PRS for Music Foundation ushers in 2012

The PRS for Music Foundation has celebrated the new year with a party that highlighted some of the fantastic music that they have funded during 2011 and gave a taster of the exciting projects we have coming up in the next 12 months, including New Music 20x12, British Music Abroad, and the launch of our new funding schemes.

Anita Awbi
  • By Anita Awbi
  • 12 Jan 2012
  • min read
The PRS for Music Foundation has celebrated the new year with a party that highlighted some of the fantastic music that they have funded during 2011 and gave a taster of the exciting projects we have coming up in the next 12 months, including New Music 20x12, British Music Abroad, and the launch of our new funding schemes.

The packed event took place at Cargo in east London on Wednesday 11 January. Guests were ushered into the venue's courtyard to listen to Five Rings Triples, a piece performed on bells by Howard Skempton. The piece was commissioned by the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers and Third Ear for New Music 20x12. Five Rings Triples was performed by the Royal Society of Cumberland Youths from nearby Shoreditch Church and blended with the sounds of the city to produce an incredible soundscape.

Moving inside the venue there was a performance of another 20x12 piece, HandsFree by Anna Meredith - a mixture of hand claps and beatboxing - commissioned and performed by the National Youth Orchestra.

Following this were sets by harpist Serafina Steer and soul/folk band Abimaro and The Free. Both Serafina and Abimara Gunnel receieved funding last year from the PRS for Music Foundation's Women Make Music initiative.

Rounding off the evening were folkers Dry the River, who received funding from British Music Abroad to showcase at the  2011 South by South West festival in Austin, Texas.

Find out more here.