The fourth running of the annual Nordoff Robbins Classical Quiz, organised by the BPI Classical Committee and PPL, and sponsored by the BPI, raised just over £6,000 for the music therapy charity last night.
For a second time, the quiz was won by the team from Universal Music UK, captained by Senior Metadata Manager Jonathon Bird. They finished narrowly ahead of Gramophone and BBC Music Magazine, who came second and third respectively in a contest of 20 teams.
The Flamingo Room in O’Neill’s Wardour Street was full to capacity as the new venue for the quiz. Some 150 attendees demonstrated their classical knowledge and generously supported a raffle boasting prizes that ranged from premium opera and festival tickets, hampers and champagne to the traditional mountain of CD and DVD box-sets kindly donated by the always- generous record labels and other supporters.
The quiz was compiled by Gramophone Editor-in-Chief James Jolly and included guest presenters for the first time – clarinettist Julian Bliss and pianists Lucy Parham and Charles Owen, who contributed to a video-round of piano concerto introductions (without the sound!). The compère was again Jeremy Elliott.
The BPI Classical Committee/PPL organisers, including PPL’s Ben Hogwood, Proper Music Distribution’s Ginny Cooper, Pawlina Bednarczyk, Jeremy Elliot and BPI’s Chris Green, would like to thank all those from across the classical community who attended and for the incredible generosity and enthusiasm they showed in supporting such a worthwhile cause.
The well-chosen video from Nordoff Robbins, presented by Roque Collante, reminded everyone present of how the money raised will help to support the vital work of the music therapy charity. The event has now contributed over £16,000 to Nordoff Robbins since it was first staged in 2015, and with a 50 per cent increase in fundraising this year, the quiz is now firmly established as an annual fixture in the classical music calendar.