A Music project Manchester, United Kingdom
Project aim
An innovative concert and CD by leading NW musicians to raise money for Parkinson’s UK and awareness of neurodegenerative disease.
On April 3rd, conductor Stephen Barlow will lead the Northern Chamber Orchestra in a concert of stunning pieces based on their composers’ experience with neurogenerative disease. The concert will also feature clarinet soloists Liz Jordan and Lynsey Marsh. The programme with works by Mendelssohn, Strauss, Adams, and Malone will then be recorded and released on the Divine Arts label, with the goal of providing a lasting legacy for those affected by neurodegenerative disease. As well as raising vital funding for Parkinson’s UK, we hope that our audience will be encouraged to experience the music from a new perspective.
We’ve already come a long way with generous support in kind and several grants, but a project of this scale clearly has significant financial implications. Whilst we’re not asking you to donate to Parkinson’s UK directly, we would ask you to pledge your support to Mind Music in order to bridge the gap in funding and to ensure the ongoing success of this collaborative venture.
What we’ll do:
- Put on a concert of an eclectic mix of compositions (Mendelssohn to Malone) related to neurodegenerative disease
- Record a CD of the same repertoire to be released worldwide, providing an ongoing source of income for Parkinson’s UK
- Proceeds from tickets and CD sales will go directly to Parkinson’s UK
Why it’s a great idea:
This project taps into and celebrates the wealth of musical talent in the North West to realise an initial idea that came from Liz and Lynsey’s shared experience of losing parents to Parkinson’s. It has grown to combine the performance and recording of masterpieces for wind and strings with the chance to support patients of neurodegenerative disease. The venture brings together composers, performers, and healthcare professionals, along with a potentially diverse audience ranging from students to the elderly.
How we’ll get it done:
- Benefit concert for Parkinson’s UK on April 3rd at 3:00pm in Cosmo Rosewald Concert Hall in the Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama at the University of Manchester
- Recording of CD on April 4th and 5th
More on the music:
Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” (chamber orchestra) – Despite his own Alzheimer’s in his later years, Copland retained the ability to conduct this wonderful piece of classic Americana
John Adams’ “Gnarly Buttons” (solo clarinet and chamber orchestra) – A piece for an eclectic ensemble including banjo, mandolin, keyboards, and even an electronic cow! The composer’s touching musical exploration of his father’s struggle with Alzheimer’s.
Kevin Malone’s “Last Memory” (solo clarinet and digital delay) – Kevin Malone’s poignant journey through his father’s favourite memories triggered by Alzheimer’s.
Felix Mendelssohn’s Concertpiece No. 1 for Clarinet, Basset Horn, and Chamber Orchestra – a charming and virtuosic piece by a prolific composer whose life was believed to be tragically cut short by a subarachnoid haemorrhage.
Richard Strauss’ Sonatina No. 1 “From an Invalid’s Workshop” – An ageing Strauss reflects on healthcare in his own time.
Rewards on offer for donation:
£10 – A BIG thank you from us all!
£25 – A Parkinson’s goody bag (Delivery date in mid-May)
£50 – A Northern Chamber Orchestra CD (Delivery date in mid-May)
£100 – An exclusive pre-release copy of the Mind Music CD from Divine Arts (Delivery date in August)
£250 – An exclusive pre-release copy of the Mind Music CD from Divine Arts (Delivery date in August)
and an invitation to attend an NCO rehearsal (Friday the 1st and Saturday the 2nd of April)
£500+ – Personal acknowledgement of your name in the Mind Music CD liner, a chance to attend one of the recording sessions for the CD on the 4th or 5th of April in Stockport, and a signed copy of the CD.
The first donation of £500 or above will receive a signed hardback copy of John Adams’ book Hallelujah Junction!