CHOGM 2013 will not only bring a host of foreign diplomats, politicians and journalists, but the largest group of international musicians to visit Sri Lanka as part of the ‘Commonwealth Resounds’ programme.  The group promotes music and musicians across the Commonwealth through collaborative events worldwide with a particular focus on young people and the developing world.

The Purcell School’s Sri Lanka Team

According to a statement issued by the group, while in Sri Lanka they will be sharing their skills with the community, working in schools, universities and orphanages, performing and coaching young musicians and presenting some dazzling Gala Concerts for their sponsors and supporters in Galle, Colombo and Mount Lavinia. All these musicians are volunteers, having raised their own travel funds to be a part of ‘Commonwealth Resounds’. 

Making up the band of musicians are prize winning solo musicians from the Royal Over-Seas League, plus Roderick Lakin M.B.E., Director of Arts; orchestral musicians from the Commonwealth Festival Orchestra, which has formed a unique partnership with the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka for CHOGM 2013; talented young musicians and composers from the UK’s oldest Specialist Music School, The Purcell School, plus a team of professional musicians who are staff members and excellent young musicians and staff members from Chetham’s School of Music, the UK’s largest Specialist Music School. They will be joined by young professional musicians from Malta, Canada, Uganda and Australia.

Among the delegates are Alison Cox OBE, Founder and Co-Director of The Commonwealth Resounds! who will be present alongside other Co-Directors, Managers and members of the organisation. Joe Walters, professional musician and the inspirational founder of Songbound. Last but not least are the distinguished delegates from the International Federation of Musicians and the Musicians’ Union, who will run their Music Business Seminars at Mount Lavinia Hotel. When they go, they’ll be leaving something behind.

Young Commonwealth musicians from the Purcell School organised fundraising events and raised enough money for Songbound to start up 3 new choirs for children in Sri Lanka – one in Kilinochchi and two in Colombo. The choirs will be established during CHOGM 2013.

For more information visit the website www.commonwealthresounds.com

Performances and Events

The programmes will run between November 8 – 18, 2013.

• The first-ever Commonwealth Music Business Seminar for Young People – November 12 at Mt. Lavinia Hotel from 2- 5pm (entry free)
• The Commonwealth Resounds – Gala Performance at the Lighthouse Hotel, Galle – Saturday November 9 at 7 p.m.
• The Commonwealth Festival Orchestra’s Gala Concert at the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre, Colombo – November 15 at 7 p.m.