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.
