A concert of English Songs

David Aitman is raising money for Study Guatemala
Donations cannot currently be made to this page

A concert of English Songs · 22 March 2018

Study Guatemala provides free education for disadvantaged children in Guatemala City, Central America. The funds we raise support an educational centre for boys and girls in Zone 5 of the city. The children we support are aged 11-18 and could not otherwise afford to go to school. The qualifications they obtain help them lead a better life. Currently Study Guatemala rents premises in Zone 5 the city. These premises are in bad condition and overcrowded. We have now purchased land and have commenced building our own school. We are trying to raise much needed funds to complete the building in the next 12 months. To learn more about the project and/or to make a donation, please visit: http://www.justgiving.com/studyguatemala_help_build_a_school

Story

Several years ago, members of my family and my wife's family worked with the street children of Guatemala City: and subsequently set up a school for street children and for other underprivileged Guatemalan children. The school now educates 181 children, providing them with an opportunity for a life away from the streets and from poverty. This school is run as a charity: details are at www.studyguatemala.com.

A few years ago, with Charles Johnston - a wonderful baritone who has sung in many of the UK's leading opera houses - I recorded a CD of Schubert's song cycle, Winterreise.  And offered the CD to those who kindly agreed to donate to Study Guatemala.  We raised almost £25,000 which allowed the school to  complete its initial phase, including by building a third floor that houses a science laboratory.  It was humbling to see how far this amount of money went in helping the education and lives of the students.

This year, again with Charles, I have recorded a CD of English songs - with lyrical and fascinating settings of A.E. Housman's Shropshire Lad, of John Masefield's sea songs: and with settings by Britten of many well known English folk songs.  

We hope - with your support - to be able again to make a significant contribution to the future of the school in Guatemala City.  Every penny you donate will go to the school.  The costs of the recording were covered by a generous legacy by my late mother-in-law, Bettie Atherton, who was an enthusiastic supporter of Study Guatemala.

Please do help - you can make a difference to a whole generation of children in an underprivileged capital.  Thank you so much.

Donation summary

Total
£10,940.00
Online
£10,940.00
Offline
£0.00

Charities pay a small fee for our service. Learn more about fees