As in previous years small scale grants were made to a number of charities with whom we have formal connections the most notable which was the Hands Up Foundation for Syria with smaller grants top listening books, trees/ Peruvian charity for the indigenous regions, Carom Homeless Children, The International Otter Survival Fund.
Remaining grants were all related to music sponsorship the most notable being sponsorship for students at the Royal Academy of Music, sponsorship for the Purcell Music schools, English travelling opera, the ENO Harewood artists, la Serenissima, La Nuova Musica and a special sponsorship grant for accommodation and subsistence for the mezzos soprano Francis Gregory.
Remaining funds were dedicated to ongoing work on the harpsichord destined for the National Gallery which included specialist metal work £1140.42 from David Law brass fittings. In addition £750 was expended for refurbishment of a pianoforte placed at the disposal of graduate music students. Income for the year was £10,000 an expenditure was £6202.42.
The harpsichord is an ongoing project unfortunately when it was delivered to the National Gallery at the beginning of December 2019 it was found to be deeply flawed although the builder came twice to London to try and fix it, he was not able to do so and in consequence his contract was cancelled in 2020 and we spent considerable time trying to find a restorer in London who would take on the project. This was not finalised until November 2020 when it was agreed that Michael Parfett, the conservator of ancient instruments at the Royal Academy of Music, would produce a follow up report which confirmed the
one that I had commissioned from HUW Saunders.