#MfEMonday – 9th June 2025

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 2nd June 2025

2nd June 2025 Music for Everyone

This weekend is the MfE Family Festival Day! Saturday 7^th June at Middle Street Resource Centre in Beeston, 1pm – 5pm. Please come along and support the MfE groups that will be taking part; Beeston Open Voices, Wollaton Daytime Voices, Nottingham Chamber Singers and Sunday Afternoon Big Band. Turn up anytime throughout the afternoon to hear the groups perform, we’ve also got a cake stall, games and tombola!

We’ve also got drumming workshops and singing workshops – spaces will be available on the day, or you can book in advance now to avoid disappointment: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/family-festival/

Drumming #1: 1.10pm – 1.40pm

Drumming #2: 1.50pm – 2.20pm

Nursery rhyme time: 2.30pm – 3.15pm

Family Sing: 3.30pm – 4.15pm

Have a look at last year’s event and keep your fingers crossed for some lovely weather again! https://youtu.be/9B6Xz-bLr7I

We’ve all heard how classical music can be soothing and calming to babies, both before and after they are born – with studies showing 84% of foetuses responding positively to classical music over 59% for pop music.

But recently, it’s also been shown that music sessions, particularly with waltz-time rhythms (think Viennese Waltz King Johann Strauss!) can improve babies abilities to detect patterns in sounds and help with language and speech sounds.

If you’ve got little ones who enjoy a lullaby and nursery rhyme, bring them along to the Family Festival on Saturday where Rachel will be running a special singing session for under 5s from 2.30pm – 3.15pm, which is free to attend once you have entered the festival – looking forward to seeing you all there! No need to book in advance, just turn up

LAST CHANCE to donate to our bottle tombola and cake stall for the Family Festival Day on 7th June. If you are coming along and would like to donate something to support MfE, please bring along on the day and a huge thank you to those that have donated already!
A concert you may be interested in as part of Sherwood Arts Week: Monday Night Live – 30th June, Sherwood Methodist Church, 7pm. A concert celebrating musical and artistic diversity as part of Sherwood Arts Week. Free admission. Cakes available for donations.

‘Just Us’ – a concert at Beeston Methodist Church on 7th June at 7.30pm. Come and listen to a programme full of songs from many countries, in aid of Mission Possible 2 (see attached flier)

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

02/06/2025

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 19th May 2025

19th May 2025 Music for Everyone

We hope you have been enjoying the sunshine this week – even if your gardens are not!

Here is a round-up of all our summer musical offerings:

07 June, Family Festival

Musical fun for the whole family. Something for everyone from World Drumming workshops to singing sessions for the whole family, and music to enjoy in the garden. There will also be a cake stall, a second-hand bookshop, drinks, and games/activities in and around the venue. Book your workshop place here.

14 June , Blow the Dust

Instrumental playing day. Places are still available, click here.

21 June, Nottingham Chamber Singers 40th Birthday Celebration Concert

Don’t miss this wonderful celebration! Tickets are available here.

28 June, Choral Workshop with Neil Ferris

Workshop with BBC Singers choral director, Neil Ferris. Places still available. Click here to book.

4 – 6 August, Summer School

A wonderful 3 days of music making with expert conductors and tutors, and performances from exceptional guest artists.

Places still available. Click here to book.

This year’s BBC Proms season has just been announced and features 86 concerts, 72 at London’s Royal Albert Hall and 14 at venues elsewhere around the UK.

The Proms was founded in 1895 by impresario Robert Newman, who wanted to bring life to the quiet summer months with a bold new kind of concert. His idea was simple but revolutionary: take out the expensive stalls seats and create a standing area, a ‘promenade’, right in front of the orchestra. Newman made these standing tickets the cheapest in the house, putting those who paid the least closest to the music and flipping the usual stuffy rules of classical concerts on their head.

That approach still defines the Proms today. ‘Promming’ remains the most affordable way to attend, and you don’t need to book ahead. Each day at 10:30am, around 1,000 standing tickets are released online for just £8, even if all seated tickets are sold out, making The Proms the most accessible major classical music festival. Shame they can’t do anything about train fares to London!

Can you help with donations for our Family Festival? This is a reminder to donate any spare bottles or chocolates! At our Family Festival we will be running some tombola stalls. If you are able to donate a box of chocolates or a bottle of any kind (wine, shampoo, water bottle, olive oil etc.) please drop them into Bookwise Nottingham (10 Goose Gate, Nottingham, NG1 1FF) or hand them in to Rachel Parkes at DTV Hucknall, Southwell or West Bridgford!
How well do you understand noise? See flier to help participate in an NTU Psychology study: Flier

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

19/05/2025

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

https://youtu.be/vsut8hlCrcg?si=w8IAUk7OlGuukK8p

#MfEMonday – 12th May 2025

12th May 2025 Music for Everyone

On Sunday, the Nottingham Chamber Singers gathered at Nottingham University for a special ‘Meet the Composer’ workshop with composer Libby Croad. They were joined by fellow singers from Music for Everyone, talented string players, and young musicians from the East Midlands Youth String Orchestra. Libby, who has been commissioned to compose a brand-new work ‘The Nightingale’ for NCS’s 40th Anniversary Concert this June, shared fascinating insights into her creative process. From the first spark of an idea to the shaping of musical phrases, attendees were given a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the journey of a composition in the making.

There was plenty of opportunity for discussion too — singers and players were invited to ask questions, offer feedback, and even influence the work itself. It was a unique opportunity to be part of a very special historic moment for the NCS

Don’t miss the chance to hear the final piece come to life at the anniversary concert on 21st June. Tickets are available online here or by calling the office on 0115 958 9312.

On Saturday 28th June, we have the Singing workshop day ‘Choral Inspirations’ with BBC Symphony Chorus Director Neil Ferris. Sign up to take part here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/neilferris/

We are excited to welcome Neil Ferris to our next singing workshop day at St Martin’s Church in Sherwood. Neil recently spoke with Rachel over Zoom about all things choral music, here’s a snippet introducing himself to you!

Keep an eye out for the full interview coming soon!

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As our singing workshop in June is all about ‘inspiration’ we’ve discovered some quotes about music from composers – some inspiring and some downright strange for musing on a Monday!

Leonard Bernstein – “To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time.”

Benjamin Britten – “The old idea of a composer suddenly having a terrific idea and sitting up all night to write it is nonsense. Night time is for sleeping.”

Richard Wagner – “Imagination creates reality.”

Do you shop online? If you do, you can support MfE further at no extra cost to you through Easy Fundraising! It is free to set up an account, choose your charity to support (Music for Everyone!) and visit your online shops through their website to generate donations straight from the brands you shop with. Information is anonymous so we can’t tell where you’ve been shopping for peace of mind! Find out how and set it up today here: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/musicforeveryone

Music For Everyone Fundraising | Easyfundraising

Raise free funds for Music For Everyone today by shopping online via Easyfundraising. Click now to shop at no extra cost and raise free donations.

www.easyfundraising.org.uk

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There is a free drum workshop taking place on Thursday 15th May at NTU.

Details can be found here: https://www.ntu.ac.uk/about-us/events/events/2025/4/slow-hands,-fast-ears-drumkit-worshop?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ1qcBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFycjlRZ3lvVGM5em5FRnpSAR7s55DOVB0UjwpSc1s-Mx_M9p1ZUxIZtsaOvG0wUa5fo4I9kMX2Zryo5xuuIg_aem_LcT-9mdI7hAyZi1EzDDkfQ
Free SING! Workshops for Y5-8 from the National Youth Choir. These will be on 18th May, 13th September and 18th October in Newark and Mansfield. Each workshop day is led by a friendly team of vocal leaders from National Youth Choir. Young singers in school years 5-8 will learn exciting new songs, make new friends and develop their musical skills. Sign up now to join them at their next free event https://www.nationalyouthchoir.org.uk/sing-nottinghamshire

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

12/05/2025

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

World Drumming Workshops (1:10pm or 1:50pm)

#MfEMonday – 29th April 2025

28th April 2025 Music for Everyone

We had a marvellous, magical and mythical weekend at our Vocals singing workshop and concert! There was some fantastic singing so congratulations to everyone who took part. We are now looking forward to our Family Festival Day – Saturday 7th June (Middle Street, Beeston)

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, second hand bookshop, drinks and games/activities in and around the venue.

Workshops available to book in advance as follows (£8 per adult / £6 per child, Includes Festival Entry)

Lullaby Bank (2:30pm-3:15pm)

Family Sing Workshop (3:30pm-4:15pm)

Festival visitors – Pay on the day. Entry from 1pm – 4.30pm (£4 entry for adults, £2 for children over 5)If a workshop isn’t for you, come along and enjoy an afternoon of relaxed music from the Family Sing participants, MfE groups and other ensembles in the garden with a piece of cake and other activities. Charity bookshop Bookwise are bringing a selection of books and sheet music for you to browse. Music in the Garden from Music for Everyone groups including: Beeston Open Voices, SAM Big Band, Wollaton Daytime Voices, Nottingham Chamber Singers plus special guests: Second Time Around Folk Club and Beeston Community Drumming Circle (BC/DC)

COMING SOON…Meet the Composer Open Workshop – Sunday 11th May, 2 – 4.30pm University of Nottingham, Music DepartmentHave you ever wondered how a composer goes about writing a piece for choir and orchestra? This is your unique opportunity to find out!To celebrate their 40th Anniversary the Nottingham Chamber Singers have commissioned a piece for choir and string orchestra from the gifted, Nottingham-born composer, Libby Croad. Come along and watch, or sing with the choir, and be part of the creative process as Libby introduces and explores her new piece, ‘The Nightingale’

Click here for more information and to sign up or see the attached flyer.

As the world pays its respects to Pope Francis this week we reflect on his love of music.

We know from interviews, and his famed frequent trips to record stores, that he loved music. Pope Francis’ music library, curated by Cardinal Ravasi, is the home of over 2,000 CDs and 19 vinyl records, among which are albums by Édith Piaf and Elvis Presley as well as Wagner, Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Piazzolla and Pärt from the revered performers and conductors Pope Francis loved.

“Among musicians, I love Mozart,” he said in a 2013 interview. “The ‘Et incarnatus est’ from his Mass in C minor is matchless; it lifts you to God!”

Some of you will have heard the Nottingham Festival Chorus perform Mozart’s ‘Mass in C minor’ in February. Click here to have a listen to the sublime ‘Et incarnatus est’: https://youtu.be/3JuMyBtszG0?si=BvOTX7ogW02DP6En

Call out for donations of bottles or chocolates!! At our Family Festival we will be running some tombola stalls! If you are able to donate a box of chocolates or a bottle of any kind (wine, shampoo, water bottle, olive oil etc.) please drop them into Bookwise Nottingham (10 Goose Gate, Nottingham, NG1 1FF) or hand them in to Rachel Parkes at DTV Hucknall, Southwell or West Bridgford!
Lincoln Choral Society have a concert coming up on 10^th May at Lincoln Cathedral. See attached flyer for further details.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

28/04/2025

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

Choral Inspirations: Singing workshop day with Neil Ferris, Saturday 28 ^th June, 10am-5.30pm

#MfEMonday – 7th April 2025

7th April 2025 Music for Everyone

Well done to all our amazing youth groups for their ‘Spirit of Spring’ concert on Saturday at Sherwood Methodist Church. From Vivaldi and Mozart to ‘Music in the Dark’ by Danny Elfman performed in streaming sunlight (as it was a lovely afternoon!) there was a varied programme for all to enjoy! Here are a few photos of them in action!

Limited places available – don’t miss out!

We are excited to welcome Neil who is Chorus Director of the BBC Symphony Chorus so you may have seen him at the Proms! He is conductor of the professional chamber choir ‘Sonoro’ who will be joining us at the Summer School and has worked with some of the finest choirs in the UK. We can’t wait to see what he has in store.

The workshop day will include choral favourites from Bach, Brahms, Franck and Elgar which will be paired with new works with fresh re-imaginings of the same texts such as the two versions of Panis Angelicus below:

César Franck – Panis Angelicus (https://youtu.be/_j7-XOmlob8?si=wXBTttKW5jGgtCPn)
Rebecca Dale – Panis Angelicus ‘Reimagined’ (https://youtu.be/ezfbwdMCNsE?si=WTjCy_tlbVnlfIjR)

Don’t miss this incredible experience! click here to book online or call the MfE office on 0115 958 9312.

Summer School is also booking up fast – Clarinets and oboes now fully booked and last few places left for flutes! Please email anne@music-for-everyone.org if you would like to join a waiting list.

Plenty of places left for all voice parts. To book your place please click here or call the MfE office on 0115 958 9312.

You might have seen King Charles playing twinkle twinkle little star on the carrot last week. Did you know that London has it’s own Vegetable Orchestra seen here on Saturday Night Takeaway with Gary Barlow!

With the School Easter Holidays just starting, why not see what edible instruments you can make?

Here’s something to get you started: How To Turn A Carrot Into A Recorder

MfE Music Amnesty! – Please return any sheet music you can find belonging to MfE. There will be a box on the mezzanine at Nottingham Bookwise or music can be posted to the office.
An upcoming concert that may interest you: Sleaford Choral Society Concert – Saturday 12th April in St Denys, Sleaford, 7.30pm.

Tickets online and at door, details on poster attached.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

07/04/2025

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 31st March 2025

31st March 2025 Music for Everyone

Nottingham Chamber Singers and Players gave a stunning performance of their ‘Easter Images’ concert to a packed church in Ruddington on Saturday evening. Conducted by Angela Kay and Rachel Parkes and using different parts of the building to enhance the story, the concert included music by Bach, Handel, Rachmaninov and Poulenc interspersed with reading by Robin Reece-Crawford and Robert Carlin. A particular highlight was the beautiful performance by Rachel Parkes (voice) and Helen Tonge (violin) of ‘Erbarme dich, mein Gott’ from Bach’s St Matthew Passion.

A concert which will long remain in the memories of both performers and audience alike.

Lunchtime Voices invite you to join their OPEN SING this Thursday 3^rd April as part of the Theatre Royal and Concert Hall’s Soundstage festival. No booking necessary, open to all seasoned and new singers, just turn up and join Rachel and the gang for a musical lunchtime! Thursday 3^rd April, 12.30pm – 1.30pm in the Level 4 Foyer of the Royal Concert Hall.

See the full list of concerts and events forming the Soundstage festival here: https://trch.co.uk/soundstage/

We have another exciting concert coming up this weekend, from the MfE youth groups! Come and support them on Saturday 5^th April, 3pm at Sherwood Methodist Church as they celebrate the arrival of spring in their end of term concert. Tickets are available here in advance: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/yth-concert/ and will also be available on the door.

We were recently pointed to a series of programmes on Radio 3 with Jenni Murray, as she investigates and celebrates female composers – with the added bonus of an excellent playlist to go with it!

This particular episode focuses on those women who were forced to publish ‘undercover’ using pseudonyms to avoid prejudice, some of whom are still a mystery to this day. Did you realise these pieces were composed by women?

Listen to Jenni’s programme here on BBC Sounds: Music Matters – Jenni Murray’s Women Composers – Undercover – BBC Sounds

An upcoming concert that may interest you: Heart and Soul | National Youth Choir Concert – Friday 18^th April 2025, 5pm – Albert Hall Nottingham. National Youth Choir (15-18 Years) put their heart and soul into this rich and varied Bank Holiday concert,where they explore themes of life, friendship, courage and love through the voices of different composers from a mix of cultures, places and eras. See attached flier for more details.

The concert features the national choir of teenage singers aged 15 -18 plus a pre-concert singing session for all ages to join in (4pm). This will be conducted by the fantastic Neil Ferris, who is also leading our Singing Workshop on 28^th June.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

31/03/2025

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

The best classical music for studying and helping you focus

#MfEMonday – 24th March 2025

24th March 2025 Music for Everyone

The Big Give:

We asked, and wow did you deliver! Thanks to your incredible generosity, we smashed our target of £2,500 within the first 24 hours! The Daytime Voices cake sales alone raised over £1000 and still counting! With match funding from the Big Give, our total now stands at £5,809 and we still have 24 hours to go! All of the money raised will go towards supporting our wonderful Open Voices groups. Donations can still be made here.

If you were thinking of donating, but didn’t get round to it, you could always donate to our Supporters’ Scheme and become part of our musical family! Supporter perks include :

Have your name listed in our concert programmes (optional)

Be invited to special annual concert event for Supporters
Receive a termly e-newsletter about our latest charitable adult and youth initiatives

Click here for more information or to join.

Upcoming concerts:

Nottingham Chamber Singers, Easter Images – Saturday 29 March, St Peters Ruddington, 7:30pm

MfE’s Nottingham Chamber Singers and Players warmly invite you to join them this coming Saturday, 29 March, at 7.30pm in St Peter’s Church, Ruddington, for their special ‘Easter Images’ concert.

Conducted by Angela Kay and Rachel Parkes, the programme showcases outstanding choral and instrumental pieces associated with the story of Easter. It includes excerpts from Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s St John and St Matthew Passions and Rachmaninov’s Vespers, with exquisite interludes by Brahms and Purcell. Poems and Gospel readings link with the music to tell a reflective and joyful story.

St Peter’s church is warm and comfortable and refreshments will be served by the choir. Tickets (£13 full, £12 conc., £5 child/student) are available online by clicking here and on the door. We would love to see you there.

MfE Youth Groups, The Spirit of Spring – Saturday 5th April, Sherwood Methodist Church, 3pm
Music for Everyone’s Strictly Strings, Youth String Orchestra, and Youth Bands bring you a joyful springtime concert bursting with youthful energy and talent. Tickets available here or on the door.

Got a young person cramming for exams? If so, help them hit peak focus with 15 of the best pieces of classical music to aid mental focus and concentration!

Helpers needed for Vocals! Our next singing workshop and concert for young children (school years 1 – 8) is coming up soon on 26^th & 27^th April and we would love for some enthusiastic adults to join the support team!

General duties would be helping with registration and supervision throughout the day, joining in the magical singing with Rachel Parkes, Sara King and Helen Maddison and manning the all-important tuck shop! If you are interested, please email kirstie@music-for-everyone.org

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

24/03/2025

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 17th March 2025

17th March 202518th March 2025 Music for Everyone

March is off to a very musical start! One hundred singers came together for our West End to Broadway event on Saturday led by the inspirational Rachel Parkes and gave a fantastic performance of hits from the shows including Les Misérables, Wicked and Fiddler on the Roof. They were joined by members of Open Voices with hits from Mary Poppins and fantastic solos from The Greatest Showman and Les Miserables.

Sunday saw our Bandwise and Stringwise musicians taking part in the Big Youth Music Experience concert at the Albert Hall. Over 130 young people performed a wide variety of music from Handel’s Concerto Grosso to the theme from Wallace and Grommit!

All finishing with combined bands and strings with a rousing rendition of the Toreadors Song from ‘Carmen’.

Well done to everyone involved!

Exciting news! Big Give week is here!!

Music for Everyone has been accepted to Big Give’s ‘Arts for Impact’ Week starting tomorrow (Tuesday 18th March) for one week only and we need your help!

The Big Give is a fantastic match-funding platform that will double every pound we raise (up to £2,500). That means your donation goes twice as far in supporting our much-loved Open Voices groups. These sessions bring joy, music, and connection to so many, and with your help, we can continue the great work. See the attached flyer for more information.

For donations to be doubled, they must be made through our Arts for Impact campaign page using a valid debit or credit card from midday Tuesday 18th March to midday Tuesday 25th March. Look out for our messages from tomorrow with the link to donate!

Job vacancy! We are looking for maternity cover for the post of Youth Programme Co-ordinator, Marketing and Finance Officer. Please follow the link or see the attached advert for further details and forward on to anyone who might be interested. The closing date for applications is Friday 11^th April.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

17/03/2025

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 10th March 2025

10th March 2025 Music for Everyone

This weekend has seen over 130 young instrumentalists attend the twice-annual Bandwise and Stringwise workshop days at South Nottinghamshire Academy. Lots of music-making and fun was had, we can’t wait to hear all the groups in their concert at the Albert Hall next Sunday!

Places are now full for the From West End to Broadway workshop day this coming Saturday 15^th March, but why not come and support the choir in their early evening concert!

Tickets available to buy in advance here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/from-west-end-to-broadway/ or buy on the door, subject to availability.

The bar will be open from 4.30pm to grab a drink before the concert at 5pm.

It was International Women’s Day on Saturday 8^th March, so we’d like to take a moment to recognise all the incredible women in music, from composers, performers and conductors taking over the world, to the strong women of MfE!

One woman who has recently gained attention is the first full-time female musician in the New York Philharmonic, Orin O’Brien. A double bass player, she was hired under the baton of Leonard Bernstein and a documentary telling her story won an Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film at the recent 2025 Awards. ‘The Only Girl in the Orchestra’ is available to watch on Netflix and you can read more of her story here: https://www.classicfm.com/artists/new-york-philharmonic/orin-obrien-first-woman-orchestra-interview/

The Nottingham University and Chamber Choirs invite MfE members to their next concert on Saturday 22^nd March 7.30pm in the Great Hall, Trent Building. Featuring Will Todd’s Mass in Blue with singer Lorna James and guest jazz trio Sharp Little Bones. The programme is a gorgeous mix of French, jazz-inspired and Lenten music. Both choirs are conducted by MfE’s wonderful Rachel Parkes – come and support the next choral generation! Tickets and more information can be found here: https://www.lakesidearts.org.uk/event/university-choir-chamber-choir-2/
Teak 1970s piano is available, in great condition – pictures below. If you, or anyone you know, community groups or individuals, are interested, please email us and we will put you in touch with the owner.
PIANO STOOL WITH MUSIC COMPARTMENT. If you need a stool to go with the piano, we also have one of those on offer too! Contact the office for more details.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

10/03/2025

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF