Concert aims to raise funds for young musicians

Saturday 31 August 2024

An islander is fulfilling his long-held ambition to perform an entire song cycle with a concert this weekend which aims to raise funds – and awareness – for a charity that supports Jersey’s young musicians.

William Millow will be giving a vocal performance of 'The Songs of Travel' by Ralph Vaughan Williams in the Town Church this Sunday at 15:00, accompanied by his sister Julie Millow and other performers.

Entrance to the concert is free, but there will be a retiring collection in aid of The John Lobb Memorial Trust, which was founded in 1981 to provide support for locally-educated young people who are looking to pursue a career in music.

It is a charity that the siblings have a personal connection to, because their grandfather was John Lobb, a music teacher, accompanist, organist and choir director who played a significant role in the island's musical scene before his untimely death in 1980.

The date of the concert – 1 September – is also the late Mr Lobb's birthday.

Mr Millow, who is a trustee of the trust, said the work it does is "very important" to him.

He decided to put on the concert to raise funds for the charity and "highlight that the trust exists, that it is there for young people who would like some help to pursue a career in music".

Mr Millow has been learning the song cycle, which is a setting of poems by Robert Louis Stevenson, for over a decade – and Mr Millow said initial plans to perform it in 2020 were stalled by the pandemic.

"I always enjoyed pieces from the song cycle and had the idea of doing it as a cohesive whole in a performance for my own personal development," said the musician, who is also the Director of the Jersey Festival Choir, and performs with the Jersey Gilbert and Sullivan society.

Mr Millow said it was only as life returned to pre-pandemic normality and he picked the work back up that a concert once again seemed feasible – and in aid of the trust.

"It's the first time I have done anything like this," he said about organising the concert.

The Songs of Travel is not the only programme item. Julie Robinson on violin, with Julie Millow accompanying, will also perform a suite of short violin pieces which Ms Millow has composed. They will be joined by young singers Savanna Vogt and Rubie Le Masurier.

Islanders who wish to learn more about the John Lobb Memorial Trust are invited to visit their website.

Pictured top: William Millow will be giving a vocal performance of 'The Songs of Travel' by Ralph Vaughan Williams in the Town Church this Sunday.