June 2010
World Busk 2010

The World Busk, took place on 7-13 June 2010 to raise money to rebuild music projects in Haiti. Buskers included the Mahler Chamber Orchestra with Andrew Manze in Vienna. There were buskers in Japan, Crete, Italy, Oman, and a very good turnout in the UK. US buskers included six year old Thomas Vranker in Rhode Island who busked three times during the week, The Ryeland Harp Ring, a massed harp orchestra in Pennyslvania and a celtic group, The Dusty Buskers in Pittsburgh. Thank you to everyone who took part.

From Kampala to London

Fredrick Kyewalyanga,23, who runs the Elgon Youth Brass Band in Mbale, Uganda visited London for the first time. He travelled to the UK with his friend and mentor Philip Monk to watch the Brass Band finals in Oldham. They hope to send their own brass band there some day. Philip runs five brass bands and is raising money to build an orphanage in the Eastern part of Mbale in Uganda. Contact www.ugive2uganda.com if you would like to sponsor a child.

From Portsmouth to Kampala

Jane Ingamells from Portsmouth Grammar School has been introducing a strings programme at the Tender Talents School using the Stentor violins. Money raised by the Portsmouth Grammar School and the North London Collegiate Junior School have raised money for this Project. We will update soon. Follow Jane's blog.

May 2010
Stentor send violins to Uganda

Stentor is delighted to support the Musequality string programme at the Tender Talents School in Uganda. Stentor is the leading manufacturer and distributor of student orchestral stringed instruments worldwide. We are committed to provide good quality, affordable instruments that enable players to have the most enjoyable and rewarding experience. Stentor regularly supports musicians and music education through a variety of successful projects.

April 2010
Practice makes perfect

Children at the North London Collegiate Junior School have helped raise more than £4,000 for a new Musequality project in Uganda, by taking part in a sponsored music practice. The girls’ ‘practicathon’ alone raised £3,000 in the two weeks before their exams, and more than £1,000 came from the school’s own Canonaid fundraising scheme. The children also received excellent grades in their music exams. Head of Junior School Jo Newman presented Musequality’s David Juritz and Jean Buck with a cheque for £4,172.61 at a school assembly.

February 2010
A very special birthday

Elisabeth Whittaker celebrated her birthday in flamboyant style at Bush Hall in West London. The 120 guests from all over the world enjoyed music played by the London Tango Quintet and a cabaret appearance from Elisabeth. The evening was delightful and raised around £5,000 for Musequality.
January 2010
Portsmouth Grammar School supporting Tender Talents

The Portsmouth Grammar School will be raising money for Musequality in 2010, which marks the tenth anniversary of the school's String Scheme. Pupils will be taking part in a sponsored practice, an orchestral workshop and attending concerts given by their teachers, as well as celebrating with a special anniversary concert at which David Juritz will be the guest of honour.

In addition, Head of Strings Jane Ingamells has offered to teach the violin at the Tender Talents School for Aids orphans in Uganda during June and July 2010. To raise funds she will be spending the Easter holiday cycling with husband Nick from Portsmouth to the small village of Ingoldmells in Lincolnshire to see exactly where her ancestors first settled. If you you would like to sponsor them please go to http://www.justgiving.com/nj-ingamells.

22 December2009
Melodi Music brings Sowetan sounds to London

A 24-piece wind band from the Melodi Music Trust in Soweto, South Africa is touring Europe, performing classical and African music. It will play at
St Peters Church, Eaton Square, London SW1 at 7.30pm on 22 December, 2009. The trust founded in 2002 by Nimrod Moloto has so far taught more than 1,500 youngsters from primary school age to 20 to read and perform music, and provides instruments, music and professional tutors to enable the best tuition possible. ‘The streets of Soweto are vibrating with an enormous amount of energy from the children; little souls playing on the streets 'til late at night always looking for something to do to occupy their minds,’ says Nimrod. ‘All they need is proper guidance. My aim is to provide the children with the opportunity to grow through music’.

19 December2009
Christmas with London Choral and Melodi Music

Melodi Music will also take part in a Christmas concert with London Choral and St Michael and All Angel's Junior Choir, with readings by Niamh Cusak. The 24 talented young Sowetan musicians from the Melodi Music Trust will be directed by founder Nimrod Moloto. An inspiring evening, starts at 7pm at St Michael and All Angels Church, opposite Turnham Green tube London W4. Tickets available on the door: £10 adults, £4 children.


29 November2009
Building communities through music

Central Harmony, a West London Choir directed by Clare Delmar and James Davey joined the Bridge Quartet and musicians from the Raj Academy for a delightful concert at all Saints Church in Isleworth.

World Record 2009
Setting a new world record

At noon on Sunday 14 June. 483 people in 29 cities in 14 countries on all seven continents helped establish a record for the largest ever coordinated busk. BBC World News broadcast clips of buskers throughout the day while 50 crew members on HMS Illustrious took a break from their NATO exercise to boost our numbers in the middle of a foggy Baltic Sea. Everyone taking part had to have an independent witness. Next year's World Busk record attempt will take place around the planet at noon local time, on Sunday 13 June. To take part please register now.

World Busk 2009
Buskers on seven continents and one sea!

The Antarctic Minkes – three bass guitarists and one saxophonist – took part in the Musequality World Busk in June, 2009. They played in the ice, entertaining passers- by: the 20-strong crew members based at The British Antarctic Survey’s Rothera Research Station in Antarctica during the southern winter. The World Busk took place over the course of a week and raised more than £14,000 for music projects. The Artic Minkes were among 811 buskers performing in 75 locations in 17 countries on every one of the world’s seven continents and one sea. They included soloists, mass buskers and speed buskers. World Busk 2010 takes place 7-13 June 2010. Please register now.

June 2009
Concert for Musequality

Julian Dawes, pianist, songwriter and composer, is holding a concert in aid of Musequality on Sunday, 5th July at 7.30pm at Lauderdale House, Highgate Hill, Waterlow Park, London, N6 5HG. With sopranos Rosalind Coad and Ilona Domnich; mezzo sopranos Martha Jones and Camille Maalawy; tenor Paul Curievici; clarinettist Hannah Morgan and Julian on piano – and with songs by Julian and additional pieces by the French composer Maite Erra, the evening will be entertaining and fun. Distract yourself from worrying about the week ahead. Tickets £10; concessions £8: 020 7692 0137.

May 2009
Bach Cantatas

David Juritz joins The West London Bach Players and Consort, conducted by Sandy Burnett, on their epic performing cycle of J.S. Bach’s sacred cantatas. There was a retiring collection for projects including the Upper Room and Musequality. Sandy talks about the Cantatas on YouTube.

March 2009
Round Britain fundraising expedition – in a kayak

Graham King, a former IT consultant from west London, has set off in his kayak to canoe round Britain – fulfilling a long-held ambition, while fundraising for Musequality and the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Starting from Teddington Lock, where the river Thames goes tidal, he is travelling clockwise, along the north Kent coast, past Land’s End, round John O’Groats and down the North Sea coast before heading upstream through the Thames. With 2,500 miles to cover he expects to be home by September. Follow his expedition in his blog: http://freelunchlog.blogspot.com If you’d like to spur him on, donate at http://justgiving.com/kayakfreelunch

February 2009
We're going busking again!

The Musequality World Busk starts on Monday 8 June and our website is up and running! It's been a massive amount of work for our tiny team of volunteers led by Laura Sheldon and Jo Biddolph. We'd love all you musicians out there to join us in a week of performances on streets, in stations or wherever your imagination takes you, culminating on Sunday 14 June, when we hope to set a world record for the largest simultaneous busk ever.

RCM students support Musequality during RAG Week

The Royal College of Music students' association will be on the streets of London, indulging in this unique British activity – entertaining passers by during RAG week. A few brave professors will attempt Grade I music examinations, afterjust one week's tuition on a new instrument. We wish them luck! Photography by Christine Bradshaw.

January 2009
Seven centuries of music

The rafters of St Michael and All Angels, Bedford Park, filled with the glorious voices of Chiswick Baroque, led by composer Celia Harper, in a programme of music from the 14th to the 21st century. The concert raised over £500 for Musequality. Thank you!

December 2008
M-LISADA Brass Band on CD

Last autumn we gave the M-LISADA Brass Band in Kampala a grant to record a promotional CD. True to their tradition of making everything go a long way, they recorded enough music for two albums! We rushed out a limited edition of Christmas Carols played in the fantastic M-LISADA style, and will have their second release available in a few weeks time.

November 2008
Our fifth project starts!

When a river in Northern Thailand formed an ox bow lake, the bustling village of Ban Mok Cham suddenly found itself cut off and isolated. Their response was to set up a cultural programme to keep their tradiions alive and to share their Shan hill-tribe culture with visiting school groups. As part of this programme we've set up our fifth project, helping build a performance centre and supplying instruments. The centre was officially opened at a blessing ceremony in December 08.

June 2008
Walking for Musequality

A big thank you to Sylvia Trench who walked the 500 mile long Camino de Santiago, from the Pyrenees in France to Santiago de Compostella in Spain, and raised £1,000 for us. Read about her inspiring story.

Official charity at Bedford Park Festival

We were thrilled to receive a donation of £9,000 as one of the official charities at the 2008 Bedford Park Festival, a traditional fete and craft fair. We also ran a stall on Acton Green (opposite Turnham Green tube station, where David launched his busking tour) selling raffle tickets and button badges.

April 2008
Fundraising concert

Friends and supporters of Musequality, including trustee Sir Humphrey Maud, performed music by Spohr and Bach at a fundraising concert on 24th April in the Michael Room, St Michael and All Angels, Chiswick, London, W4. The concert raised over £600 for Musequality.

February 2008
First performance for Tender Talents

The choral group at Tender Talents Magnet School gave their first performance: to Mrs Kohler, the First Lady of the German Republic, during her visit to Africa. This was a great honour and a huge success. Read more about this talented group.

January 2008
Repairing instruments for M-Lisada Brass Band

We were delighted to offer the M-Lisada Brass Band, an existing group in Kampala, Uganda, a small grant to repair its long-held musical instruments. M-Lisada stands for Music Life Skills and Destitutions Alleviation – exactly what we are about. We hope to help them more as our funds increase.

Sponsored music practice pilot a success

Pupils from Kew College , Kew, Surrey took part in our first ever sponsored music practice, running a pilot project to help us set up a successful scheme. The James Allen's Saturday School for the Performing Arts launched their sponsored practice with a stunning concert from the staff.

December 2007
Carol concert raises funds for Musequality

The London Chorus held a special Carols Plus fundraising concert at St Michael and All Angels church in Chiswick, west London. The programme included readings from actor Richard Briers and a performance of Ferdinand the Bull from David Juritz with Ronald Corp conducting.

Melodi Music Project plays in London

We were thrilled to go along to St George's, Hanover Square, London, to hear a group from Melodi Music playing to an appreciative audience. They performed Mozart, Bach and traditional African songs, conducted by project leader Nimrod Moloto. The tour took them to the Netherlands, Manchester and Bristol.

New music room opens

The first music lessons took place, before Christmas, at the Tender Talents Magnet School in Kampala, Uganda – our first project. We refurbished a hut to create a studio and provided a piano, three keyboards, 13 guitars, 70 recorders, drums and endingidis, traditional Ugandan one-string fiddles.

October 2007
Last busk at number 10

After nearly five months busking Round the World and Bach, David Juritz gave his last performance  on the streets (this time round) on the steps of 10 Downing Street. He'd busked in 50 cities in 24 countries in every continent other than Antarctica. He played the entire repertoire for solo violin by Bach and repeated the E major prelude over 300 times.
His last busk was recorded and appeared on the Number 10 website. Listen here.