Creating musical partnerships, projects and performances across the Commonwealth
The Commonwealth Resounds is an officially accredited Commonwealth musical organisation. Established in 2005, our mission is to connect musical cultures, and to promote initiatives and partnerships in Commonwealth countries. We have a special focus upon music education and composition.
Latest news
Meet the team: Poppy Beddoe
Poppy Beddoe looks forward to a musical exchange in AntiguaPoppy Beddoe looks forward to a musical exchange in Antigua Working with the youth orchestra is one of the things clarinettist Poppy Beddoe is most looking forward to as she prepares to join The Commonwealth...
Meet the team: Venelle Powell
Venelle hopes the young musicians she meets in Antigua will leave feeling more confident in their own creativity. Preparing to represent Saint Kitts and Nevis at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the Nevisian performer and educator is looking...
Meet the team: Elijah Kiwalabye
Elijah Kiwalabye brings Uganda’s music to Antigua Elijah Kiwalabye is a Ugandan music educator and founder of Thrive Music Academy Africa in Kampala. In November 2026, he will represent Uganda as a Commonwealth Music Ambassador at the Commonwealth Heads of Government...
Meet the team: Ellen Wilkinson
Ellen Wilkinson returns to Antigua Ellen Wilkinson is an oboist, writer and arts educator who graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 2023 with First Class Honours. She also founded the conservatoire’s student newspaper, RAMpage News. In November 2026, she will...
The Commonwealth Dance Relay Brings Glasgow to Life
There was excitement in Kelvingrove Park on Friday 24th July as vibrant dance teams gathered to perform as part of the Commonwealth Dance Relay at the Glasgow 2026 Festival. The Commonwealth Resounds played a key role in the Kelvingrove Parade, wonderfully named...
The Gambia Academy Celebrates ‘Sumer’
During her final week at the Purcell School, Alison led a special project entitled Sumer, bringing together 37 alumni composers. Each was invited to create a variation on the famous 13th-century English round, or rota, Sumer is icumen in. Among the contributions was a...
His Majesty, King Charles III sends his heartfelt thanks for the wonderful musical accompaniment by young musicians from The Commonwealth Resounds at the launch of the Prince’s Trust International in Malta. They added something very special to the occasion.
’A Song for the Commonwealth’ has been a masterpiece of a project, with its wonderfully international ‘cast of thousands’, and its extraordinary reach, via music, all around the world. I will continue to be inspired by it; it was my own personal highlight from the Platinum Jubilee. I hope all of you who took part will remain proud of your involvement, as this was something really special. The life-affirming song, and the hundreds of new arrangements and projects it gave life to, form a major piece of heritage from the Jubilee, and a very positive portrait of choral life around the world in 2022. Thanks to all who sang or played this music, who taught, arranged and filmed it – something very important was created here.
In celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s extraordinary 70 year dedicated reign over the UK and the Commonwealth, the Lighting of the Beacons will occur on 2nd June 2022 throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, UK Overseas Territories and for the first time, in each of the capital cities of the Commonwealth. I thought it would add to this special moment in The Queen’s life, if a unique song was sung by individual choirs throughout the Commonwealth as the Beacons are lit throughout the various time zones, on 2nd June next year. I could think of no better organisation than my friends from The Commonwealth Resounds to organise a competition to find the winning song to be sung during this historic evening of celebration.
The sights and sounds of Commonwealth Resounds and of the Kampala CHOGM will long live with me
