Friends of the Albion Quartet

Our mission is to enrich childrens’ lives through music. The financial strain on schools means that music is often cut completely from the curriculum. Many families don’t know how to or are unable to bring their children to live music, or feel out of place at traditional concerts. So we must go into the schools ourselves!

We visit state schools in some of the most deprived areas around the UK, including schools for children with special needs, and autism. We reach children who would otherwise not get the opportunity to engage with classical music and the magic and beauty that it has to offer.

The vast majority of children we have encountered on our school visits have never experienced live music before! We offer children the chance to experience the joy of live classical music.

We also offer them a creative space in a busy school day, igniting their imagination and inviting them to explore new worlds and concepts. We teach them how music works and why it touches us, and show them how to create music of their own, giving them a sense of pride and achievement.

For children with additional support needs, access to music is even more difficult, though the positive effect on their mental health and well-being is thoroughly documented.

Help us by supporting our educational work

We need help to cover the costs of planning, preparing and administering the workshops and residencies, the quartet spending a half-day in the school, and the percussion instruments we take for the children to join in.

We prefer to embark on longer, three day residencies, with one visit per term. With these residencies, we can develop a stronger relationship with a school, and have exponentially greater impact.

A morning of workshops and performances costs £1,600, and a three visit residency costs £4,800. To meet our ambitions for the Friends of the Albion Quartet, we need to raise £30,000 per year.

Please support our work by becoming a Friend of the Albion Quartet for £250 a year.

Friends will be invited to special Friends of the Albion Quartet concerts, and receive regular newsletters about the work of the charity and the childrens’ reactions.

Donations are welcomed at any higher level.

If you have a school that you would like us to work with, or if you have a school you would like to sponsor, or any other specific interests, please talk to us. We welcome your questions, so please email us at albionstringquartet@gmail.com.