Award winning recorder quartet Palisander. Pic: Palisander
An award-winning group of musicians will be staging a 24-hour marathon performance next weekend to raise money to buy a new six-foot tall recorder.
Palisander will be staging their fund-raising initiative from 10am February 20 to 1Oam February 21 at Chromacode Studios, Dunston Road, Haggerston. The quartet will have just two 40 minute breaks, during their ‘Recorderthon’.
The East London based quartet was formed in 2011 and are all Guildhall School of Music and Drama alumni. They have won many awards including winning the Royal Greenwich International Early Music Festival. Now they have been selected by Brighton Early Music Festival’s to play at ‘Early Music Live!’ in May but for that they need their own contrabass recorder.
Until now they have borrowed one when they needed it for a concert but it makes practising difficult so they decided to buy their own. They have raised nearly half the total cost of a new instrument but need to raise a further £2,400 which is why they decided to stage the ‘Recorderthon.’
Lydia Gosnell, quartet member, acknowledged that this was an unusual way to raise money.
She said: “It’s a strange thing to do, however doing something extreme is more effective to get people attention.”
The quartet works with a charity, the disabled and elderly people and often put on workshops in schools and nurseries too. Their music is based on medieval classics but they are keen to expand into new areas, crossing genres and playing at contemporary music venues.
They say that for them, music is all about “making something bigger in life”. 2016 is shaping up as an exciting year. They will perform a programme of music for the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. In April they will put on a children’s concert in South London, and this summer they are releasing a CD.
If you want to donation to Palisander’s campaign, visit https://www.gofundme.com/palisander24, further information about 24hour recorderthon can found here. http://www.palisanderrecorders.com
Video: Palisander Quartet to stage 24-hour ‘Recorderthon’ on February 20/21.
