Acclaimed pianist Libby Burgess is undertaking a monumental challenge: performing Bach’s epic “48” in every one of England’s 48 counties, to raise funds for musical charities.
The opportunity to hear them in Cornwall will be spread across four very special concerts between Friday 10th – Sunday 12th March.
Inspired by Bach’s own dedication of this music for ‘the musical youth’ and ‘those already skilled’, the project is supporting Help Musicians, Live Music Now, Future Talent and Youth Music: between them, they help hundreds of thousands of musicians every year. All proceeds go to these organisations.
The Well-Tempered Clavier is a masterpiece of Western art, only rarely performed in its entirety. Each of the 48 preludes and fugues lasts only a few minutes, but they explore a wealth of characters, styles, and moods, journeying through the whole gamut of human emotional experience.
Friday 10th March @ 7.30pm
Chycara, nr Carnon Downs
Tickets £10
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Saturday 11th March @ 11am
The Old School, Stoke Climsland
Tickets £10
Includes tea and coffee from 10.30am
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Saturday 11th March @ 4.30pm
Lavethan, Blisland
Tickets £10 adults, £5 under 18s
Includes a Cornish cream tea served at 3.30pm, and an opportunity to explore the gardens.
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Sunday 12th March @ 3pm
Chapel Street Methodist Church, Penzance
Tickets £10
Tea will be served at 4.20pm, followed by a masterclass with Jago James, Ben Pitchell and Julian Tozer. At 6.30pm Libby Burgess will perform the final two Preludes and Fugues to complete Bach’s 48.
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Libby Burgess is well-known on concert stages across Britain, playing in the country’s major halls and festivals, on Radio 3, and on a range of recordings. Praised by The Observer for her ‘warm, sensitive pianism’, she collaborates with many of the UK’s finest instrumentalists and singers when not taking on crazy country-wide solo projects. Libby is Artistic Director of New Paths Music, is Co-Artistic Director with Martin Roscoe of the Beverley Chamber Music Festival, was formerly Head of Keyboard at Eton College, and is also in demand as coach, speaker and writer.
Help Musicians is an independent UK charity for professional musicians of all genres. In 2020, Help Musicians provided over 19,000 musicians with Financial Hardship Funding in the wake of the pandemic. They offer a range of creative development funding, supporting professional growth and training, and run a free mental health service for everyone working in the UK music industry – Music Minds Matter.
Youth Music works to break down barriers so that all children and young people are able to have musical lives, working particularly with those in challenging circumstances. They give grants to other organisations – small charities, arts venues, music businesses, youth clubs, music education hubs, housing associations, nurseries and more – to run music-making projects for children and young people aged 0-25.
Future Talent operates two programmes supporting gifted young musicians from low-income backgrounds across the UK. They provide workshops, one-to-one mentoring sessions with experts, and performance opportunities, as well as financial support and guidance.
Live Music Now facilitates thousands of interactive music programmes every year in care homes, hospitals, special schools, and other community and healthcare settings. LMN selects young, professional musicians, trains them, and sends them out into the community to perform.
