A Tour for Joy of Learning

Amalthea Ensemble is going on tour in aid of Joy of Learning, and we’d love for you to come along! Cellist Alice and flautist Meg will be welcoming an array of guest musicians to perform with the ensemble throughout the tour, including pianist and organist John Cheer, clarinettist Will Hammond and violists Eleanor Chapman and Nick Fidler. We will also be joined by Emily Cheer – Alice’s sister, and founder of Joy of Learning.

Each event will comprise a varied programme of chamber music, including works by composers such as Beethoven, Bartok, Villa-Lobos and Schubert, as well as a brand-new commission by composer Millicent B James.

Millicent wrote A Tale of Joy in 2023 jointly for Amalthea Ensemble and Joy of Learning for their first fundraising concert, where it received its premiere. It was composed to represent the journey of the charity, bringing joy to children through their support and, ultimately, being able to send them to school; a dream come true. Amalthea Ensemble recorded the work in early 2024, and will be releasing it as part of the tour, so come along to hear it and buy a copy to help Joy of Learning continue changing lives.

The summer tour, running from the middle of May until the middle of June, will span 10 towns and cities over 11 concerts, with all proceeds going directly to Joy of Learning. Our fundraiser aims to raise as much money and awareness for the charity as possible, whilst entertaining audiences across the UK. So, please do come along and bring all of your friends! There will be refreshments, a short presentation about the charity and a chance to chat to one of the charity’s trustees, plus a Ugandan Craft Stall, stock permitting. 

Help us spread the word, and help change the lives of children now living all over Uganda through the invaluable work of Joy of Learning.

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A Tale of Joy

In the spring of 2023 Amalthea Ensemble commissioned Birmingham-based composer Millicent B James to write a piece for the charity Joy of Learning, written for cello and flute duo. It premiered at Amalthea’s fundraising concert for the charity in July of the same year, and was recorded in early 2024 by Ed Day. We look forward to performing it across the tour, and releasing it as we go!

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About the Charity

Joy of Learning (charity no: 1194700) was set up in 2021 to support children who have been resettled with members of their extended families after living at Sanyu Babies’ Home in Uganda. Sanyu Babies’ Home cares for orphaned and abandoned children aged from 1 day to 4 years old, with the primary aim of resettling the children with family members or, where that is not possible, finding them a local foster family.

Joy of Learning seeks to enable reunited children and their siblings to attend school by finding Educational Sponsors to support each child’s education. As well as this, Joy of Learning makes sure that each family’s basic needs are met by providing food, clothing, hygiene products and medical support where needed. Joy of Learning is a unique charity and the families it supports live all over Uganda.

Below are the confirmed dates for the tour. Tickets will be on the door, with all proceeds going to Joy of Learning. Depending on stock, we hope to bring a Ugandan craft stall to the concerts.

We have also created a separate funding pot for our travel, food and accommodation (when necessary) whilst on tour. This will ensure all money from the tour goes to Joy of Learning. For this pot, a little goes a very long way, please feel free to donate however much you’d like by clicking the button below: