TCR Chamber Ensemble

The TCR Chamber Ensemble

The Commonwealth Resounds Chamber Ensemble

Our Story and Mission

The Commonwealth Chamber Ensemble brings together outstanding musicians from across the Commonwealth to create performances of the highest quality. At the heart of the ensemble is a celebration of the incredible variety of musical styles, traditions and influences found across Commonwealth nations.

Alongside this, the ensemble also performs some of the great works of the chamber and orchestral repertoire, placing well-known masterpieces alongside music that reflects the diversity and spirit of the Commonwealth today. Through this blend of excellence, warmth and cultural connection, the Commonwealth Chamber Ensemble aims to share performances that are both artistically ambitious and genuinely welcoming.

Upcoming Performances

Symphony of Nations

March 15, 2024 – London, UK

FREE

Melodies of Unity

April 10, 2024 – Toronto, Canada

FREE

Meet Our Ensemble

The Commonwealth Chamber Ensemble is a vibrant group of musicians dedicated to celebrating and sharing the diverse musical traditions of the Commonwealth nations. Our talented members bring a wealth of experience and passion to every performance, creating a harmonious blend of cultures and sounds.

Alvin Seville Arumugam
Alvin Seville Arumugam

Artistic Director

Alvin Arumugam is Creative Director and Conductor for The Commonwealth Resounds, bringing energy, insight and a strong sense of musical collaboration to the organisation’s work.

Alongside his role with TCR, Alvin is Artistic Director of the Musicians’ Initiative in Singapore and The Clio Project in London. He has already built an exciting international career, with recent roles including Resident Conductor of the South Asian Symphony Orchestra and Foundation Conductor with the Orpheus Sinfonia.

Alvin graduated from the Royal College of Music in 2023 with a Master’s in Performance in Conducting. During his time there, he regularly conducted the College orchestra and worked alongside internationally respected conductors including Sir Antonio Pappano, Vasily Petrenko and Martyn Brabbins. He also assisted Martyn Brabbins and the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the world premiere of Iain Bell’s Beowulf, and worked with Toby Purser on the Vienna Opera Academy’s production of Così fan tutte.

In 2024, Alvin was awarded first prize in the third edition of the Orchestra’s Conducting Competition in Romania, a reflection of his growing reputation as a conductor of real promise.

At TCR, Alvin plays an important role in shaping the artistic vision of the organisation, helping to create ambitious, inclusive and inspiring musical projects that bring people together across the Commonwealth.

Liam O'Connor
Liam O'Connor

Pianist

David Chen
David Chen

Principal Violinist

Fatima Khan
Fatima Khan

Cellist

What Our Audience Says

“The Commonwealth Chamber Ensemble’s performance was a breathtaking journey through the rich tapestry of Commonwealth music. Truly inspiring!”

Emily Roberts

Music Enthusiast

“An unforgettable evening filled with beautiful melodies and cultural stories. The ensemble’s passion is contagious!”

James Patel

Event Attendee

“The Ensemble’s dedication to cultural diversity and musical excellence is evident in every note they play. A must-see performance!”

Sophia Williams

Concert Goer

“Their music not only entertains but also educates. A wonderful initiative that brings people together through the universal language of music.”

Oliver Smith

Community Member

Join Our Musical Journey

Be a part of the Commonwealth Chamber Ensemble’s mission to unite cultures through music. Whether you choose to donate, volunteer, or attend our events, your support helps us continue to share the beauty of Commonwealth music with the world. Join us in making a difference today!

Commonwealth Dance Relay

Commonwealth Dance Relay

The Commonwealth Dance Relay

Nations united through dance.

We are creating a Global dance piece in celebration of the nations of the Commonwealth, to be performed live at two major global events.

Do you love dance? Are you from a Commonwealth country?

An exciting project needs to you take part!

Get dancing and upload - Start now, share and take part!

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What is it?

A global celebration of culture, and creativity, The Commonwealth Dance Relay brings together young dancers from across the UK and around the Commonwealth in a powerful, inclusive dance relay, each contributing their own interpretation of a collaboratively composed soundtrack. Watch the demonstration video; this is the first video in the relay! We cannot wait to see how YOU will continue it.

Now it's your turn!

Choose a section of the dance according to region, and give us your interpretation, whichever style inspires you the most.
Feel free to bring your own dance moves – or try and copy the original dance. It’s up to you.

1. View

Watch the original videos and be inspired to dance.

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2. Dance

Create your own dance and record it to share with us

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3. Upload

Upload your video using the form here.

Watch Shevelle's top tips

A unique dance for everyone: after getting a chance opportunity to discover ballet from a young age and rising to fame at the National Ballet, choreographer Shevelle Dynott co-created a unique six minute dance performance, working in collaboration with students from the Royal Ballet School in London to start the relay.

 

Watch this video as Shevelle gives you his top tips so that YOU can continue the Commonwealth Dance Relay. Choose one of the motifs below and then film yourself in your chosen location.

Africa

Asia

Caribbean and Americas

Europe

Pacific

Create Your Dance

Create your own Commonwealth Dance Relay

We’d love you to use the motifs you’ve seen in the demonstration videos as a starting point and create a dance that’s truly yours.

You can dance solo, as a duo, or as a whole group. Bring together friends, schoolmates, family members, teammates, a class or a club. Anyone can take part. What matters most is your interpretation, your energy, and your creativity.

Choose your music

The dance track is made from five musical voices from across the Commonwealth, with each section representing one of five regions. You can:

  • Use the full track exactly as it is, from start to finish, or
  • Choose just one section to work with. The regional sections have been separated for you (Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, Africa, and the Pacific), so you can pick the one you connect with most.

Make the dance your own

Your choreography can be completely different from the Royal Ballet School demonstration. That’s encouraged. Your dance can be in any style, and it can be as simple or as ambitious as you like: joyful, bold, expressive, funny, elegant, powerful, or all of the above.

If you’d like, you can add live instruments to play along with the track, but please do not change the tempo, basic structure or harmony of the music. The original soundtrack must be clearly audible and unchanged.

We are excited to see what you create using the original soundtrack.

Film it anywhere

You can film wherever feels right: at home, in the playground, on the street, in a studio, on a stage, on a pitch, or in the park. Anything goes.

What happens next

Over the coming months, we hope to share exciting new versions of the soundtrack for you to use, including a full orchestral version and several different style versions. For now, we cannot wait to see what groups can do with the original music.

Note: If you send in an excellent video early on, we may ask whether we can feature it as an example to inspire other groups to join in.

Top tips for filming

You must use the original audio

Play any of the original Dance Relay music while you film so it’s clearly captured in the recording. Please don’t swap in different music, change the speed or add new audio afterwards.

Film in landscape

Hold your phone or camera sideways so the video is wide, not tall.

Use steady, simple framing

Prop your phone on a chair, shelf, or tripod if you have one. Try not to hold it by hand – unless you are going for that as a style!

Make sure we can see your whole body

Step back enough to keep your feet and hands in shot, even when you move.

Choose good light and a clear background

Face a window or light source if possible, and pick a space where you stand out.

Why take part

Dance is powerful. It helps us express who we are, build confidence, and find joy, even on the days when words do not quite work. It is also bigger than the individual: dance brings communities together, strengthens belonging, and creates shared moments of celebration that can cross borders, languages, and backgrounds.

This is more than just an online challenge! Standout submission will be invited to join an international dance ensemble rehearsing in the UK, who will potentially perform live at The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow (July 2026) and at The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHoGM) in Antigua (Nov 2026).

Represent your country and celebrate your heritage through dance.

Collaborate with dancers from across the Commonwealth.

Perform on a global stage.

Take your dancing to the next level!

The Music

The dance track has been created by five young composers from around the
Commonwealth, each representing a different region – Europe (Jacob Abela), Asia (Nafias Ahmed), The Caribbean (Gerard Coutain), Africa (Flabie Enar Loape) and The Pacific (Grace Wellik)

Each of the 5 composers wrote a small fragment of music representing their own culture which were all fitted together into a 7-minute dance track by a young composer called Cole Lam.

How did it start?

Five outstanding young composers from the 5 regions of the Commonwealth: Africa, Asia, Europe, Caribbean & Americas and The Pacific, were each invited to send us a short extract of music, based on a theme and reflecting their country’s cultural characteristics. Another brilliant young composer, Cole Lam, put the 6.5 min dance track together.

Jacob Abela

Europe

Grace Wellik

The Pacific

Gerard Coutain

Caribbean & Americas

Nafias Ahmed

Asia

Flabie Enar Loape

Africa

How did it start?

Five outstanding young composers from the 5 regions of the Commonwealth: Africa, Asia, Europe, Caribbean & Americas and The Pacific, were each invited to send us a short extract of music, based on a theme and reflecting their country’s cultural characteristics. Another brilliant young composer, Cole Lam, put the 6.5 min dance track together.

Jacob Abela

Europe

Grace Wellik

The Pacific

Gerard Coutain

Caribbean & Americas

Nafias Ahmed

Asia

Flabie Enar Loape

Africa

Where in the world?

As the relay progresses, you’ll see where it has been on this map. Submit your entry now to take part!

Commonwealth Young Musicians Network

Commonwealth Young Musicians Network

Connecting Young Musicians Across the Commonwealth

Commonwealth Young Musicians Network

At the Commonwealth Youth Music Network (CYMN), we believe in the power of music to unite, inspire, and transform lives. Our mission is clear: to foster a vibrant network that brings together the creative voices of young musicians across the Commonwealth, empowering them to create, perform, and inspire.

Our Key Aims

Promote unity and connection through musical collaborations among Commonwealth nations.

Encourage educational exchanges and foster appreciation of diverse musical traditions.

Provide a vibrant platform for Commonwealth Ambassadors and affiliated members to showcase their musical talents, traditions, and events.

Develop a comprehensive database of musicians and composers from across the Commonwealth, sparking curiosity and celebrating musical diversity.

Create meaningful opportunities for young musicians to engage with Commonwealth Resounds projects and initiatives.

Upcoming Events

Meet Our Team

Our dedicated team is committed to connecting young musicians across the Commonwealth through innovative projects and events.

Aliyah Ramatally
Emily Abbott
Zara Antoina

Get involved

Become a part of our vibrant network and help us unite the Commonwealth through music. Whether you’re a musician, educator, or music enthusiast, there’s a place for you. Reach out today to learn how you can contribute to our mission and make a difference.

4 + 7 =

Commonwealth Music Relay

Commonwealth Music Relay

The Music relay has now closed

Find out about our latest relay project here...

A huge thank you to all the incredible young musicians, singers, and composers from across the Commonwealth who took part in the Commonwealth Music Relay!

Together, you created a truly inspiring musical journey that connected the 56 nations of the Commonwealth through creativity and collaboration.

 

About the Commonwealth Music Relay

Building on the success of our Queen’s Platinum Jubilee project in 2022 — broadcast globally from Buckingham Palace — the Commonwealth Music Relay invited young musicians worldwide to take part in a unique musical challenge.

Two age categories were included:

  • Under 18 (as of 1st September 2023)
  • Aged 18–40 (as of 1st September 2023)

The project launched with an original song, ‘Symphony’, composed by five young artists from different Commonwealth regions:

  • Siri (India)
  • Jahfari (Antigua and Barbuda)
  • James (Australia)
  • Jacob (Malta)
  • Ajiri (Nigeria)

The young composers collaborated in online workshops with professional songwriters Pam Sheyne and Richard Harris, along with composers Jack Pepper and Alison Cox. The song was then arranged and performed by pupils from The Purcell School for Young Musicians.

 

Listen to ‘Symphony’

How the Relay Worked

Participants were invited to respond creatively in two ways:

  • Arrange the original song ‘Symphony’ in their own style, including translation into other languages
  • Compose a new piece inspired by elements of ‘Symphony’, creating a variation

The Journey of the Relay

Musicians across the globe not only submitted their own music but also passed it on — starting mini-relays and creative exchanges in schools, communities and countries around the world.

What Happened Next?

  • Outstanding entries were selected for live performances at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa
  • Every submission was added to our interactive map, showing how far the music travelled

Thank You

The Commonwealth Music Relay has been a joyful celebration of youth, creativity, and global unity through music. We are proud of every participant and look forward to future projects where young voices continue to be heard around the world.

  • Show all
  • Commonwealth Music Relay Leaders
  • Commonwealth Music Relay Composers
  • Commonwealth Music Rotary Relay Performances
  • Commonwealth Music Relay Performances
  • Leaders
  • Performances

Listen

January 01, 2021
12:00 AM

FIRST OF ALL – we would like you to listen to this song, ‘Symphony‘ written by young composers living in the five regions of the Commonwealth, arranged and performed by school-aged pupils from The Purcell School for Young Musicians.

Create

January 01, 2021
12:00 AM

Next, you should use the song as INSPIRATION for your own performance or creative musical idea.

Choose one of these two different ways of using it:

EITHER

You can arrange the song ‘SYMPHONY’ and sing or play it in your own way. This can be in a different language if you want.

OR

You must use fragments of the lyrics and the music from ‘Symphony’ to make up (compose) your own piece of music or song which will be a VARIATION of the original.

Here are some helpful tips for arranging and composing your music

Record

January 01, 2021
12:00 AM

Film or record your new version of the song

Then you should film yourself (this can even be on a mobile phone) singing or performing your own music. This doesn't need to be a studio recording or have much cost involved.

See our top tips for recording your music.

Upload

January 01, 2021
12:00 AM

Send us your music

You will need to send your music to us. There are lots of different methods to achieve this. Please share your files using any platform you are comfortable using. Google Drive, WeTransfer, Apple, 

Pass it on!

January 01, 2021
12:00 AM

Pass your own music on

Share this project with others! We're going to be tracking this relay around the world and will be looking at how the music has been passed from one musician or group to another so that it reaches every country in the Commonwealth.

Pass your own music onto another school or musician and ask them to make a variation of YOUR music!

Don't forget to send them a link to this page!

commonwealthresounds.com/relay

 

Samoa 2024

Join Us for an Unforgettable Musical JourneyCHOGM 2024 in Samoa

CHOGM 2024: Samoa

Our Partnerships

We are thrilled to collaborate with the National University of Samoa and SolFa Music to bring you an extraordinary programme of musical events. This partnership aims to celebrate the rich musical heritage of Samoa and the wider Pacific region, offering a unique platform for cultural exchange and musical innovation.

During CHOGM 2024, our partnership presented a series of events that included live performances, interactive workshops, and insightful presentations. Together, we aim to create a lasting impact on the musical landscape of the Commonwealth, fostering new opportunities for musicians and cultural enthusiasts alike.

Our Projects

Commonwealth Music Relay

Featuring the best film and video performances from Commonwealth countries, live performances, an Interactive World Map, and the Grand Final Music Relay Performance in Samoa.

Commonwealth Music Conference

Discussing livelihoods and educational opportunities for musicians living on the Pacific islands.

Side Events for CHOGM and the Commonwealth People’s Space

Including musical performances, presentations, discussions, and collaborative music-making.

Music Workshops and Training Programmes

Supporting those who are training young Samoan instrumental musicians and singers.

Showcasing traditional instrument-making from Samoa and the Pacific

Selected traditional instruments will also be used in the Samoan performance of the Commonwealth Music Relay

A Commonwealth Gala Concert

Saturday 26th October

Selected highlights from the whole week of Commonwealth musical performances, to create an exciting, musical ‘coda’ for CHOGM 2024