Help us record "A Ploughman's Tale"
Donation protected
4 years ago, I was asked to create a programme of music to commemorate the centenary of the beginning of The Great War. What very quickly evolved was a recital, initially of 14 songs by different composers in someway linked to WW1, which were formed into a narrative. The initial reaction to the recital was astonishing positive. It was later performed at Birmingham Fest in 2015, in a 16 song version where it received further positive feedback. At the end of 2015, it was performed again in its now 20 song format.
This autumn, I am reviving the recital programme for a mini tour of the UK (Bury (Lancashire), Birmingham, Grantham and Peterborough (So far) to commemorate the centenary of the end of the war. It would be lovely to have this programme recorded for posterity, with copies being sold at these recitals (and elsewhere) with a donation to the British Royal Legion for each CD sold. The only way this will raise money for charity is if the creation of the CD is funded externally.
The plan is to record the CD at "The Steinway Studio" in Lincolnshire in July. The £750 is currently an estimate and I hope to have a more detailed quote shortly. *update... quotes are now in; looking nearer £1000 so the target has been updated. *further update: thanks to some very generous cash donations (£175 so far) I can reduce the target on here to £825, although every penny raised now increases the amount we can give to BRL. :-)
If you make a donation, £10 will get your name into the programme notes for the recitals and in the CD sleeve, £20 would get you a copy of the CD also, signed by Sara Wilander (the accompanist) and myself. You will only pay if we raise enough to make the CD's production viable. We will retail the CD at £10 with 50% profits going to The British Royal Legion. So if we are fully funded and we sell 100 CDs, we could make upto £500 for The British Royal Legion. Sell 200 CDs and it will be up to £1000.
The support will mean a huge amount to me: firstly, it will give me a true taste of working in a very well respected professional studio; secondly, this recital programme means a great deal to me personally - I genuinely feel like I have achieved something rather special; finally, the support will really help veterans who have served and represented our country, seeing and doing things that often leave them either physically and more often, mentally scarred for life. So many of them need our help and deserve it and our gratitude.
Here is some feedback for the original recitals of 2014 and 2015:
“… a wonderfully moving recital…” (Mr M Cunliffe-Lister, Stamford)
“[It] was wonderful and very moving. I think it deserves a wider audience.” (Mrs J Smettem, Oakham)
“A Ploughman’s Tale by @rjedwards_btone @bhamfest @BlueOrangeThtr. Beautifully performed, evocative & atmospheric WWI piece.” (@cjharry, on Twitter)
Many thanks for reading.
Robert-John Edwards
This autumn, I am reviving the recital programme for a mini tour of the UK (Bury (Lancashire), Birmingham, Grantham and Peterborough (So far) to commemorate the centenary of the end of the war. It would be lovely to have this programme recorded for posterity, with copies being sold at these recitals (and elsewhere) with a donation to the British Royal Legion for each CD sold. The only way this will raise money for charity is if the creation of the CD is funded externally.
The plan is to record the CD at "The Steinway Studio" in Lincolnshire in July. The £750 is currently an estimate and I hope to have a more detailed quote shortly. *update... quotes are now in; looking nearer £1000 so the target has been updated. *further update: thanks to some very generous cash donations (£175 so far) I can reduce the target on here to £825, although every penny raised now increases the amount we can give to BRL. :-)
If you make a donation, £10 will get your name into the programme notes for the recitals and in the CD sleeve, £20 would get you a copy of the CD also, signed by Sara Wilander (the accompanist) and myself. You will only pay if we raise enough to make the CD's production viable. We will retail the CD at £10 with 50% profits going to The British Royal Legion. So if we are fully funded and we sell 100 CDs, we could make upto £500 for The British Royal Legion. Sell 200 CDs and it will be up to £1000.
The support will mean a huge amount to me: firstly, it will give me a true taste of working in a very well respected professional studio; secondly, this recital programme means a great deal to me personally - I genuinely feel like I have achieved something rather special; finally, the support will really help veterans who have served and represented our country, seeing and doing things that often leave them either physically and more often, mentally scarred for life. So many of them need our help and deserve it and our gratitude.
Here is some feedback for the original recitals of 2014 and 2015:
“… a wonderfully moving recital…” (Mr M Cunliffe-Lister, Stamford)
“[It] was wonderful and very moving. I think it deserves a wider audience.” (Mrs J Smettem, Oakham)
“A Ploughman’s Tale by @rjedwards_btone @bhamfest @BlueOrangeThtr. Beautifully performed, evocative & atmospheric WWI piece.” (@cjharry, on Twitter)
Many thanks for reading.
Robert-John Edwards
Organizer
Robert-John Edwards
Organizer
