The Choir of London and Orchestra made its inaugural visit to the Palestinian Territories in December 2004, participating in concerts in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Ramallah, and engaging with young local musicians through workshops and individual tuition.  This interaction between young British and Palestinian musicians highlighted more similarities than differences, and the striking power of music and music-making to transcend questions of border, race and identity.

 

What was common was a thirst for experience, a quest for excellence, and a mutual inquisitiveness and curiosity about each other’s background and personality.  The only serious substantive difference between the players from each background was one of opportunity: in the main, each of the Choir of London performers has been able to take for granted in his or her musical education what for most of the Palestinian performers is an ongoing struggle.  Access to teaching, quality of resources, and the experience of music-making at the highest level are all at a premium in the Occupied Territories, and it was thought that some modest benefit might be brought to bear by creating a scheme which would help to foster direct links between the many excellent and hardworking music schools in the Occupied Territories and their counterparts in the UK.

 

This Bursary Scheme has been established in the hope that individual Palestinian music students can take part in short music programmes in the UK, sharing their experiences with their compatriots in the Palestinian Territories upon their return, thus helping to consolidate the place of Palestine on the international map of western classical music, and offering support to the groundbreaking educational work being carried out within the Territories. The scheme is particularly aimed at assisting students to whom such opportunities would otherwise not be available.  Recipients of the Bursary will spend two weeks in the UK, taking part in a music summer school (in which they will be exposed to a variety of different ensemble formats and undertake some private tuition) and spending several days in London, taking lessons at the Royal Academy of Music and the Purcell School, and experiencing musical life in London by attending BBC Promenade concerts at the Royal Albert Hall.