The Choir of London Bursary Scheme: My experience
17-year-old Palestinian clarinettist Amira spent two weeks in July in the UK with the Choir of London, studying and playing with some of the UK’s top musicians. Now back home in Beit Sahour, near Bethlehem, she is reflecting on the experiences she shared with the people she met here.
Participating in the Bursary Scheme this summer was one of the best experiences I have ever had. I cannot really find the best words to describe what I experienced. It would take years to explain the way I felt during my stay in London.
The Palestinian group spent its first week with the Pro Chorda Chamber Orchestra. I had the chance to meet and play with amazing teen musicians and be trained by incredible teachers. Together we played games, sang and played music and we made friendships that will last forever. I also had the chance to taste fish and chips and baked beans!
There was also time for some serious political discussions concerning the Palestinian issue. Our opinions were met with complete understanding.
Friday, 7 August 2015
Choir of London - blog
This year, over 30 talented young musicians throughout the West Bank and Gaza applied for the British Council/Choir of London Bursary Scheme. That there is such a volume of talented young musicians, all with compelling reasons to want to participate in the Bursary Scheme, serves as confirmation that, in order to make a real contribution to young people’s aspirations and the quality of music-making in Palestine, the bursary must be made available to more students over a long period of time.
The Choir of London’s recent fundraising campaign brought together the Choir of London’s friends, musicians and audience who together have ensured that the Bursary Scheme can continue in its current format for the next two years. If you would like to support the Choir of London’s work enhancing and complementing music education in Palestine through the Bursary Scheme and the extensive education programme that forms a major part of each of the Choir’s trips to the Middle East (including next year’s Palestine Choral Festival), we urge you to visit our fundraising page at https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/8qvdb to make a donation.
We spent our second week in a place where I have always wanted to study, which is The Royal Academy of Music. I learned a lot and improved my skills after being part of workshops and masterclasses with the teachers I met there. It was also a pleasure to play British music with British musicians! In addition, we went to the Royal Albert Hall to hear the Mahler Chamber Orchestra at the BBC Proms, which was one of the best concerts I have ever seen.
It was also the first time I’ve celebrated my birthday away from family and friends. However, in London, I found my second family and many honest friends and teachers, who celebrated my birthday with me, and I was never alone. It was not like any of my past birthday celebrations! It was simply special. Most of all, I was speechless when our teachers and audience who attended our final concert surprised me and sang Happy Birthday!
Flying to Britain and getting to meet, work and play with amazing musicians, many of whom now friends, was truly an opportunity in a lifetime.