Well March has been a musical marathon at MfE, but PHEW, we made it!!!

West Bridgford felt more like the West End on Saturday after a wonderful day of singing at our musicals workshop. Rachel Parkes put the Nottingham Community Voices through their paces and we welcomed Open Voices who stole the show with a wonderful selection of their favourite hits. We were delighted to welcome Simon Theobald as soloist and compere for the event. Thanks to everyone who came along!

Enrolments have now hit 100 for the Big Youth Music Experience coming up in April! We still have spaces left for all string, woodwind and especially BRASS instruments so please encourage any young musicians to join in.

Bandwise – April 20th & 28th. Sign-Up Here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/byme-bandwise-apr24/

Stringwise – April 21st & 28th. Sign- Up Here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/byme-stringwise-apr24/


 

Thank you to those members who attended our AGM last Wednesday, it was lovely to see you there. We said a fond farewell to a couple of long-standing trustees, Angela Smallwood and Matt Lax – they are not disappearing completely and we will still see them around at events! We are delighted to welcome three new trustees on to the board: Gary Ackrill, Catherine Hocking and Josie Tanvir.

A presentation was made to Andrew James (ex-chairman of MfE) for the enormous contribution he has made to supporting Music for Everyone through the setting up and running of the Bookwise shops. We are extremely grateful for everything you have done Andrew!


 

I’m sure many of you will be looking forward to the giving and receiving of Easter eggs next weekend! But have you heard of “Easter eggs” in music?

For centuries composers have weaved secret messages or cryptograms into their works, from J.S. Bach to Shostakovich and this idea is still used today by songwriters such as Taylor Swift!

Find out more in this fun video: https://youtu.be/1GuJ-mFNauo?si=Tmg_mLDyhNUC06fN

Or why not test your ability to recognise words in musical notation?! Try this quiz:

https://www.classicfm.com/lifestyle/quizzes/answer-only-music-notes/

 

Can you answer these quiz questions using just music notes?

You can read music, but can you READ music…?

www.classicfm.com

 


 

  • Can you spare a minute to nominate us for the chance to win £1000?! Click on the banner below.
 

Nominate now! – Movement for Good awards

We could receive £1,000 in the Movement for Good draw.

movementforgood.com

 

  • An exciting upcoming concert by Melodic Fanfare, a Nottingham based brass ensemble. They will be holding their first live performance : A relaxing lunchtime debut concert featuring a variety of classical music. The concert will be held at University Hall, Nottingham on Friday 5th April with all proceeds going to Mind. Book tickets here.

 

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

25/03/2024

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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Our talented youth instrumentalists put on an amazing performance in their concert yesterday. We were also delighted to be joined by the Round Hill School Orchestra who joined MfE’s two youth bands to perform ‘Shorewood Overture’ by Michael Sweeney – a piece especially designed for 3 groups of different ability levels which fits like a jigsaw puzzle when played together. All three groups have been rehearsing separately this term and only came together for the first time on the day, creating a mass band of 60 players! A huge well done to the Strictly Strings, East Midlands Youth String Orchestra, Nottingham and East Midlands Youth Bands for a wonderful concert of musical variety and talent!

   

Congratulations to Nottingham Chamber Singers for a gravity defying performance on Saturday night at St Mary’s Church, Clifton. The choir performed a beautiful programme of music old and new on the theme of Angels, dreams and flying machines, much of it unknown to many of the audience and before they started rehearsals this term, most of the choir!

Birds soared, angels danced and even the family of bats in the belfry at the church came out for the show! A gorgeous night for all.

Tickets are still available for our West End to Broadway concert this Saturday at Rushcliffe Spencer Academy.  Tickets are only £8 and include a pre-concert drink.  Come along and hear our wonderful massed choir along with the joyful sound of our Open Voices groups.  Be entertained by the charismatic Simon Theobald and MfE’s wonderful Rachel Parkes as they perform highlights from some of the best-loved Broadway shows.  Tickets are available here, on the door or by phoning the office on 0115 958 9312.

Just a reminder to MfE members that the Annual General Meeting of Music for Everyone will take place this Wednesday at 7.15pm at St Luke’s Church, West Bridgford, NG2 6GL. We need to know today if you are planning on attending so please RSVP to admin@music-for-everyone.org


I don’t know what Daytime Voices have been putting in their cakes this term (gold?!) but they have managed to raise an astounding total of £760.96 from their end-of-term bake sales.  All of this money will go to support our Open Voices groups.  Thank you Daytime Voices!

All this talk of cake has put us in a baking mood.  Click here for some of the best pieces of music inspired by the art of baking!


  • Our Daytime Orchestras perform their end-of-term concerts this week: Daytime Orchestra Loughborough on Tuesday 19 March at All Saints Parish Church, Steeple Row, Loughborough LE11 1UX, and Daytime Orchestra Nottingham on Thursday 21 March at St Martins Church, Trevose Gardens, Sherwood NG5 3FU.  Come along at 11:00am and have a cup of tea or coffee with the players before being treated to a varied programme of Beethoven, Bernstein, Mendelssohn, John Barry and more.   Both concerts are free, so please do come along and support our wonderful adult instrumentalists.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

18/03/2024

admin@music-for-everyone.org

www.music-for-everyone.org | 0115 9589312

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#MfEMondays are Music for Everyone’s weekly emails designed to keep you up to date with MfE events & to circulate interesting finds, special features, and musical musings for your Mondays! We are aiming to send out something new each week.

WELL DONE to our VOCALS CHOIR for an amazing performance of songs from the Movies at the Albert Hall yesterday. 140 children worked incredibly hard in Saturday’s workshop ready for the concert to family and friends, we’ve had a great weekend with them all!

Don’t forget, the Nottingham Chamber Singers have their Angels, Dreams and Flying Machines concert this Saturday 16th March at St Mary’s Church in Clifton, last chance to book tickets in advance this week, we’ll have some on the door as well but best to reserve them now to avoid disappointment! Book here


It’s been a Movie-filled weekend with our Vocals event and the Oscars last night! (You might not know the results yet unless you were up at 1am to watch, so don’t read on if you’re not a fan of spoilers!)

The dark and tense score for Oppenheimer won Best Original Score by Ludwig Goransson. Using the violin as a starting point, Göransson and his wife Serena, a violinist, began experimenting with vibratos and microtonal glissandos, they aimed to convey the anxiety of Oppenheimer through the violin’s ability to instantly switch from a romantic and sentimental sound to something “neurotic” and “horrifying.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLUwsAbkmx0

By stark contrast, Best Original Song was won by Billie Eilish for her song What Was I Made for? From the Barbie movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW8VLC9nn ,a ballad that reflects on identity and belonging.


 

  • Blackwood Clarinets are excited to be organising their first Clarinet Play Day. This will be a full day event, on Sunday 14th July, including workshops and play sessions exploring music from the clarinet choir repertoire, along with a masterclass and optional improvisation session. The day will end with a short concert free for friends and family to attend. Please see attached flyer and for more information follow this link
  • An exciting upcoming concert by Melodic Fanfare, a Nottingham based brass ensemble. They will be holding their first live performance : A relaxing lunchtime debut concert featuring a variety of classical music. The concert will be held at University Hall, Nottingham on Friday 5th April with all proceeds going to Mind. See attached flyer and book tickets here.

 

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

11/03/2024

admin@music-for-everyone.org

www.music-for-everyone.org | 0115 9589312

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We’re gearing up for an exciting and busy March, so much music making coming up!

The Nottingham Chamber Singers concert ‘Angels, Dreams and Flying Machines’ is on Saturday 16 March at St Mary’s Church, Clifton. Join us for an evening of flight, fantasy and winged creatures, featuring poetry and musical works by Whitacre, Panufnik, Mendelssohn and Vaughan-Williams. Tickets available online in advance now: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/ncs-concert/ or you can buy on the door.

On Sunday 17th March, we’ll be ‘Springing into Music’ with our youth groups spring concert at Chilwell School for an afternoon concert of varied repertoire by string orchestras and wind bands. Tickets available online in advance now: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/yth-concert/ or purchased on the door, subject to availability.

Places are still available for West End to Broadway on Saturday 23rd March. Don’t miss out the opportunity to learn from the fantastic Simon Theobald. Click this link to hear from the man himself!: https://youtube.com/shorts/qCPwQ5jhyk4?feature=share


 

Call-out for volunteers! We are looking for some extra help at our friendly Open Voices group in Mansfield. They meet on Friday afternoons from 1.45-3.15pm at Portland College in the wonderful Newstart Theatre. If anyone is able to help our leader Cliff and join in the singing that would be great!  Please email su@music-for-everyone.org


 

It’s not quite officially springtime just yet, but as we have now reached March (and, fingers crossed, some nicer, dryer weather!) it seems apt to welcome the beginning signs of spring with some seasonal music. The most obvious is of course, Spring from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, who was born on this day, 4 March 1678: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LiztfE1X7E

Another is Vaughan-Williams The Lark Ascending, originating from a poem by George Meredith about the song of a skylark. The poem inspired Vaughan Williams to write a musical work of the same name: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbFi85piaEg Vaughan Williams also features in the NCS concert on 16 March.


 

  • If you haven’t already seen on our website, we have now released the choir repertoire for Summer School 2024! We’re thrilled that Hilary Campbell will be with us again and exploring the following pieces:
    • Lily Boulanger – Hymn au soleil
    • James MacMillan – O Radiant Dawn
    • Harold Arlen – Over the Rainbow
    • Roger Emerson – Ain’t no Mountain High Enough
  • The choir will also be doing Handel’s rousing anthem Zadok the Priest with the orchestra and an arrangement of Abide with Me with the string ensemble: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/summer-school-2024/

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

04/03/2024

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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We are busy putting packs together for our next vocals singing weekend – ‘Vocals at the Movies‘!  On Saturday 9th March, our young singers will gather at Nottingham Trent University for a day of rehearsals and fun activities.  On Sunday the 10th they take to the stage at the Albert Hall to entertain the audience with well-known songs from classic shows and films including Trolls, Annie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. To sign up for this course, click here.

 

Our Nottingham Festival Chorus Singers were in excellent voice at Nottingham Trent University this weekend, and we can’t wait to hear them alongside the Nottingham Concert Orchestra at the Albert Hall this coming Saturday.  To ensure your ticket for this not-to-be-missed concert, online booking has now reopened, click here.  Alternatively, contact the office on 0115 958 9312.


2024 is well underway and all of our regular groups are back to rehearsals.  Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes to get these groups up and running?  For the Daytime Voices groups alone we prepare 430 packs with 6 pieces of music. A massive thank you to our volunteers for coming into the office to help prepare and stuff music folders!

That’s 2,580 individual pieces of music that are chosen, sourced, printed, numbered, stamped and put into folders, not to mention 180 pieces of music for our Lunchtime Voices singers, 880 for our Daytime Orchestra players, and 270 for our youth bands and string ensembles!

And let’s not forget the 1,120 pieces of music that our Blow the Dusters got through last weekend and the 750 vocal scores our Nottingham Festival Chorus singers will use on Saturday.  That’s a whopping 5,780 pieces of music this year and it’s still only January!  Right, I’m off for a lie down!



Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

29/01/2024

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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#MfEMondays are Music for Everyone’s weekly emails designed to keep you up to date with MfE events & to circulate interesting finds, special features, and musical musings for your Mondays! We are aiming to send out something new each week.

Dear MfE friends, supporters, volunteers, singers, blowers, pluckers, bowers, arm-wavers, ivory-tinklers and bangers (that’s percussionists in case you were wondering)…

As it is our last MfE Mondays of 2023, it falls to me to thank each and every one of you for all of your contributions, both musical and otherwise, to all of Music for Everyone’s endeavours over the past year.

It has been a very busy and exciting 40th Anniversary year, with us saying welcome to new members, staff, our Artistic Director Alex Robinson, as well as wishing a fond farewell to some wonderful and hard-working members of the team, not least our fabulous founder, Angela Kay, for 40 years of enthusiasm, inspiration and frankly – REALLY HARD WORK!

We hope you have enjoyed all of our weekly groups, special events and concerts as much as we have. Each and every one of these ventures takes an enormous amount of work, and we wish to especially thank our office staff of Anne, Kirstie, Laura and Su, as well as all their team of volunteer-office supporters, for making these events run so smoothly. We hope they all enjoy a restful Christmas break.

Yesterday saw the Albert Hall full of singing, laughter and seasonal spirit for our annual Christmas is Coming celebration. A huge thank you and well-done to all of the participants, the Daytime Voices Choirs Nottingham Community Voices, Nottingham Chamber Singers, members of the Nottingham Concert Orchestra and of course our fabulous Vocals groups for putting on an amazing show. The roof was raised with everything from the rousing carol O Come all ye faithful, to a beautiful sign-language spectacle of White Christmas and a wild and joyous ride of Jingle Bells, along with our children performing a witty and impressive sung panto of Roald Dahl’s Jack and the Beanstalk. We hope you all left feeling suitably festive, I know I did, and our special visitor Father Christmas told me he was REALLY impressed with the beautiful singing!

Wishing you a peaceful and joyful Christmas and we look forward to seeing you all in the New Year!

Rachel

Vocal animateur and Assistant Artistic Director, MfE


 

No Christmas concert would be complete without the iconic whip crack in Sleigh Ride. Look what happens when you give percussionists free ‘rein’ (see what we did there?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLrEujhHsjs

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/NOoF0DR9ESA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCLavUoX7Sc&list=RDWCLavUoX7Sc&start_radio=1


 

  • Don’t forget we will be singing carols at the Test Match Pub in West Bridgford, this Thursday 21st December 5.30-6.30pm for an informal sing in aid of open voices. Please meet us there for a 5.30pm – everyone is welcome.
  • The Office will be closed for a Christmas break from 1pm on Friday 22nd December. We will be back open on Tuesday 2nd January for an exciting new term!

Have a great week and a Merry Christmas!

Your friends at MfE.

18/12/2023

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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Huge congratulations to all our fabulous youth groups for their magnificent performances in Wollaton yesterday. The standard of playing was fantastic from all the bands and string groups.  A particular highlight was the audience participation in The Twelve Days of Christmas which gave everyone a real workout!

You all deserve a rest, and we look forward to seeing you in 2024. New members always welcome – click here for more information.

Next Sunday 17th December over 200 performers will take to the stage for our final concert of the year: Christmas is Coming!  A festive afternoon concert for all the family to enjoy starring our Vocals youth choir, Nottingham Community Voices, Nottingham Chamber Singers and a visit from a special someone!

Tickets available to book online (click here) or call 0115 958 9312.


 

As it’s that time of year when many of us are treated to a school nativity we couldn’t resist sharing this gem. A young choral enthusiast, her school nativity play, and some very enthusiastic singing! 

https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/videos/nativity-girl-singing-loud-village-church/


 

  • Nottingham Symphonic Winds have their family concert “Memorable Moments” at the Albert Hall Nottingham, 11am on Saturday 16 December. It’s a family-friendly concert with a fun quiz for the whole family to enjoy. You will hear classic movie soundtracks from Jurassic Park to Frozen and lots of festive favourites too. Tickets available to book online at: https://nsw.org.uk/nswo_concerts/memorable-moments/

 

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

11/12/2023

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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Hello Everyone,

Bandwise and Stringwise were off to a great start this weekend, working on an exciting programme to perform in a Big Youth Experience Concert next weekend at the Albert Hall.


If you’re looking for an uplifting festive concert our chamber choir, the Nottingham Chamber Singers, are performing a joyful selection of Sparkling Baroque music on Saturday 2nd December at St John’s Church, Carrington. Angela Kay is conducting the concert and here she is to tell you a bit more about it!  https://youtu.be/AZo4466aMsQ

To book tickets call the office on 0115 958 9312 or follow this link: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/ncs-sparkling-baroque-booking/

Looking ahead to next year, places are booking up for our next Blow the Dust off your Instrument event (20th Jan) and the ‘Gloria’ Singing Weekend and Concert (27th-28th Jan and 3rd Feb).

There’s time to book if you haven’t already!


Here are a selection of reflective classical works to mark this weekend’s Remembrance Day:

https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/reflective-classical-music-remembrance-day/


Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

13/11/2023

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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Greetings MfE members!

We hope you’ve all kept safe and dry in the recent storms, and that everyone in our regularly rehearsing groups is looking forward to coming back together after the half-term break.

We’ll be excited to hear the fruits of this term’s labours in a couple of weeks at plenty of informal daytime concerts, and hoping that many of you are signing up for our Christmas is Coming! extravaganza.

You can sign-up here or by ringing the office.


This weekend and next, it’s the turn of brilliant young instrumentalists from beginner to advanced, as they will be busy rehearsing for their Big Youth Music Experience, which will be culminating in a grand showcase on Sunday 19th November.

To sign-up for Bandwise click here, and Stringwise click here.


We are pleased to announce the appointment of Phil Houghton, who will be leading MfE’s two Daytime Orchestras in Loughborough and Nottingham from November.

Phil is a freelance conductor, violist and violinist, and received his initial musical training in Leicestershire. After graduating from Trinity College of Music, London, he has had a varied career of playing, teaching and conducting in many styles and genres. He currently conducts LSU Classical in Loughborough, and the Bedworth Symphony Orchestra, and regularly works with other orchestras including The Stratford upon Avon Symphony Orchestra and The Charnwood Orchestra. He was also previously the conductor of the Leicestershire Schools Concert Orchestra.

Phil had his first conducting lessons as a teenager with Robert Mandell, in return for managing the library of his Melachrino Strings Orchestra! He has also had tuition from Peter Stark, who is Professor of Conducting at The Royal College of Music. Phil lives in South Leicestershire with his wife Rebecca and their 3 children.


You’ve likely seen a lot of fireworks around this weekend. If you’d like to add some musical fireworks to this sunny Monday, follow this link for a firework and bonfire themed playlist: Classical music inspired by fire – Classic FM.

It even features the brilliant Chariots of Fire which Bandwise and Stringwise will be performing in their concert on the 19th of November!


  • If you’re free on Saturday 18th November – Charnwood Voices have a fantastic concert lined up for you. With professional soloists performing, it promises to be an inspiring event. See flyer below for more details, and they hope to see you there.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

06/11/2023

admin@music-for-everyone.org

www.music-for-everyone.org | 0115 9589312

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

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Farewell from MfE Director – Moving on to new management roles in the arts

I would like to inform you that I will be moving on from Music for Everyone in the New Year.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the charity, working with such dedicated staff, musicians, volunteers and trustees. I have been blown away with the artistic quality and commitment. I hope I have been able to add a valuable contribution since my appointment last May, and official start in September 2022. I feel we have made a lot of progress in the strategic direction, building partnerships, attracting funding, enjoying a successful season to celebrate the 40th anniversary.

I have secured a new management position at Arts Council England part time, and I have commenced a Development Director role at Kinetika part time.  I look forward to progressing my silk painting practice, with international plans as an artist for 2024 and beyond.

My last day at MfE is 22nd December. I will be working 2 days a week until then.

I wish you all the best for the coming season and into the future.  I hope to see you at one of the weekly sessions or festive concerts very soon.  Thank you once again for welcoming me into this musical family. 

Kind regards

Donna


Christmas Vocals for school years 1 – 8 is open for booking! Bring your young singers along for a festive workshop afternoon on Saturday 16th December at NTU Clifton with songs from Roald Dahl’s musical rendition of Jack and the Beanstalk, and sing under twinkling lights with hits from Disney and Take That.

Book online and find out more information here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/vocals-christmas-is-coming/


 

It’s Halloween tomorrow, so… We’ve come up with our favourite Halloween themed music in an extra-special MfE Halloween playlist! There’s a great variety in here, so you’re bound to find something you enjoy! https://www.music-for-everyone.org/news/mfe-halloween-playlist/


  • Calling flute players! WINDBLOWERS are offering a Pearl Experience Day on Tuesday 7th November here in Nottingham with Liz Walker as Guest Artist and the Pearl resident technician, Rene Tempel, both on site.

More details are available on Windblowers Facebook page, or by contacting Windblowers through the website – www.windblowers.com


Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

30/10/2023

admin@music-for-everyone.org

www.music-for-everyone.org | 0115 9589312

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

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