From singing in pubs to staging Handel’s penultimate Italian opera: Continuo Foundation brings total grants to over £1 million with latest round of funding

The Continuo Foundation has just announced its 10th round of grants totalling £120,000. This brings the total the foundation has awarded since its inception to over £1 million. In response to the strong demand and quality in this round, the amount was increased by £20,000 thanks to a generous private donor.

The current round of funding was distributed to 28 period-instrument ensembles, enabling more than 400 musicians to contribute to the remarkable vitality and innovation of Early Music performance in Britain. The 86 supported concerts will reach audiences in 45 locations across the country — from Purbeck and Norfolk to Doncaster, Belfast, Swansea, and Inverness – with pub gigs to fully staged opera, showcasing the variety and creativity to be found under the banner of Early Music.

Ensemble Augelletti will revive the 17th- and 18th-century tradition of tavern performance with A Tune among Friends, performing folk tunes, theatre songs, and music by Purcell, Corelli, and Handel in pubs and cafes. Emerging ensemble Londinium Consort, formed in 2022, will take the programme from their debut album, Crossing Paths, also funded by Continuo, to twelve locations across Scotland and Wales.

Cambridge Handel Opera Company will stage Handel’s penultimate Italian opera, the semi-seria pastoral opera, Imeneo. The project will invole young people from under-served communities working alongside professionals, participating in workshops and mentoring sessions, breaking down barriers to cultural participation.

Full details of the grants from the Continuo Foundation website, and a full list of concerts is on Continuo Connect.