singing

Course: Summer School 2024

Booking is now open!

Click here to download the Summer School Flyer

Welcome from the Summer School Artistic Director

 

“On your marks, get set, GO! Come and take part in MfE’s 2024 Paris Olympics themed Summer School – three days of shared music making, with courses and workshops for intermediate and advanced musicians aged 16+. Hone your musicianship, tackle new musical challenges and meet like-minded people. Light the Olympic torch in the symphony orchestra with extracts from Stravinsky’s Firebird, explore the city streets in Ellerby’s Paris sketches for wind band and discover Hymne au soleil by Lili Boulanger with the chamber choir. The strings will leap into the athletic world of Vivaldi’s Overture to L’Olimpiade and the saxophones will take on a ‘jazzy’ challenge. We can’t wait to welcome you on the start line for another adrenaline pumping summer of music!”

The Music:

For Singers:

Lili Boulanger – Hymne au soleil

James MacMillan – O Radiant Dawn

Harold Arlen arr. Mark Hayes – Over the Rainbow

Roger Emerson – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

*Including a choir performance in the chapel*

For Orchestra:

Igor Stravinsky                  Berceuse and Finale from The Firebird (1919)

Emile Waldteufel              Skater’s Waltz

Edward Elgar                     Finale from Enigma Variations

 

 

For Wind Band:

Martin Ellerby                   Paris Sketches (movements from)

Ron Goodwin (arr. Kelley)             The Trap

 

 

For Saxophone Ensemble:

TBA

 

 

 

For String Orchestra:

Antonio Vivaldi                 L’Olimpiade Overture

Frederick Delius (arr. Spilsbury)   Two Aquarelles

Jean Sibelius                      Andante Festivo

 

Conductors & Guest Artists:

We are thrilled to welcome back many familiar faces, along with some new artists including exciting young brass group Quartet Menine, and violinist Katie Foster and guitarist Ben Sayah. We are delighted that Summer School accompanist, Richard Cox, will again treat us to a relaxing recital in the exquisite setting of the Chapel at Trent College.

Quartet Menine join us on Tuesday for a brassy spectacular, not to be missed!

A folk-classical duo, violinist Katie Foster and guitarist Ben Sayah, will lead a jazz-folk fusion workshop on Monday after their lunchtime recital.

“The conductors were absolutely superb, what a privilege to work with them.”

More information on conductors and Guest artists to follow!

The Details:

A Summer School pack with all your music will be sent out to you approximately four weeks in advance.

Each day will start at 10am (registration from 9.30am) and finish at approximately 5.30pm with Showcase Concerts for the singers and instrumentalists early on Wednesday evening.

“It was great fun. A varied and fascinating mix of music. Tutors were excellent.”

Be part of the social buzz. There is plenty of time to chat to tutors, browse the stands and enjoy the school grounds.

There will be coffee and pastries to welcome you on the first day and a farewell buffet on the final evening.

The Venue:

Trent College

 

We will be back at the beautiful Trent College in Long Eaton, where expert-led rehearsals will be interspersed with inspiring recitals from acclaimed musicians.

 

 

How to Enrol 

The Summer School fee: £145 for MfE Members, £175 for non-members, £85 for Students, covers all music, tuition, refreshments at breaks, and drinks and buffet after the showcase concert. In order to provide the best quality experience for all participants, some instrument numbers will be capped. Please book early to avoid disappointment.

To book online, click the button below, or contact the office on 0115 9589312. Alternatively download the PDF Form here and return your completed form with cheque payment to the details on the flyer.

 

Family Festival Day

1pm – 5.30pm at Middle Street Resource Centre, Beeston, Nottingham NG9 2AR

From World Drumming workshops to singing sessions for the whole family to take part in and music to enjoy in the garden, there is something for everyone. We’ll also have a cake stall, drinks and games/activities in and around the venue.

Have a go at world drumming with Jude from BeatFeet on djembe drums and rainforest-themed props. Join Rachel in the Family Sing workshop, where all ages are welcome, from 5 – 105!

The Lullaby Bank is a group designed especially for new mothers and babies aged 0 – 9 months to address the specific post-partum experience. This includes well-being, bonding, emotional and physical concerns. Open Voices are MfE’s health initiative designed to suit adults with learning disabilities, come and try a session with Helen to see how it works! More information about the Lullaby Bank and Open Voices regular sessions can be found on the MfE website: www.music-for-everyone.org/health-well-being/

WORLD DRUMMING WORKSHOPS
Workshop 1: 1pm – 1.30pm
Workshop 2: 1.40pm – 2.10pm
We are offering the opportunity to join one of two workshops with Jude from BeatFeet, open to the whole family to join in on djembe drums! There will also be rainforest-themed props for younger children. Advance booking essential as places are limited.

FAMILY SING WORKSHOP
3pm – 4pm
Come and enjoy a fun afternoon of singing together. Children aged 5+ with their mums, dads, grandparents, carers, aunts and uncles – the whole family, friends too! Singing is great for health, togetherness, confidence and fun.

No preparation is needed, we will send all details out by email before the day – all you need is your best singing voice!

LULLABY BANK
2.15pm – 3pm
A chance to relax and bond with your baby to melodies from around the world… in our calm space.

The Lullaby Bank is your chance to relax and bond with your baby in a calm space. Sing and listen to melodies from around the world to soothe and uplift. Bring a blanket or towel for baby to lie on.

FREE session for babies aged 0-9months. Booking essential, places are limited. Please email kirstie@music-for-everyone.org to reserve a place for you and your baby.

FESTIVAL VISITORS
Entry from 1pm – 4.30pm. Festival finishes at 5.30pm
If a workshop isn’t for you, come along and enjoy an afternoon of relaxed music from the Family Sing participants, MfE youth bands and other ensembles in the garden with a piece of cake and a cup of summer punch. £2 entry for festival visitors.

Enrolment and Price

NB Please note, all children must be accompanied by an adult.

Workshop price – £7 per adult, £5 per child (between the ages of 5 and 15)

Online – pay through PayPal or by card

Complete the form and payment here to sign up. Payment can be made via PayPal or debit/credit card.


By post – pay by cheque

Please download and complete this pdf form and post it, together with your enrolment cheque (made payable to Music for Everyone) to Music for Everyone, 10 Goose Gate, Hockley, Nottingham NG1 1FF

For any further information, email admin@music-for-everyone.org or telephone 0115 9589312

Summer School Day 2: A Capella is the game, Papagena is the name

Music for Everyone

An incredible second day of Summer School on a (mostly) sunny Tuesday at Trent College.

Rehearsals for choir, orchestra, sax ensemble, string orchestra and wind band (busy, busy!) continued throughout the morning (fuelled by regular top ups of tea, coffee and biscuits of course!).

Today’s guests, all-female a capella quintet Papagena blew the roof off the chapel and received a standing ovation at the end of their lunchtime recital for Summer School participants. Their programme, aptly named ‘Nuns and Roses’ featured hauntingly beautiful melodies of traditional Ukrainian lullabies and Georgian hymns all the way through to ‘hard rock’ Guns ‘n’ Roses Sweet Child o’ mine and finishing with The woman’s ‘If’ – a work commissioned for Papagena and based on Caitlin Moran’s female perspective to Rudyard Kipling’s If. Many of the pieces in the programme were also arranged by members of the group. Simply amazing.

Papagena then led the choir in a workshop, teaching them one of the pieces from their recital and working on some of the repertoire chosen by Hilary for this year’s course.

Further rehearsals in the afternoon led to Tuesday’s ‘sharing concert’ – where the singers perform the players and the players perform to the singers. A short session to share items that won’t feature in the final Showcase Concert – from the choir with Hilary (with Richard’s debut performance on the drums…), the sax ensemble with Keiron, the string orchestra with Rob and the wind band, again with Keiron performing A Single Step of his own composition.

That wraps up another busy Summer School day, bring on the finale!

#SummerSchool2023

Summer School Day 2 in under 20 seconds!

#MfEMonday – 12th December 2022

Music for Everyone

What an amazing concert yesterday to end such a Christmassy week for MfE! A great big WELL DONE to all the singers in Vocals and Nottingham Community Voices for a great performance and a special thank you to Santa for taking the time to drop by.

We have been getting into the festive spirit with this great playlist of classical Christmas favourites – perfect for tree decorating, present wrapping and anything else that requires an alternative to Chris Rea!

https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/occasions/christmas/best-festive-classical-music/

  • There are still a few places left for Blow The Dust Off Your Instrument! If you are looking at that cello in the attic, clarinet in the garage or trumpet in shed (don’t keep trumpets in sheds please) you have just a few days left to sign up for our 7th January BTD! All the info and how to book online is here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/blow-the-dust-off-your-instrument-3/

Stay warm and have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

12/12/2022

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

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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 motivational moments for your Mondays! We are aiming to send out something new each week.

Summer School Day 3: The Big Finale

Music for Everyone

What. A. Day.

Everyone was still in high spirits despite the rather warm weather as final rehearsals and preparations for the Showcase Concert got underway.

Simon Theobald, our guest artist for today and firm friend of MfE having worked with us at our Musicals concerts in the past, brought us a programme that was ‘unashamedly popular’ (his words!) at the lunchtime concert, even managing to get everyone to join in at the end!

The singers were then treated to a workshop on some Gilbert & Sullivan with Simon, before all came together for the Showcase Concert for family, friends and guests in the Oblensky Building.

The concert was a triumph! A wonderful mix of music from Britten to Vaughan Williams, featuring harpsichords and recorders alongside the choir, orchestra, strings and band and a mega finish with the Agincourt Song. (More photos to follow…)
The traditional Summer School buffet followed after, with enough sausage rolls to feed an army and a chance to cool down after a ‘rather warm’ performance.

THANK YOU – firstly to all who took part on the course, for making this one a sell-out and singing/playing with enthusiasm and a smile, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.
Also to our superstar volunteer and ‘bumper’ team, helping to serve the endless tea and coffee, moving chairs and things when needed, manning the book stall and supporting all instrumental and vocal sections.
Our brilliant conductors Gill, Hilary and Rob – who once again smashed it (I don’t think we’ve put them off yet), our amazing guests Anthony, Carmen and Simon, and to the wonderful Trent College for hosting us once again, who have THE best site and staff team supporting us.

Phew! Right, where’s the [insert preferred alcoholic drink here]…

See you next year!

#MfEMondays – 18th October 2021

Music for Everyone

Saturday saw 150 people gathering at Nottingham’s Albert Hall for our Autumn Singing Workshop and Concert. This was the first event for the Nottingham Festival Chorus since January 2020 which was originally planned to take place in June. However, despite the postponement, it was a fantastic occasion, the chorus in fine voice with rousing renditions of Vaughan William’s Let All the World in Every Corner Sing and Holst’s Psalm 148 accompanied by Henry Parkes on the organ along with the strings of the Nottingham Classical Players. Other music included three anthems by John Rutter and excerpts from Henry Purcell’s Ode to Queen Mary with Sarah Trevers, Rachel Parkes, Angela Kay and Greg Treloar singing the solo arias.

The concert programme also contained two organ solos, Elgar’s Chanson du Matin played by the strings and two items by the Nottingham Chamber Singers. All in all, a great day!

Here are some moments our photographer managed to capture.

As the daily temperatures begin to fall and the autumn colours appear on the trees, we thought you might like some music inspired by the change of season to listen to –

Autumn Music – Jennifer Higdon – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA8zWzGuDjg

Autumn (from Die Jahreszeiten) – Joseph Haydn – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHYBac1B6_g

Autumn (from The Seasons) – Aexander Glazunov – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg6dZScORQk

Autumn Leaves – Joseph Kosma – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9-6lnnUeT4

  • Performing music is often a very serious business but the duo of violinist Alexsey Igudesman and pianist Hyung-ki Joo prove that classical musicians often have a sense of humour too…..
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKZITB_r8t0

Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

18/10/2021

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

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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 motivational moments for your Mondays! We are aiming to send out something new each week.

#MfEMondays – Keeping in Touch

Music for Everyone

KEEPING IN TOUCH

Hello everyone,

Well what a week of frustration and disappointment!

There we all were, along with thousands of other singers throughout the country, looking forward so much to joining together and having a SING!!

But – as I’m sure you are now all aware – the government made a screeching u-turn round about 5pm last Tuesday regarding choir rehearsals and singing was proclaimed DANGEROUS!! Professional choirs are able to sing together but only 6 amateur singers are allowed to sing under one roof!!

This meant that one of our choir rehearsals on Wednesday evening could not go ahead as planned and our Family Singing Afternoon at the Albert Hall, which was going to be a wonderful event with almost 100 singers from across the generations enjoying themselves together, was scuppered and has had to be rescheduled for later in the year (17th July). And it looks as though our Daytime Voices rehearsal scheduled for Wednesday of this week will have to be cancelled.  We’ll be in touch with singers round about lunchtime tomorrow to let you know what’s happening.

So we’ve hit the media to express our feelings!

Our chairman, John Hess gave an excellent interview on East Midlands Today. https://youtu.be/PZ2ljbf25sM

Robin Reece-Crawford returned to Radio Nottingham on Sunday morning to chat once again to Francis Finn https://youtu.be/SuuhmykKVww

And the Evening Post ran an article about the whole situation. On line on Thursday https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/charity-singing-group-disappointed-latest-5439430 and in the newspaper on Saturday.

So what can you do?

  1. Write to your MP – John wrote to his and she raised it with the Prime Minister at the meeting of the 1922 Committee of Conservative MPs.
  2. Sign this on-line petition – very easy to do and it will make a difference. Let’s see if we can make Nottingham and the surrounding areas bright red on the petition map. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/586559
  3. Make representation to anyone you know in high places.
  4. Hope that the government sees sense!!

We’ll keep you up-dated with any developments.

Keep cheerful!

Angela

PS The subject was raised on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme this morning – perhaps waves are being created.

Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

24/05/2021

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on Instagram

*Support us with easyfundraiser*

#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 motivational moments for your Mondays! We are aiming to send out something new each week.

#MfEMondays Extra!

Music for Everyone

KEEPING IN TOUCH – Diary Dates!

Hello Everyone

In Monday’s email I said I would let you know our plans for the coming months just as soon as they were finalised – and here they are!

We’ll be letting you have further details about timings, repertoire etc. closer to the event – but at least you have something to put in your diaries and, we hope, look forward to!

Live music making is coming back – let’s all keep our fingers crossed that the government doesn’t have to change the ‘road map’!

With all best wishes

Angela

MfE Workshops and Concert Dates – 2021/22

Those in red are for youth, those in blue for adult and those in green for everyone!

2021

  • Sunday 23 May, Albert Hall – Family Singing Afternoon
  • Saturday 19 June, Albert Hall –Youth Wind Band Playing Afternoon
  • Sunday 20 June, Albert Hall –Youth String Orchestra Playing Afternoon
  • Sunday 27 June,  Albert Hall –Festival Chorus Workshop day
  • Saturday 10 July, Albert Hall –Blow the Dust off your Instrument Workshop Day
  • Saturday 17 July, Albert Hall – Festival of Youth Workshop Day
  • Mon – Wed 9, 10 & 11 August, Trent College (venue to be confirmed) –MfE Summer School
  • Sat/Sun 9 & 10 October, venue to be decided –Festival Chorus Singing Weekend
  • Saturday 16 Oct, Albert Hall –Festival Chorus Concert
  • Sat/Sun 6 & 7 November, venue to be decided –Youth Instrumental Playing Weekend
  • Sunday 14 November, Albert Hall –Youth Instrumental Concert
  • Saturday 11 Dec, venue to be decided –Youth Christmas Singing Afternoon
  • Sunday 12 Dec,  Albert Hall –Christmas is Coming Concert

2022

  • Saturday 8 January,  Albert Hall –Blow the Dust off your Instrument Workshop Day
  • Sat/Sun 29 & 30 January, venue to be decided – Festival Chorus Singing Weekend
  • Saturday 5 February, Albert Hall – Festival Chorus Concert
  • Sat/Sun 26 & 27 February, venue to be decided –Youth Instrumental Playing Weekend
  • Sunday 6 March, Albert Hall –Youth Instrumental Concert
  • Saturday 23 April, venue to be decided –Musicals Singing Workshop
  • Sunday 24 April, Albert Hall –Musicals Concert
  • Sat/Sun 14 & 15 May, venue to be decided –Youth Singing Weekend
  • Sunday 22 May, Albert Hall –Youth Singing Concert
  • Saturday 11 June, Albert Hall –Blow the Dust off your Instrument Workshop Day
  • Saturday 25 June, venue to be decided –Festival Chorus Workshop Day
  • Mon – Wed 8, 9 & 10 August, venue to be decided –MfE Summer School

Sing into Shape

MfE’s online singing project for January – February 2021!

Brought to you by MfE’s Assistant Artistic Director, Rachel Parkes and Director of Music of St Barnabas Cathedral, Greg Treloar – these online sessions are designed to help refresh your singing voice and get it back into shape with helpful warm up tips as well as rehearsing a piece of music, chosen by our conductors.

Rachel Parkes

Greg Treloar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sessions in this 4-week course are uploaded to our YouTube channel every Wednesday, but you can watch them in your own time when it suits you.

MfE’s online singing sessions are free of charge to access, but if you feel able to make a donation to support MfE through these hard times, you can do so with a card or through PayPal here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/donations-page/

Or if you already have an account with us, through our website here (at the bottom of the page): Make a donation

To be added to the online choir mailing list, please email admin@music-for-everyone.org and further details will be sent to you.

Summer School 2019, Day 1: Pastries and Tummies!

Helena Durham

This morning Music for Everyone’s three-day Summer School got underway once more, but at a new venue – Nottingham High School. About 150 instrumentalists and singers arrived looking cheery, pleased to have overcome the absence of trams and the road closures. Or perhaps at the prospect of fresh coffee and pastries…

The day was filled with a rich variety of rehearsals and workshops in preparation for Wednesday’s concert performance. The repertoire for all groups has been themed to complement the 50th anniversaries of both the moon landing and Sir Robin Knox-Johnson’s circumnavigation of the globe.

Fly me to the moon, and let me play among the stars!

More about the wind band and strings tomorrow – today’s focus is on the choir. Angela Kay, Music for Everyone’s founder and artistic director, led the singers through warm ups and into Ola Gjeilo’s Across the Vast Eternal Sky (one of her favourites, apparently). Then she had everyone swinging Fly me to the Moon before ending the morning with a first go at Handel’s Let their celestial concerts, superbly accompanied by Richard Cox. 

Lunch was followed by a recital and workshop with mens’ vocal quartet Scaramella. They entertained us with snatches and glees from 18th century gentlemen’s clubs – as you might imagine, the lyrics featured much wine and were at times on the naughty side! The workshop stretched the singers physically and vocally, and everyone enjoyed exploring Pearsall’s poignant Lay a Garland.

After a cuppa, Jane McDouall, fresh from the south, returned to a warm welcome and led a singing technique session followed by a Q+A. Everyone will be breathing (inhaling, Jane prefers) with shoulders down and the right muscles in play tomorrow. ‘Basically,’ Jane said, ‘there’s no point trying to hold your tummy in and look good if you want to have breath for singing!’ The choir is looking forward to Tuesday’s arrival of visiting conductor and choral director, Hilary Campbell.

“Let those tummy muscles go!”