Past
events
Click here
to see some other past events of
FOTIS.
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Phil Collins LVO*
writes:
In Search of a "Good Education"
We all know that
there are an awful lot of teenagers out there needing
a better start in life.
If fortunate
enough to get that opportunity, they then need financial
support to continue their schooling to realise their full potential.
Unfortunately amongst that group are a huge number of teenagers living
in third world and developing countries. Mums and Dads can't afford the
essentials, let alone a "Good Education". As for grants? .....forget
it.
So, where does that leave their hopes of getting this "Good Education" ?
Every now and
again a great idea surfaces that enables these kids to
look to a brighter future. The event you will be supporting on March 9
is just such an idea. By being part of the Gala Première, you
will enable FOTIS, the Friends of the International School of Geneva,
to pay for the education of secondary school students in far off
countries where it is the norm to merely hope for such a thing.
Composer Scott Stroman has written and arranged the music you will be
performing. He is a wonderful example of the "free spirit" in music...
seeing no contradiction in playing jazz with the heavyweights of that
genre or conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Like the idea
itself, Scott thinks "outside the box".
Barriers are
sometimes there to be broken, and with your help, the CHF
400,000 that FOTIS hopes to raise will help bring down those barriers
of misfortune and plain ol' geography that hold back the hopes of a
"Good Education" for these students.
I thank you....and
more importantly....THEY thank you.
*Phil Collins was
appointed an LVO [Lieutenant of the
Victorian Order]
in recognition of his charity work
www.philcollins.co.uk
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9th of March 2008:
The
Gala Première of Songs of
Life
and Liberty by - and with - Scott
Stroman - was
a triumph!
Every
seat in the Victoria Hall was sold, thousands of francs were
raised but - most importantly - the students, staff and friends of the
International School took part in, or watched and listened to, an
amazing concert. The audience enjoyed themselves and so, too, did
the 500+ people taking part.
Juan
Carlos Hernandez took hundreds
of incredible pictures, a selection of which will feature here very
soon. Meanwhile you can view the rehearsals by clicking here and getting
through to his website.
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 Nicholas Tate,
Director-General,
The International
School of Geneva:
There is something very special about the way in which this spectacular
Foundation concert sums up what the International School of Geneva is
all about. As the world’s largest (as well as oldest) international
school, spread over two Swiss cantons and three campuses, opportunities
for all our different sections to come together for a joint event are
relatively rare.
The Friends of the International School – FOTIS – concert is a
marvellous opportunity to reaffirm our identity as a single school with
a single set of values. It is also an occasion for all sections of our
diverse multi-national and multi-lingual community – students, parents,
teachers, administrative staff, friends of the school - to come
together in a single event. We all share a common purpose: to help our
young people develop into educated, thoughtful adults committed to
making the world a better place. This concert enables us to show
publicly that this is what we are about.
Finally, this Foundation concert touches the heart of the school’s
educational mission. Its purpose is to raise funds to enable children
in other parts of the world to access the kind of education that we are
able to provide for young people in Geneva. It is about solidarity,
duty and concern for others. The first set of rehearsals has got
everyone very excited. With this kind of spirit going into the
preparations Sunday 9th March is going to be an event that no one will
want to miss.
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Scott Stroman
Scott Stroman is an inspiring and uniquely
broad musician, equally at home in classical, jazz, and world music. He
is a conductor, composer, trombonist, singer, educator and
communicator, and works in a wide range of styles with musicians of all
ages, both professional and amateur.
www.scottstroman.com
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