I have been working to complete the funding for a project to record all of the music written for me by Stephen McNeff. Although much of the money was in place thanks to the generosity of Mary and David Bowerman (see photo), whose Champs Hill Records label is supporting us, it fell to me to find the fees for the artists. Pledges from the RVW and Finzi Trusts helped considerably but I was still substantially below my total, as seven professional musicians of the highest calibre do not (and should not) come cheap.
Enter an anonymous donor who has provided the vital top-up funding, and who is the produce of a chance meeting at a party. These encounters are almost impossible to predict (or to engineer) and yet a sponsor of this sort is wonderful because of the personal involvement that they can have in a project. I hope to develop an ongoing relationship that will open enjoyable and interesting windows on my freelance life for someone whose own professional world is very different, but who has a deep love of and commitment to music-making.
It is an incredible relief to know that I will not have to dip my hand into my own pocket to make this project happen, not least because I have several other plans underway and one of them will almost certainly require private subsidy by me. Moreover, to have successfully funded this CD project entirely from grant-making trusts and donations lends it credibility and me confidence, which are assets beyond price.