#MfEMonday – Lest We Forget

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10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMondays are Music for Everyone’s new 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.

#MfEMonday – Fireworks!

4th November 20194th November 2019 Music for Everyone

With Bonfire Night just hours away, we’d like to take you back to the year 1749 and the first performance of Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks which was a disaster and success at the same time. The excitement built up so much that around 12,000 people flocked to the performance in Green Park, causing a traffic jam that closed London Bridge for several hours! It also (predictably for this country) rained for the outdoor performance so most of the fireworks refused to light and the few that did caused the staging to catch fire! However, not put off by this, Handel went on to re-score it for a later indoor performance, incorporating strings (the King had insisted it only be for percussion, brass and wind originally) and to this day, remains one of his most famous works. Have a listen

If fireworks and bonfires aren’t your thing, why not stay inside and have your own Guy Fawkes celebration by listening to six of the best pieces of music based around fireworks: http://www.classical-music.com/article/six-best-pieces-music-firework-night

If you would prefer a calmer night in, Classic FM are providing an evening of music from 7pm designed to keep pets (and their humans) relaxed from the scary fireworks #petsounds.

Speaking of unforgettable music, the Nottingham Philharmonic Orchestra (featuring the EOES ladies), will be performing The Planets by Holst in their next concert, complete with visual displays from the University of Nottingham School of Physics & Astronomy. This is not to be missed on Sunday 17 November at 3pm in the Albert Hall. Tickets are available online (trch.co.uk) and accompanied children under 16 can come for free!

Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – Benefits of Music

28th October 201928th October 2019 Music for Everyone

During this half term when all of our regular rehearsing groups are taking a well-earned rest, here in the MFE office we’ve been thinking about some of the reasons people participate in music-making. And some of the less well-known benefits.

Studies show that listening to and participating in music has an effect on overall well-being, help regulate emotions, and create happiness and relaxation in everyday life.

For example –

Favourite tunes keep you calm
Mood music makes you eat less
Inspiring instrumentals improve your mental focus
Good music soothes and relaxes your blood vessels
Group singing makes you happy
Playing an instrument protects brain sharpness in later life
Music classes make children more cooperative
A mellow playlist eases road rage
Your work will get done faster
Your stress levels will go down

In fact, the list of benefits goes on and on. So, we are all very fortunate to have music in our lives. All the more reason to spread the word about all the opportunities MFE offers for both participating in and listening to music. Why not put a post on Facebook or tweet all your contacts about why you enjoy music so much? You might be surprised by the positive responses you get!

Why not take a look at our new Friends and Patrons page on our website? https://www.music-for-everyone.org/friends-and-patrons/ It would be great if you would consider joining the growing number of Friends and Patrons. Every donation makes a real difference to the various activities we offer. We’d love to welcome you as new member.

Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

28/10/2019

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – OV on TV!

21st October 201921st October 2019 Music for Everyone

Notts TV recently visited our fantastic Sherwood Open Voices group. Watch them in action practicing for their Christmas performance here.

We are enormously proud of the positive impact our Open Voices sessions are having on people’s lives, so we thought we would share some heart-warming quotes from our members to demonstrate just how much the sessions mean to them:

“I love being with Open Voices on a Friday morning, I really do. I have come on leaps and bounds. I used to be shy but I am not now. I really enjoy it.”

“I like the Open Voices, we are like a family. Everyone enjoys it. It is definitely the place to be every week.”

“This group has given my husband and myself great joy. My husband has severe dementia but comes to life when singing at the choirs.”

“Thank you for this amazing group. It has been a privilege to come along and enjoy this time with my mum. It’s such a joyful time. You are BRILLIANT!”

“Community at its best.”

Today is National Gin and Tonic Day – Cheers!

Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

21/10/2019

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – Space Adventure!

14th October 201914th October 2019 Music for Everyone

Last week we showed you how versatile (and flexible) the piano could be by playing backwards, upside down, etc. This week, we bring you clarinets in space!

10 year old Elin designed an engineered clarinet to go into orbit through a competition called Life on Mars asking children to redesign something they ‘couldn’t live without’ should they ever move to another planet.

The clarinet was successfully launched to the edge of the atmosphere from Ashbourne in Derbyshire where it reached a dizzying height of 35 km and freezing temperatures before hurtling back to earth at over 150mph, landing safely by parachute in North Lincolnshire. Watch the launch here! What would you take to space that you couldn’t live without?

What a performance on Saturday! Our Nottingham Festival Chorus combined with the Dutch Project Choir, wonderfully directed by Martin van der Brugge, showed all their hard work from the last week of rehearsals to perform Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man. We were also delighted to be joined by fantastic soloist Emma Brown and Tahir Mahmood for the Call to Prayer. Click here to see the action shots!
Open Voices Sherwood are featuring on Notts TV tonight (Monday 14 October) between 5.30pm and 6.30pm. Tune in to see what they’ve been up to!

Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

14/10/2019

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – Dutch born and bred

7th October 20197th October 2019 Music for Everyone

With our exciting collaboration with the Dutch Project Choir and their conductor Martin van der Brugge coming up this weekend to perform The Armed Man by Karl Jenkins, we thought we’d have a look at a particularly famous (you MIGHT have heard of him…) Dutch musician for this week’s MfEMonday.

André Rieu is a violinist and conductor best known for creating the waltz-playing Johann Strauss Orchestra. They have managed to turn classical and waltz music into a worldwide concert touring act, as successful as some of the biggest global pop and rockstars!

Created in 1987 with just 12 members, the orchestra has grown quickly now with between 50 and 60 musicians involved. The orchestra is particularly well know for performing with a certain frivolity and joking with the audience, here they are having a ‘Strauss party’!! P.S. see if you can spot the Trombone player balancing his instrument on his chin!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H81t8Z_GPQg

We all know how important good posture is when playing and singing, but sometimes, you just need to change your rhythm a little to get the creative juices flowing! Here are some piano players who did just that… by playing backwards, upside down and sideways! https://www.cmuse.org/piano-playing-upside-down/
P.S. tickets are still available for this weekend’s performance of the Armed Man with solos from MfE alumni Emma Brown!

Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

07/10/2019

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – Magic Flute Monday

30th September 201926th September 2019 Music for Everyone

On this day in 1791 Mozart’s Opera The Magic Flute premiered in Vienna. The flute referred to in the title is a golden flute given to one of the opera’s heroes, Tamino, to protect him and help him in his search for the Princess Pamina who has been kidnapped. This magic flute has the power to turn sorrow into joy, something that Anne and Kirstie in the MfE office do every time they pick up their flutes!

Speaking of amazing instruments, check out this impressive organisation who work to promote the use of adapted instruments for people who face physical disability. From one-handed clarinets, to cellos that can be played with the feet only. Mind blown! https://www.ohmi.org.uk

In the office we’re preparing for Blow the Dust in January and it got us thinking; has your instrument been missing you, is your instrument desperate for you to get it out of its case? Click here for Classic fm’s take on ‘If your instrument could talk, what would it say?’ https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/instruments/instruments-talk/double-bass/

Today is also Hot Mulled Cider Day. So, pour yourself a warming cup, sit back and enjoy this rendition of I am a Cider Drinker by the Wurzels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6V2TxJJ_bI

Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

30/09/2019

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – National Anthems from around the World

23rd September 201923rd September 2019 Music for Everyone

With this week seeing the start of the 2019 Rugby World Cup (did you see England play yesterday?!) here are some interesting facts about some of the National Anthems you might come across!

National anthems are generally played on national holidays, but it was Wales who were the first country to start the close connection with sporting events, during a rugby game against New Zealand in 1905.

Mexico – in 1853, Mexico held a contest to see who could write the most inspiring poem to serve as the lyrics for their official national anthem. A poet’s girlfriend tried to get him to enter, but he wasn’t interested, so she locked him in a room filled with pictures of scenes from Mexican history until he came up with something. His ten verse poem went on to become the national anthem and the girlfriend went on to become the wife!

France – while lots of national anthems are about the glory of a nationhood or liberation, ‘La Marseillaise’ should come with a parental warning with gory references to blood soaked flags and soldiers slitting throats… nice.

Japan (hosts of the Rugby World Cup) – ‘Kimigayo’ is one of the oldest anthems in the world with lyrics dating back to (somewhere) around 800. A short and operatic anthem, this tune uses a pentatonic scale. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29FFHC2D12Q

Switzerland – the ‘Swiss Psalm’ has different lyrics for each of the countries four official languages: French, German, Italian and Romansh.

What do you do during your lunch break? Not getting a proper break away from your desk? A SINGING break has a host of fabulous benefits, and could help you get through the rest of your afternoon too! The Nottingham Lunchtime Voices meets every Tuesday lunchtime at the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham city centre, especially designed for workers who need a break! http://www.music-for-everyone.org/whats-on/adult-music/workers-lunchtime-choir/
Have you ever heard of a Hornucopian dronepipe? Or (my personal favourite) the Hyperbass Flute? Yes that’s right, they’re all instruments! Weird ones, but instruments none the less… click here to see the 13 weirdest musical instruments ever (electronic badger anyone?)

Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

23/09/2019

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – All things Strings!

16th September 201916th September 2019 Music for Everyone

Our new season is getting off to a great start with all of our regular rehearsing groups getting back together for the new season. This weekend saw three of our Youth Groups starting again – East Midlands Youth String Orchestra – conductor Richard Howarth, Strictly Strings – conductor Abi Smith and the East Midlands Youth Windband – conductor Phil Smith. All three groups met at NTU, Clifton at 2:00 yesterday afternoon and more information can be found on our website – https://www.music-for-everyone.org/whats-on/youth-music/

For those interested in stringed instruments, the first clear record of a
violin-like instrument comes from paintings by Gaudenzio Ferrrari. In his Madonna of the Orange Tree, painted 1530, a cherub is seen playing a bowed instrument which clearly has the hallmarks of violins. A few years later, on a fresco inside the cupola of the church of Madonna dei Miracoli in Saronno angels play three instruments of the violin family, corresponding to violin, viola and cello. The instruments Ferrari depicts have bulging front and back plates, strings which feed into peg-boxes with side pegs, and f-holes. They do not have frets. The only real difference between these instruments and the modern violin is that Ferrari’s have three strings, and a rather more extravagant curved shape.

Horsehair graces the bow for violins and cellos, and each bow has about 150 individual hairs. Horsehair has many small bumps that cannot be seen with the naked eye, and those bumps create the friction that produces the characteristic subtle weeping tone of the violin. The most popular horsehair, which is said to produce a good tone, is white horsehair from Mongolia.

Yet, this claim seems based mostly on the fact that horse breeding is a bustling industry in Mongolia, and their horses have relatively long, bushy tails for their height, making them a perfect source of horsehair. Yet, the horse sacrifices the hair of his tail for the sake of the tone of the violin, which is a bit sad. Who was it that said that when they play the violin they can hear the braying of a horse?

A double bass player arrived a few minutes late for the first rehearsal of the local choral society’s annual performance of Handel’s Messiah. He picked up his instrument and bow and turned his attention to the conductor. The conductor asked, “Would you like a moment to tune?” The bass player replied with some surprise, “Why? Isn’t it the same as last year?”

Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

16/09/2019

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

https://www.cmuse.org/jaws-theme-octobass/

#MfEMonday – 150th anniversary of Berlioz’s death

9th September 20199th September 2019 Music for Everyone

With this year being the 150th anniversary of the death of Hector Berlioz, we’re looking forward to performing Villanelle from his Les Nuits d’ete with Emma Brown at the Albert Hall on 12 October.

In contrast to the sinister psychopath in the BBC’s popular drama Killing Eve, Berlioz’s Villanelle is a carefree and flirtatious character who sings of love and the joys of spring!

The scoring of Villanelle is modest by Berlioz standards. Berlioz was famed for his use of large orchestral forces (his last opera Les Troyens was so large it was never performed in his lifetime!), and his championing of unusual instruments such as the Octobass.

Click here to hear the Jaws theme played on the Octobass!!

10 reasons we love Berlioz https://www.classicfm.com/composers/berlioz/guides/reasons-love-berlioz/
On this day – 09 September 1971 saw the release of John Lennon’s Imagine album.
This week in History – In 2014 Channel 4’s game show Countdown achieved a Guinness World Record for the ‘most series broadcast for a TV game show’ when it reached its 6,000th episode. Can you solve these Countdown Conundrums? https://www.mirror.co.uk/interactives/mood-challenge-go-solving-10-13164113

Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

09/09/2019

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF