News

Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, Head of The Commonwealth (1952 - 2022)

On the 26 April 1949, the Modern Commonwealth was born out of the international collaboration
that had been generated throughout the First and Second World Wars. In an act of continuum,
the political leaders in the second half of the 1940’s were determined not to lose this
spirit of international brotherhood and mutual support.

With King George VI as its Head, the Commonwealth of Nations was first established in 1949
as a voluntary group of eight independent countries;
alia, Canada, Ceylon, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Today the Commonwealth comprises 56 nations across all 6 inhabited regions of the globe:
Africa, Americas, Asia, Caribbean, Europe, and the Pacific. Each of the 56 nations are equal stakeholders
and with national populations ranging from 9,600 to 1.3 billion, with multifarious races and faiths,
the Commonwealth encapsulates the concept of “Embracing Diversity”.

When King George VI died on 6 February 1952, the Commonwealth Heads of Government invited
the young Queen Elizabeth II to become Head of the Commonwealth. For 70 years Her Late Majesty
was a constant and supremely uniting influence, with an unique presence and personal style which can never be replicated.

The 21st Century Commonwealth, now in its 73rd year, is building on its dynamic legacy and heritage -
with international engagement and diversity at its core, and the opportunity to maximise individual,
national and international potential, it offers the possibility to be a model of mutual human respect,
support and understanding.

Programme of Music to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of
Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

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International Day of Peace 21 September 2021
Music for Peace and Development

After 18 months of Covid restrictions preventing
the coming together of choirs and singing together,
with the resulting of all choral music engagement
to online activity, it was with great joy that the
children of the Commonwealth Children’s Choir
were able to reunite physically at the
Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir’s
special Commonwealth Music Workshop -
Music for Peace and Development, was presented
to mark International Day of Peace September 2021.

To Be A Friend - Words and Music by Simon Haw MBE

A little boy he wandered by, hot and dusty beneath the dusky sky
He’d come so far, so far to go, far along the road.
The pack he bore was digging deep, right down through his fragile feet,
He bravely strode along his path, so far to travel home.
Children of courage, faithful and true, Of all Nations, our faith’s in you.

A girl beside, she looked at him, said hey my friend, why look so grim?
Be not so sad, I’ll lend a hand, for I am by your side.
Children of courage, faithful and true, Of all Nations, our faith’s in you.

They walked along the long road, Both clinging to the heavy load,
To be a friend, a friend in need, What better path to lead.
Children of courage, faithful and true, Of all Nations, our faith’s in you.

8 June 2021
Celebration of World Oceans Day 2021

To mark and celebrate World Oceans Day 2021, the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir launched Oceans, a specially commissioned piece of music composed by Simon Haw MBE, recorded by the Commonwealth Orchestra and Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and the Commonwealth Scholar’s Choir.

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Friday 14 May 2021
New donation to CYO’s Commonwealth Music Education Fund.

As part of the legacy of Her Majesty The Queen, Head of The Commonwealth, to mark and celebrate the 70th anniversary of The Commonwealth in 2019, the CYO created its Commonwealth Music Education Fund - Inspire to Aspire - to support its work across The Commonwealth through the coming decades.

With no central funding, the CYO has to seek out all its financial support to enable its work.

The CYO is delighted to formally announce the extremely kind support of the company P&O Cruises, which has made an important donation to support CYO’s Commonwealth Music Education Fund.

This significant donation from P&O Cruises will help to support CYO’s ground-breaking initiatives and programmes:

CYO’s Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir
www.commonwealth-music.net/commonwealth-youth-orchestra-and-choir.html
Training orchestra and choir – workshops, performance, and recording

CYO’s Commonwealth Orchestra
www.commonwealth-music-council.net
Creating employment for young Commonwealth musicians

CYO’s Commonwealth Scholars’ Choir
www.commonwealth-music.net/commonwealth-scholars-choir.html
Performance opportunities for tertiary students on Commonwealth Scholarships

CYO’s Commonwealth Children’s Choir
www.commonwealth-music.net/commonwealth-childrens-orchestra-and-choir.html
Performance opportunities for primary and secondary schools

CYO’s Commonwealth Music Partnership
www.commonwealth-music-partnership.net
Performance opportunities for all Commonwealth musicians and choirs

CYO’s Commonwealth Music Distance Learning
www.commonwealth-music-distance-learning.net
Theoretical and practical tuition freely available on-line across the Commonwealth

CYO’s Commonwealth Music Council
www.commonwealth-music-council.net
Music composition, curation and creation

CYO’s Commonwealth Music Competitions
www.commonwealth-music-competitions.net
Composers, bands and choirs

On 14 May 2021 Professor David Rowland,
Chairman of the Trustees of the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir thanked P&O Cruises for the very kind donation:

“The mission of the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir is to use music as a means of international dialogue and to create opportunities for engaged diversity.

CYO’s Commonwealth Music Education Programme – Inspire to Aspire – is a ground-breaking initiative which helps young people to develop their ambition and to build self-confidence in what they can achieve.

CYO continues to develop its theme for the 70th Anniversary of The Commonwealth, “To Celebrate the Past and Plan for the Future”, and through its Commonwealth Music Education Fund, opportunities are created by CYO to empower young people.

The CYO is indebted to P&O Cruises for supporting this essential work and for believing in the important work of the CYO.”

With the announcement P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said: “We feel honoured that we are able to support the music education charity, the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir, which through music encourages young people to be the very best they can be. Being able to play a small part in securing the future of the next generation is indeed a privilege.”

His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
1921-2021

The Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir
is deeply saddened by the death of
His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Over many years the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir
has been honoured to have had the opportunity to perform
on numerous occasions for The Duke of Edinburgh.

His Royal Highness always took a great deal of interest in engaging
with all the instrumentalists and singers of the
Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir
and he made a long-lasting impression on them all.

Rangers Alert

The Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir through its
Commonwealth Conservation Network and collaboration
With Zambesia Conservation Association in
Central-Southern Africa, are delighted to launch a new
Initiative in Commonwealth Week 2021 which is
Rangers Alert Campaign.

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8 March 2021

Happy Commonwealth Day.
Sending our very best wishes to all our
Patrons, supporters and
Commonwealth Music Partners across the
54 Nations of The Commonwealth

A New Collaboration With The Zambesia Conservation Alliance (ZCA)

On 10 February 2021 Commonwealth Music International and the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra (CYO) are delighted to announce a new collaboration with the Zambesia Conservation Alliance (ZCA) and are using music to support its vital conservation work in the Zambesia Region with especially composed and performed soundtracks.

To launch this new collaboration Commonwealth Music International and the CYO has commissioned its Composer-in-Residence, Simon Haw MBE, to compose music as a main theme to support the ZCA and this score has been produced and combined with the stunning videography of Shaun McMinn. The world premiere release of Zambesia is shown opposite.

"Zambesia” is a pre-colonial term for an area referred to by 19th century explorers in their memoirs. It is a region located in the central-southern part of Africa, stretching coast-to-coast across seven countries from Namibia in the west to Mozambique in the east. It broadly covers the drainage basin of the Zambezi river. This life giving water reservoir gives rise to a biogeographically distinct zone called the Zambezian Region that houses more than a dozen of the world's most significant eco-regions.

The Zambesia region includes: Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

The Zambesia Conservation Alliance (ZCA) was formed in 2020 to bring together effective frontline conservation efforts to combat the loss of natural habitat and its wildlife in the Zambesia region."

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A Fanfare for The Commonwealth

A new Commonwealth Music recording
released on 10 December 2020,
To mark the Anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(10 December 1948). The Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir
has produced the world premiere recording of
A Fanfare for The Commonwealth,
composed by Commonwealth Music Ambassador
and Commonwealth Music Competition 2019
Prize-Winner, Ian B. Wilson.

A Fanfare for The Commonwealth is dedicated to
Her Majesty The Queen, Head of The Commonwealth,
on the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the
Establishment of the Modern Commonwealth on 28 April 2019.

In a note from the composer, Ian B. Wilson
wrote about A Fanfare for The Commonwealth:

“One of the overarching principles that the
Commonwealth Music Youth Programme has adopted
to guide its work is to ‘promote the Commonwealth values
of social justice, democracy and human rights
amongst the young people of the Commonwealth.’

Those values provide the rhythmic cells for this fanfare,
permeating the whole piece to reflect the way in which
they underpin everything that we do.”

Ian B. Wilson, Commonwealth Music Ambassador.

A New President

The Trustees and Executive are delighted to announce that, as of 17 November 2020, The Marquess of Salisbury is the new President of the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir.

Sir Charles Bowman has completed his three-year term as President and has now become President Emeritus of the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir (CYO).

CYO Director-General Sally Shebe thanked former Lord Mayor of London, Sir Charles Bowman:
“Sir Charles has been wonderfully supportive over these last three years and we are so grateful to him. We look forward to continuing our association with Sir Charles as President Emeritus”.

“CYO had the immense honour of being invited to perform at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in 2018, as part of the Commonwealth Business Forum, and we are very grateful for the support of the Corporation of London in the production of a recording which was presented to all the Heads of Government and guests attending, as part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018 at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle”.

The Marquess of Salisbury has been a long-time supporter of the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir. In 2012 Lord Salisbury was Chairman of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Foundation - the organisers of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, a 1,000-boat tribute to Her Majesty The Queen’s 60-year reign. One of the largest public events ever held in London, the Pageant took place on The Thames on Sunday 3rd June 2012, sailing from Putney to Tower Bridge.

In 2012 The Thames Diamond Jubilee Foundation supported a recording of Handel’s Water Music which was produced by the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra to mark this historic event. Some of the recording was used in the short video opposite, showing images of the Pageant and featuring one of twenty painters chosen to paint the event, based on the Millennium bridge over the river Thames.

Her Majesty The Queen is Diamond Jubilee Patron 2012 of the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir.

In announcing the new President, Director-General Sally Shebe said:
“We are honoured and delighted that The Marquess of Salisbury has accepted our invitation to be the next President of the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir.”

The new President said:
“I am delighted to be continuing my association with the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir and much look forward to many more opportunities to enjoy the wonderful music they make.”

For a full list of Patrons of the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and Choir, please click on the link: http://www.commonwealth-music.net/patrons.html