Sponsors and Partners

The Commonwealth Resounds! is extremely grateful for the support it receives from sponsors and partners. Without their support our work would not be possible. This page will attempt to acknowledge as many of them as possible.

The International Federation of Musicians (FIM)

Alison Cox first met John Smith, President of the FIM and General Secretary, British Musicians' Union (UK) in early 2007, when seeking to identify new partnerships for The Commonwealth Resounds! Much common ground between the two organisations was quickly identified, and a number of different proposals were discussed for CHOGM 2007. Thanks to financial support from Phonographic Performance Ltd., John and his team were eventually able to bring a Music Business Seminar to Kampala.The seminar was highly successful and as a result new developments are now underway for a similar FIM enterprise in Trinidad and Tobago in November 2009.

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The Commonwealth Foundation

The Commonwealth Foundation generously provided a core grant for The Commonwealth Resounds! to develop musical programmes in Uganda in November 2007. This enabled the following projects take place and participants involved to secure additional funding.

  • The Choral programme -directed by Joy Hill
  • The Diverity of the Flute - directed by Keith Waithe
  • Commonwealth Youth Resounds! in partnership with the British Council and the London Sinfonietta
  • The Tabla Project - directed by Yogesh Dattani
  • A Thanksgiving for Peace - in partnership with the scheme Churches Together for CHOGM, the Royal Commonwealth Society and CPAUG
  • The Instrument making programme - directed by Dr Peter Cooke and Martin Wess
  • The Commonwealth Bands Together - directed by Peter Harvey

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The Royal Overseas League

The Royal Over-Seas League supported The Commonwealth Resounds! by sending two brilliant young musicians, both ROSL Annual Music competition prize winners, Victoria Mavromousakis (Cyprus) and Meherban Gillett (India) to participate in concerts, masterclasses and workshops. These musicians were an enormous asset to the programme, and we hope to maintain an ongoing partnership with them in future.

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The Government of Malta

The Government of Malta generously supported the inaugural performances of The Commonwealth Resounds! We are especially grateful to Dr.Francis Zammit-Dimech, the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Culture, who dedicated a public address to the international musicians and sponsored all transport in Malta and Gozo for them throughout CHOGM. On Tuesday November 23rd 2005 Dr Zammit Dimech also arranged a special welcome concert for the Cyprus State Orchestra at the University of Malta, conducted by Simon Wills featuring the Maltese tenor Joseph Aquilina and the celebrated Australian pianist Simon Tedeschi. The concert was immaculately and professionally organised by Michael Aquilina and was not only a great success, but also generated a friendly cultural exchange between Cyprus and Malta.

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The Royal Commonwealth Society

The Royal Commonwealth Society hosted the first-ever concert by musicians from The Commonwealth Resounds! in their brand-new auditorium in November 2005. Since that time, Stuart Mole and his team have supported developments of the programme and included Commonwealth Resounds! musicians in events such as Observance Day and the Queen's visit to the Official Opening of the new Auditorium.

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The Commonwealth Secretariat

The Commonwealth Resounds! is heartened by the encouragement and support from the Commonwealth Secretariat. In 2005, Sir Don Mckinnon, the former Secretary-General said Music can inspire, comfort, lead, follow, and affect us in countless other ways. It is a marvellous way to engage and enjoy the cultures of others and to discover common goals and aspirations. But more than that, music binds us together. The Commonwealth Resounds! underlines in sound what we sometimes struggle to say in words or in other ways.

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We should also like to thank some distinguished organisationswho have supported our musical aims and objectives with statements, encouragement and support in kind

Leone Philharmonic Society, Gozo

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Teatru Manoel, Malta

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Music Manifesto

As a result of Keith Waithe's outstanding achievements in Uganda, Music Manifesto appointed him as their Signatory of the Month. You can read more about it in the full article on their website.

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Visiting Arts

Visiting Arts published an extensive and detailed article about The Commonwealth Resounds! (CHOGM 2007) as part of their e-newsletter.

Visiting Arts' purpose is to strengthen intercultural understanding through the arts and our work links England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with countries overseas, prioritised by the Visiting Arts Board. In partnership with British Council, Arts Councils England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Scottish Arts Council and with support from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.