Guildhall School of Music and Drama Supporters' Evening
9th November 2017Milton Court
The Mistress and I attended the Supporters' Evening in our capacity as Master and Mistress and also in my capacity as Secretary of the Benevolent Fund. The Benevolent Fund has been a long time supporter of the Guildhall Trust, currently helping three students through their two years masters' courses. I make no apologies about being passionate about this cause and that was reinforced by the opportunity to meet two of the hugely talented students we help. I also believe that the City of London's unique strength in addressing the uncertainties of Brexit is the cultural diversity it has to offer. Art is an important part of the City's cultural offering.
We met Philippa Bint, a first year masters student studying the viola. Make no mistake, our students are very grateful for their scholarships and they will testify that they would not be able to accept the course without the help dispensed through the Guildhall Trust. I feel it is a privilege that we enjoy by being able to help students such as Philippa. She was charming, passionate about her studies and extremely grateful for our support.
We also met Michael Vickers, who sang at my Installation Dinner and will also perform at the January Dinner. He is a young man full of personality with an immense talent. He is in his second year of his masters degree and currently applying for auditions to pursue a career following his graduation next summer. It would be wonderful if we could see him at Glyndebourne next season. In the meantime, I look forward to seeing him perform with Ben Smith in January.