Colin Whyman donates the proceeds from his book to the Youth Orchestra

The profits obtained from the sale of «Un mapa musical de España» will go to the Orquesta Joven de Almería (OJAL). This has been announced by the author of the book and British patron Colin Whyman, who has maintained a close relationship for years with the Orquesta Ciudad de Almería (OCAL) and its youth ensemble. The book gathers, in alphabetical order, towns and places throughout Spain linked to composers of Spanish classical music born between the years 1400 and 1999. Each entry includes a description of the place, a chronological list of the composers associated with it and a brief biography of each one. The work also contains numerous references to the OCAL for its performance of many of the selected pieces.

Whyman's backing for young musicians does not start now. He has donated instruments to young performers and has helped to create the OCAL Library, located at the Orchestra's headquarters in El Toyo, thanks also to contributions from citizens and, notably, from the brothers John and Colin Whyman. In July 2024, both brothers donated a violin to Carlota Pastor, a member of the OJAL. It was previously owned by Javier Gutiérrez, who was concertmaster of the youth ensemble and who now lives in Madrid completing his musical training. The OCAL and Colin Whyman want to organize a tribute concert to the memory of John Whyman, in which both soloists would take part. The author is a retired British lawyer who, after living and working for long periods in Spain, has devoted a good part of his time to getting to know the places that appear in the publication and to Spanish music. The OCAL has the support of the Ayuntamiento de Almería through the Área de Cultura, Cajamar Caja Rural, the Junta de Andalucía through the Consejería de Cultura y Deporte and the Diputación de Almería, as well as the collaboration of Grupo Caparrós, La Gergaleña, Ikea, Barceló Cabo de Gata, the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía and Michelín.