Haydn Society of Great Britain’s Kickstarter campaign. Every donor will receive a Haydn-related gift, from an animated thank you from the composer himself to honorary membership of the Haydn Society of Great Britain, and more.
David Schofield and Daniel Parkinson (Photo: Tom Gradwell)
RNCM postgraduate conductor Daniel Parkinson and students from the School of Strings have teamed up with British pianist and Junior RNCM alumnus David Schofield to release a charity single in aid of Your RNCM.
A new version of the famous Londonderry Air, or ‘Danny Boy’ as it’s more commonly known, will be released through all major online stores on Monday 19 May with proceeds going towards Your RNCM, the College’s £3 million campaign to transform its 40-year-old Concert Hall into a state-of-the-art venue.
Recorded at the Manchester-based college earlier this month, the single was arranged for piano and strings by RNCM alumnus and world-famous pianist Stephen Hough with original orchestration by Ross Clarke.
Daniel Parkinson conducts RNCM strings (Photo: Tom Gradwell)
Daniel, who is currently studying for an MMus in Solo Performance (Conducting), said: ‘The refurbished Concert Hall will provide a platform for artistic excellence at the RNCM. This campaign single came about thanks to the RNCM’s policy of encouraging and supporting students’ creativity as well as its ability to think out of the box. It has been a pleasure bringing together such a talented group of people to produce the track and I hope that it is successful in creating awareness and raising money for such a vital campaign.’
David, who studied at Junior RNCM before joining Chetham’s School of Music and the Chicago College of Performing Arts, added: ‘The RNCM played a major role in my early musical education and it is so nice to play a part in this single and give something back to both the College and Manchester. Stephen Hough and my good friend Ross Clarke have done an exceptional job on both the piano part and orchestration – it captures so well the meaning of the piece of music and is great to perform.
(Photo: Tom Gradwell)
‘I was in the Concert Hall a few weeks ago and seeing the progress is amazing; it’s not only a great addition to the College but to musicians across the world. I have been so lucky to work with an amazing team of people on this project and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a classical number one on Sunday 25 May.’
Your RNCM officially launched in October 2013 and has so far received support from scientist and TV presenterProfessor Brian Cox, BBC 6 Music presenter Stuart Maconie, Classic FM’s John Suchet and, among others, international pianist Lang Lang.
Here’s a teaser of the single (#rncmsingle)
To date, the College has raised almost half of its £3 million target and work on the transformation, completed by Styles & Wood, is well underway. Incorporated in the plans is a complete redevelopment of the Concert Hall to include a new air-conditioning and heating system, new flooring and seating, advanced technical facilities and lighting, in addition to a balcony and raised floor area to considerably increase capacity. The backstage production areas of both the Concert Hall and RNCM Theatre will also be reconfigured to support increased student numbers and provide a professional learning environment at industry standard.
Professor Linda Merrick, RNCM Principal, said: ‘The RNCM prides itself on offering the very best facilities, not only to aspiring young musicians from all over the world, but also to audiences who recognise the significant position the college holds as one of the UK’s busiest and most diverse public performance venues. I am delighted and proud that our students are embracing our campaign and that so many are generating innovative ideas to help raise money for this exciting transformation. This single will appeal to music lovers from across the country and beyond, and is an excellent example of the talent and entrepreneurship of our young musicians.’
The RNCM Concert Hall opened in 1973 and closed to the public on Monday 27 January 2014. It will officially reopen as a state-of-the-art performance venue later this year.
For more information and to listen to interviews from performers and RNCM staff visit www.rncm.ac.uk/rncmsingle.
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The Haydn Society of Great Britain is putting up the first commemorative plaque in London to the composer Franz Joseph Haydn.
The Cross-Eyed Pianist 