It’s been an Epic summer….

It’s been an Epic summer….

This summer I embarked on what is sure to be an exciting and life-changing journey with the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain (NYT). At 24-years-old I thought I had missed the boat on joining this world-renowned organisation, but having met a fellow NYT member...
Newsletter 2016 and A Touch of Basil’s new venue

Newsletter 2016 and A Touch of Basil’s new venue

This year’s newsletter is now available (and can be downloaded here) Most people will be aware of the necessary change to our venue for the 2016 Touch of Basil. It will take place at Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School in Sutton Coldfield on October 1st. Philip was a...
Calling all composers aged 16 – 25

Calling all composers aged 16 – 25

  Entries from all over the UK are now invited for the 2016 Philip Bates Prize for Composers and Songwriters. Composers between the ages of 16 and 25 may submit works in any style by Friday 8th July 2016, the application deadline. Shortlisted entries will be...

The Ashleyan Opera Prize

The Ashleyan Opera was created by Philip’s grandparents Stanley and Margaret Asher ran from 1959 for almost 50 performances well into the 21st Century. They performed grand opera to the delight of audiences in Leicester at The Little Theatre and Leicester Haymarket....
Online Donations

Online Donations

With the new website we will be introducing online donations. This is new territory for the Trust and we hope that it will make life easier for our supporters and us. Donations can be made via the Paypal button in the footer of the website.  
Ashleyan Opera Prize 2015

Ashleyan Opera Prize 2015

What a fantastic evening’s entertainment we experienced with ten post-graduate singers hotly contesting this year’s Ashleyan Opera Prize. Phillippa Lay has a very promising powerful soprano voice but needs to work on opening up her high notes. Zulkifi bin Zainul,...
Our Last Concert at the ABH

Our Last Concert at the ABH

Our first Touch of Basil was held in the Adrian Boult Hall of Birmingham Conservatoire in September 2000. We were told at that time that we were unlikely to be able to use ABH for too long in the future because it was to be replaced. The concert on September 26th 2015...
Newsletter Mailout 2015

Newsletter Mailout 2015

Have you ever wondered how your newsletter gets produced and sent to you? Well here’s where it all happens – the Action Committee and friends spend a busy few hours folding and stuffing the newsletters and any flyers into envelopes which then have to have...
Composition Prize 2014

Composition Prize 2014

On 14th November 2014 Tony and I enjoyed an evening of varied music when we attended the Philip Bates Prize for Composers and Songwriters at Birmingham Conservatoire. The first piece was “Me faytz trobar” by William Cole. Unfortunately, because the date for the event...