Getting Ready for a Bohemian Spring
The onset of autumn is not a bad time to be anticipating next Spring's festival of Bohemian music – a week of Dvořák's marvellous chamber music alongside other Czech melody makers. We hope among your holiday plans for 2019 you've already pencilled in Whittington for May 21-26, and we look forward to welcoming you here for another six world-class concerts with top-rate international musicians. Who they are and what they will be playing will be posted on the website before Christmas. | | |
Meanwhile we have yet to secure the festival budget. Last May's fabulous 'Fantasia on a British theme' was achieved without the benefit of the Arts Council support we had previously enjoyed, and so ate up £8,000 of our reserves.
Arts Council priorities have changed and our recent application for grant-funding for 2019 has also been rejected. The principle now seems to be that ongoing festivals like ours need to sustain themselves without public money, however imaginative and worthy their outreach and educational strands.
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| Funding the festival - how you can help | |
Friends Scheme
We have applications out to other grant-funders, but it will be you, our supporters, who ultimately decide whether this extraordinary annual event deserves securing. If you are not already a Festival Friend (£25), Patron (£100) or Benefactor (£250), please consider becoming one now by filling in the form at this link. That will really help. Thank you if you are a member of the scheme already.
Individual Sponsors
But we are also looking for just a few who may be able to sponsor a whole concert (£1000) or half a concert (£500). Individual sponsorship has already been offered for two concerts, and if the other four can be sponsored by individuals or businesses before the end of October, we will have tremendous news to give you in our next newsletter! If you are in a position to offer to be such a sponsor, please follow this link for details or ring Lawrence and Rosie on 01691 657986. Thank you: frankly, a lot depends on this appeal.
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| Enjoying those festival memories | |
In the meantime, when you find nothing much on television (or Radio 3!), why not watch videos of our previous festivals or enjoy the audio recording of this May's ensemble playing the John Ireland sextet? We are still working on a 2018 video and will let you know when that too is posted on YouTube.
With many thanks in anticipation of your generosity,
Best wishes Rob Greaves, Chairman
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