Christmas is Coming! Concert
2023-12-17 15:30 (Europe/London) | Albert Hall, Nottingham, N Circus Street, Nottingham, NG1 5AA, United Kingdom
Nottingham Community Voices, Vocals Youth Choir
A traditional afternoon Christmas concert for all the family, with well-known carols and seasonal songs.
Tickets
Full £15, £12, £10; Conc. £14, £11, £9; Child/Student £5
*Online ticket booking is now closed. Tickets will be available on the door, subject to availability.
The office is not open on Saturdays, you can turn up from 3pm on Sunday at the Albert Hall for last minute tickets.*
We can accept payment by card, cash or cheque (payable to Music for Everyone)

Gloria! Concert
2024-02-03 19:30 | Albert Hall, Nottingham, N Circus Street, Nottingham, NG1 5AA, United Kingdom
Nottingham Festival Chorus, Nottingham Chamber Singers
Nottingham Concert Orchestra
Saturday 3rd February, 7.30pm
Albert Hall, Nottingham
Clara Orif soprano
Alex Robinson conductor
Online booking has now closed. TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE TO BUY ON THE DOOR. Doors open from 7pm.

The Music:

Experience a programme of thrilling repertoire by a 100+ strong choir and full symphony orchestra as they perform Glorias in all shapes and sizes by Poulenc, Rutter and others!

From the delicate to the extreme, from the bombastic to the intimate, this fantastic concert featuring over 200 musicians has it all! After the stage is set in Debussy’s La Cathedrale Engloutie, fanfares rain down from on high in the first half with music by Rutter and Weir before French Soprano, Clara Orif, lends her sweet lyricism to Poulenc’s breath-taking setting and the Chamber Singers take our breaths away in the second.

The Performers:

The Nottingham Festival Chorus is Music for Everyone’s flag-ship choir, a large-scale four-part chorus performing major classical and twentieth-century works, with the Nottingham Concert Orchestra. There are three intensive and highly enjoyable events per year, from a one day workshop to a full weekend course and concert. The concert will be conducted by Artistic Director Alex Robinson.

Soprano Clara Orif currently performs with Royal Academy Opera and is an Oxford Lieder Emerging Artist. Born in Paris into a Scottish family and based in London, Clara started out her singing career at a very early age at the renowned Maîtrise de Radio France, under the direction of Sofi Jeannin. Clara is a winner of the Richard Lewis / Jean Shanks Award and the Isabel Jay prize (2022). She was a semifinalist in the 2023 Marmande International Singing Competition. Clara is generously supported by the London Women’s Clinic Foundation Award.

The Venue: Nottingham’s historic and elegant Albert Hall is a comfortable concert venue located in Nottingham’s Castle Zone, next to the Nottingham Playhouse (follow signs for the Playhouse)
Parking is available on neighbouring streets and in multi-storey car parks nearby – Mount Street and Talbot Street – all within easy walking distance. Discounted parking rates, capped at £9.95, are available from NCP Mount Street, collect a validation ticket from the Albert Hall staff before you leave the event to pay on exiting the car park.
Public transport: The Nottingham Tram service runs every 7 – 15 minutes, with free car parking facilities around Nottinghamshire. The nearest tram stops are Royal Centre and Old Market Square, both 5 – 10 minute walk away. Being in the centre of Nottingham has the advantage of many bus services, with the main bus stations nearby. 5 Minute walk from Old Market Square, 15 minute walk from Victoria and Broadmarsh Bus Station.
Download the flyer here (pdf)
Tickets: Full £18 – £14, Conc. £17-13, Child/Student £5
Tickets are available to book online via the ‘Book Tickets’ button below, or you can book over the phone by calling our Box Office on 0115 9589312. We are happy to reserve your tickets whilst awaiting the arrival of your cheque, or you can pay when you collect at the venue.
Online booking has now closed. TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE TO BUY ON THE DOOR. Doors open from 7pm.

Workshop Day: NCM From West End to Broadway
2024-03-23 | Rushcliffe Spencer Academy, NG2 7BW
Musicals workshop day and concert: From West End to Broadway!
Music for Everyone invites you to come and sing in an entertaining workshop of well known hits from the musicals and West End. Enjoy the glitz and glam of the theatre with our special guest compere and baritone soloist Simon Theobald, conducted by MfE’s Assistant Artistic Director, Rachel Parkes, and accompanied by Angela Foan.
The programme will include foot tapping numbers from Oliver and Guys and Dolls, unforgettable melodies from West Side Story and Chess, and moving songs from hit musical Blood Brothers.
The day will finish with an informal cabaret-style concert including a performance from MfE’s Open Voices choir.
Tickets include a free pre-concert glass of wine or soft drink from 4pm.
All music will be provided on the workshop day.
Timetable:
Saturday 23 March
Rushcliffe Spencer Academy, NG2 7BW
10.00am – 6.30pm
Registration: 10am
Singing sessions: 10.30am – 4pm
To include tea, coffee and lunch breaks
Pre-concert drinks: 4.30pm-5pm
Performance: 5pm – 6.30pm

The course fee for this event is £27. Book online via the button below or contact the office at Music for Everyone, 10 Goose Gate, Hockley, Nottingham NG1 1FF. Please make cheques payable to Music for Everyone.
Booking for this event is now closed.
If you’d like to come and watch the concert, book tickets here: Concert: From West End to Broadway (music-for-everyone.org)

Concert: Peace, Everlasting!
2024-07-06 18:00 - 19:30 | St Johns, Beeston Parish Church, Middle Street, Beeston, NG9 1GA
Online Ticket Booking is now closed.
Tickets are available in person at Friday evenings Rehearsal and on the door on Saturday.
Please note – the MfE Office is closed on Saturdays.

Venue: Beeston Parish Church, Middle Street, Beeston, Nottingham, NG9 1GA

Nottingham Festival Chorus
Alex Robinson Conductor
Angela Foan Accompanist
Rachel Parkes Chorus Master

Come and hear Haydn’s greatest work and his last grand scale composition.
Written when Napoleon was at the height of his powers, Haydn’s profound testament to peace signalled the beginning of the end for the invader. Regarded as one of the finest examples of his choral writing, the score is beautiful, lively and terrifying and is sure to provide you with a fabulous evening. Nicknamed ‘Harmonie’ (the german word for wind section) for it’s rich woodwind writing in the orchestra, which the fabulous Peter Siepmann will draw out on Beeston Parish Church’s fine organ. The concert also features little organ ditties by Haydn written originally for musical clock and Rheinberger’s famous Abendlied to bring the concert to a close. Our specially assembled choir is conducted by the dynamic Alex Robinson. Don’t miss out. Get your tickets TODAY!

Soloists:
Elizabeth Green, soprano

Elizabeth is a second-year postgraduate at The Royal Academy of Music studying under Kate Paterson. Here, she holds the position of being a Josephine Baker Trust Scholar. Having started her singing career as a chorister at both Canterbury and Rochester Cathedral, Elizabeth has performed on commercial recordings for Regent Records and Decca Records, the latter of which was both as part of the choir and as a soloist. Elizabeth has performed as a soloist internationally, singing J S Bach’s St John Passion in Aachen, Germany. Some of her other soloist opportunities have included Handel’s Messiah at Canterbury Cathedral, Handel’s Israel in Egypt and Acis and Galatea, Haydn’s Creation and Harmoniemesse, Mozart’s Mass in C and Bach’s B Minor Mass.
Whilst pursuing her undergraduate studies at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and graduating with a first-class honours degree, Elizabeth had the privilege of being nominated for the Kathleen Ferrier Junior Bursary Competition and was awarded third prize in the Molly Robb prize for singing. Here, Elizabeth successfully auditioned for the Associate Artist programme under the tutelage of Karen Cargill. Whilst at RCS, she took part in opera scenes, performing the roles of Papagena and Fiordiligi. Elizabeth also completed year-long contract with the Scottish Opera Young Company as well as a workshop with British Youth Opera. In December 2021, she performed the role of Sandman in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel as a Young Artist for Westminster Opera Company, the performance of which was recently reprised at Château de Panloy, France.
Elizabeth has had many exciting opportunities this past academic year, including; The Royal Academy of Music Opera Scenes, playing the roles of Yum-Yum (The Mikado) and Almirena (Rinaldo). Other operatic opportunities have included performing as Venus in Venus and Adonis with Hampstead Garden Opera and performing Gertrud (Hänsel und Gretel) with Berlin Opera Academy under the Ian Donald Wilson Memorial Scholarship. Oratorio performances have included Haydn’s Creation with Luton Choral Society, Brahms Requiem with Lymington Choral Society, Bach’s B Minor Mass with the Waverley Singers, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with Dover Choral Society and Haydn Harmoniemesse with the Furness Bach Choir. Elizabeth is also in demand as a recitalist, performing at venues such as Cobham Hall School, Christ Church Kensington and Canterbury Cathedral. Most recently, Elizabeth has performed Songs for Sue by Oliver Knussen under the baton of Barbara Hannigan as part of a project with Julliard school. Other upcoming opportunities include singing Second Lady and covering the role of Pamina in Mozart’s Magic Flute with Manhattan Opera Studio where she will also perform a concert at Carnegie Hall. She is also returning to Château de Panloy, France as a young artist for Westminster Opera Company, performing the role of Marcellina in Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro.
Lorna Day, alto

Lorna is a mezzo soprano based in the North West of England. She performs regularly in the chorus of Bergen National Opera (Parsifal, Rusalka, and in 2024, Die Fledermaus) and has also performed with Longborough Festival Opera (Orfeo ed Euridice). Lorna’s concert highlights include Elgar The Music Makers, Dvořák Stabat Mater, Mozart Requiem, Handel Messiah and Rossini Petite messe solennelle. She has given recitals at the English Music Festival, Wye Valley Music, Rekstensamlingene in Bergen, Leeds Lieder Composer’s Forum, and works regularly with duo partner Olivia Dance. Lorna is a keen and experienced ensemble singer, and performs regularly with several ensembles, including Kantos Chamber Choir, directed by Ellie Slorach, and the Edvard Grieg Kor in Bergen, directed by Edward Gardner. She has performed at the BBC Proms 2019 with Britten Sinfonia Chorus and Genesis Sixteen alumni, and at the BBC Proms 2023 with the Edvard Grieg Kor. Lorna studied under the tutelage of Jane Irwin at the Royal Northern College of Music, receiving a First Class BMus (hons) degree and MMus degree with Distinction. She won the RNCM Elsie Thurston Prize, was a finalist in the Kennedy Strauss Award, was highly commended in the Frost/Brownson Song Cycle Competition, and she performed various operatic roles in the RNCM Opera productions during the course of her studies. Lorna also teaches at the Cheshire School of Music, and enjoys rock climbing and baking.

Philip O’Connor, tenor

Philip O’Connor is a young, Derbyshire Tenor who began his musical training at Wells Cathedral School under Isobel Buchanan. Subsequently, Philip went on to read Music at the University of Manchester, while studying under Andrew Heggie. He then commenced his formal vocal training at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), studying with Nick Powell. Philip was awarded a Distinction in his Masters of Music and has recently graduated the Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Studies (PGDip) winning the John Halsall scholarship. During his studies, Philip has been generously supported by The Mario Lanza Foundation The Garner Howard Award, South Square Trust and Sophie’s Silver Lining Fund.
During his time at the RNCM, Philip has been fortunate to work and take part in Masterclasses with Iain Burnside, James Baillieu, Christopher Purves, David Owen Norris, Patricia McMahon, Paul Wynne Griffiths, Eiddwen Harrhy, Nicholas Kok, Andrew Greenwood and Julius Drake. He has also performed the roles of L’Aumônier in Poulenc’s Dialogue des Carmelites, Mr Rushworth in Dove’s Mansfield Park, and Tancredi in Monteverdi’s Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, The Schoolmaster and Mosquito in Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen and Bill in Dove’s Flight.
Edwin Kaye, bass

Bass, Edwin Kaye, studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with David Lowe, Roger Hamilton and Matthew Best. He is a recent winner of the Robert Presley Verdi Prize and has previously held full-time opera soloist positions with State Opera Stara Zagora and State Opera Ruse in Bulgaria where he performed roles such as Colline in La Boheme, Il Re d’Egitto in Aida, Banco in Macbeth and others.
Recently he has performed as Angelotti in Tosca with Opera Holland Park; Raphael in The Creation with Scherzo Ensemble (a staged production with dancers); 2nd Soldier/5th Jew in Salome with Teatro dell’Opera di Roma; Surin in The Queen of Spades with The Grange Festival; a Flemish Deputy in Don Carlo with Le Grand Théâtre de Genève; and Bluebeard in Bluebeard’s Castle with Regents Opera. Upcoming he will perform as Sarastro in Die Zauberflote with Wild Arts (Potsdam only), Ceprano/Cover Sparafucile in Rigoletto with English National Opera and Adam Litumlei in Kleider machen Leute with Opéra de Lausanne.
Recent concert performances include Verdi’s, Mozart’s and Faure’s Requiems, Handel’s Messiah, Stainer’s Crucifixion and his St Mary Magdalene and Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder.
Through consort and choral singing, Edwin has held positions with the BBC Daily Service Singers, Christian IV Vocal Ensemble and various churches across England.
Peter Siepmann, organ

Peter Siepmann is a conductor, organist, teacher and examiner based in the East Midlands of the UK. He is well-known in the region for his encouraging, enthusiastic and informed approach to rehearsal and performance.
He was educated at St Edward’s School in Oxford and the University of Nottingham, where he was awarded a doctorate in 2010. As an accompanist and continuo player (a particular passion), Peter has performed with many of the UK’s leading soloists, with recent highlights including the Bach Passions with evangelists Ruairi Bowen (2018) and Rogers Covey-Crump (2019), and all six of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos (2012).
Since September 2007, Peter has been Organist & Director of Music at St Peter’s Church in the heart of the city of Nottingham, where the church choir produces what the Nottingham Post has described “an outstanding standard of music-making”; the choir’s singing is also regularly praised at regular visits to cathedrals and abbeys both around the UK and abroad. In 2010, Peter oversaw the design, fundraising and installation of a new church organ.
Peter is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, and a number of his organ pupils have gone on to cathedral and university scholarships. He lives in the Nottinghamshire village of Ruddington with his wife Adele and young son Alexander.

Tickets: Full £13, Concessions £12, Child/Student £5. To include a pre-concert drink
Tickets are available to buy on the door only.

NCS Concert: Come, Comfort of the World
2024-10-12 | St John’s Church, Carrington
7.30pm, St John’s Church, Carrington, Saturday 12th October 2024
Nottingham Chamber Singers present:
Come, Comfort of the World: Songs of Hope and Consolation
A concert bringing the vitality and expressive detailing of a chamber choir performance to the presentation of works of hope and consolation.
Bach’s intimate Komm, Jesu, Komm takes us from earthly despair to comfort in the hope of heaven. Reger’s beautiful motet, with its rich, subtly shifting harmonies, evokes the restfulness of night and soothes away worldly cares. Brahms’ well-loved Requiem, both dramatic and comforting, appears in a fresh light in this chamber music version, with piano duet, the rarely-heard format which Brahms designed for the first London performance in 1871.
Performers
Formerly known as the East of England Singers, the Nottingham Chamber Singers have a busy concert schedule performing works across the full choral range, from William Byrd to Judith Weir. The choir’s refreshingly dynamic and committed performances continue to receive critical and public acclaim, led by Assistant conductor and Music for Everyone’s Assistant Artistic Director, Rachel Parkes.
Alison Rose, soprano
Alison is the winner of the 2015 Maggie Teyte Prize and a 2017 Leonard Ingrams Award. She is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the National Opera Studio, and is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.
Operatic roles include; Papagena, Die Zauberflöte (Glyndebourne Festival Opera); Barbarina, Le nozze di Figaro (Garsington Festival Opera & English National Opera); Governess,The Turn of the Screw (Bury Court Opera); Vixen, The Cunning Little Vixen (Grimeborn Festival / Arcola Theatre); Lady in Waiting, Gloriana (St Endellion Festival with Martyn Brabbins); Miranda, Arnold’s The Dancing Master (GSMD); Bětuška, Dvořák’s The Cunning Peasant (GSMD); Servilia, La Clemenza di Tito (RNCM).
Concert highlights include Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music at the BBC Last Night of the Proms, Handel’s Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall, Britten’s Les Illuminations at the Southwell Music Festival and solo recitals at the Oxford Lieder Festival and the Royal Opera House Crush Room. Recent highlights include her debut with Glyndebourne Festival Opera as Papagena in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Mahler’s Symphony no.4 at the Southwell Music Festival and Britten’s Les Illuminations with Sian Edwards for the Lewes Festival of Song. Further performances include her debut with Opera North on their Whistle Stop Opera tour, and a return to ENO for a Studio Live production of Judith Weir’s Blonde Eckbert.
Alison continues her studies in London with Gary Coward.

William Burn, baritone
Baritone William Burn enjoys a busy career as a performer of oratorio and consort music from the Middle Ages to contemporary music. A native of Oxfordshire, he trained as a choral scholar at King’s College, London, then moving to live in Nuremberg, Germany, and finally settling in the East Midlands.
William has performed many oratorio roles, including the Bach Passions, Messiah, Judas Maccabeus, The Creation (including under the baton of Sir Nicholas McGegan at Nottingham Royal Concert Hall), Elijah, Vaughan Williams Five Mystical Songs, Dvorak Stabat Mater, Elgar The Dream of Gerontius, Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle and Stabat Mater and the requiems by Verdi, Mozart, Faure and Duruflé. Staged opera performances include Dido and Aeneas, Acis and Galatea, Mozart’s Bastien und Bastienne, and Lampe’s The Dragon of Wantley as part of the RossonWye International Festival.
A particular area of interest for song and Lieder, with recent programmes including Winterreise, Schumann’s Dichterliebe and Opus 24 and 39 cycles, Richard Rodney Bennett’s Songs Before Sleep, Wolf’s Michaelangelolieder and Quilter’s Seven Elizabethan Lyrics, along with Butterworth’s A Shropshire Lad at Southwell Minster and Dichterliebe in Derby Cathedral. William is the artistic director of The Nottingham Baroque Soloists, whose repertoire includes cantatas by Bach, Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu Nostri and Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle. He studies with Rachel Nicholls.
William also works as a translator and subtitler from German, specialising in academia and the social sciences. His recent work includes reports to the United Nations Human Rights Council and reports on human rights issues in Germany. He also provides English-language translations for the German Federal Government Press Agency. As a subtitler he specialises in documentaries for Arte, including work on arts, culture and human rights.

Conductor
Rachel Parkes was born and raised in Northamptonshire. She received her early musical education through the Royal School of Church Music and Northamptonshire County Performing Arts Service, and went on to gain a first class Honours degree in Music, and later a Masters in Music an
d Performance, from Royal Holloway, University of London. During her studies Rachel studied singing with Margaret Cable and Jessica Cash, she now receives coaching from Lynne Wayman.

Click here to download our 40th Anniversary brochure.
Tickets
Click here to find out about the NCS 40th Anniversary Ticket Discount Scheme (NB This link will take you to the Nottingham Chamber Singers website)
Full £14, Concession £13, Child/Student £5
Online Booking is now closed. Tickets will be available to buy on the door.

Concert: The Spirit of Spring
2025-04-05 15:00 | Sherwood Methodist Church, Devon Drive, Sherwood, NG5 2EN
East Midlands Youth String Orchestra
East Midlands Youth Band
Nottingham Youth Band
Nottingham Strictly Strings

Matt Appleyard, Claire Franklin, Tamaki Higashi conductors
Saturday 5th April, 3pm
Sherwood Methodist Church, Devon Drive, Sherwood, Nottingham NG5 2EN

Music for Everyone’s Strictly Strings, Youth String Orchestra & Youth Bands present a springtime concert. Come and listen to the exuberant talent of youth in an exciting and varied programme.
Tickets: Adult £7, Child/Student £4

Online booking is now closed. Tickets will be available to purchase on the door. Doors for audience open from 2.30pm

Meet the Composer: Open Workshop
2025-05-11 | University of Nottingham, Djanogly Rehearsal Hall, NG7 2RD
Nottingham Chamber Singers 40th Anniversary Season
Sunday 11th May, 2pm – 4.30pm
Djanogly Rehearsal Hall
Department of Music
University of Nottingham
NG7 2RD
Have you ever wondered how a composer goes about writing a piece for choir and orchestra? Do they start with the melody, or go straight to the words? 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 gifted Nottingham-born composer, Libby Croad. Libby write the splendid choral Fanfare, Hail Bright Cecilia, which opened the Music for Everyone 40th Celebration Concert two years ago.
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.

Tickets (which include refreshments and music scores) are priced at £5 (payable on the day) and are FREE for students and children.
Available from:

filling in the form via the button below
MfE Box Office (0115 9589312)
on the door

Family Festival Day
2025-06-07 | Middle Street Resource Centre, Beeston, Nottingham, NG9 2AR, United Kingdom
1pm – 5pm at Middle Street Resource Centre, Beeston, Nottingham NG9 2AR
Click here to view the brochure.
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.
Have a go at West African drumming with Milla Hanna on djembe drums. Join Rachel and Owen in the Family Sing-a-long 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/

FESTIVAL WORKSHOPS
WORLD DRUMMING WORKSHOPS
Workshop 1: 1.10pm – 1.40pm
Workshop 2: 1.50pm – 2.20pm
Have a go at West African drumming with Milla Hanna on djembe drums. We have 2 sessions to choose from, open to age 5 upwards. Please note, children must be accompanied by an adult.
NURSERY RHYME & LULLABY TIME
2.30pm – 3.15pm
A singing session especially for babies and children up to the age of 5. Come and sing nursery rhymes with Rachel, all children must be accompanied by an adult.
FREE session for under 5s and their parents/carers. Booking essential, places are limited.
FAMILY SING WORKSHOP
3.30pm – 4.15pm
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!

FESTIVAL VISITORS
Entry from 1pm – 4.30pm. Festival finishes at 5pm
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. £4 entry for adults, £2 for children over 5.
Music in the Garden from:

Music for Everyone’s Beeston Open Voices
Second Time Around Folk Club
Music for Everyone’s Nottingham Chamber Singers
Beeston Community Drumming Circle (BC/DC)
Music for Everyone’s Big Band
Music for Everyone’s Wollaton Daytime Voices

Enrolment and Price
NB Please note, all children must be accompanied by an adult.
Workshop price – £8 per adult, £6 per child (between the ages of 5 and 15)
BOOK ONLINE HERE
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.
If you have any trouble with the payment form, please contact the office to confirm your attendance and payment can be arranged on the day by card, cash or cheque. Phone us on 0115 9589312, apologies for any inconvenience!

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

Concert: A Summer Celebration
2025-07-05 15:30 - 17:30 | St Luke’s Church, Leahurst Road, Gamston, NG2 6GL
East Midlands Youth String Orchestra
East Midlands Youth Band
Nottingham Youth Band
Nottingham Strictly Strings
Saturday 5th July, 3.30pm
St Luke’s Church, West Bridgford, NG2 6GL

Music for Everyone’s Strictly Strings, Youth String Orchestra & Youth Bands present a concert to celebrate summer! Come and listen to the exuberant talent of youth in an exciting and varied programme.
Tickets: Adult £7, Child/Student £4

Tickets will be available on the door subject to availability.

Open Voices Sherwood: My Fair Lady
2025-07-25 11:00 - 12:00 | St Martin’s Church, Sherwood
Open Voices Sherwood: My Fair Lady

Come and see them in action on Friday 25th July at St Martins Church, Trevose Gardens, Sherwood, NG5 3FU.

Entry is free.

Tea and cakes at will be served at 11 and the performance begins at 11.20am.

We’d like to say a big thank you to the Rempstone Steam and Country Show for their donation to Open Voices Sherwood to support them with their production of My Fair Lady.

Voices of Venice Concert
2025-10-04 | St Nic’s Church, City Centre, 79 Main Marian Way, Nottingham, NG1 6AE
Nottingham Festival Chorus and Nottingham Chamber Singers present:
Voices of Venice
Saturday 4th October 2025
St Nic’s Church, Maid Marian Way, City Centre, Nottingham, NG1 6AE
5pm-6.30pm
Conductor: Alex Robinson
Chorus master: Rachel Parkes
Accompanist: Angela Foan
The Music:

Walk the golden streets of Venice in our first Festival Chorus concert of the season, focusing on the music of two of Venice’s greatest exports – Monteverdi and Vivaldi. The Vivaldi Gloria is one of his most famous works and a real joy to sing. Experience the splendour of the high baroque era from Europe’s cultural jewel with strings and harpsichords ringing out in celebration.

The Performers:

The Nottingham Festival Chorus is Music for Everyone’s flagship choir which welcomes singers for three exciting events each year, for workshops, courses & concerts. They perform major classical & 20th-century choral works in a dynamic four-part chorus. They are joined in this concert by the Nottingham Chamber Singers & Nottingham Concert Players who will be performing works by Monteverdi including Beatus Vir, Christe Adoramus and Gloria a 7.

Tickets: Full £15, Conc. £14, Child/Student £5
Tickets are no longer available to book online. Tickets will be available on the door.

NCS Concert: Music of the Stars
2025-11-29 | St John’s Church, Carrington
Nottingham Chamber Singers present:
Music of the Stars
Saturday 29th November 2025
St John’s Church Carrington, NG5 2DP
7.30pm
Join the Nottingham Chamber Singers and be caught up in the music of the stars, choral pieces by some of Britain’s finest composers, evoking the mystery and vastness of the heavens. The works contemplate life and after-life through vibrant poetry set to sumptuous music.
Cecilia McDowall‘s three settings about the stars shimmer, fizz and delight whilst Parry’s Songs of Farewell open with the much-loved ‘My Soul there is a country far beyond the Stars’, the first of a set of beautifully contrasted and deeply touching pieces. To follow, three poems from the First World War feature in the luminous and eloquent setting, Songs of Remembrance, by contemporary composer, David Bednall. Our final piece, Howells’ Requiem (1932) is now recognised as one of the greats of the choral repertoire. With its hauntingly beautiful harmonies, it appeals strongly to both singer and listener alike and places Howells as one of the brightest stars in the English choral scene for years to come.
Led by Music for Everyone’s Founder, Angela Kay and Artistic Director, Rachel Parkes, the Nottingham Chamber Singers have an exciting concert schedule performing works across the full choral range, from Claudio Monteverdi to Judith Weir. The choir’s refreshingly dynamic and committed performances continue to receive critical and public acclaim.
Tickets: Full £13, Conc. £12, Child/Student £5
Online booking is now closed. Tickets are still available on the door

Vocals! Christmas is Coming
2025-12-13 - 2025-12-14 | Nottingham Trent University – Clifton, Clifton Campus, Nottingham, NG11 8NS
Fun singing afternoon and festive concert for children aged 5 – 14.
During the run up to Christmas, why not take a break and let your kids enjoy a fun-filled workshop on a Saturday afternoon, followed by a concert on Sunday for the whole family at the iconic Albert Hall in Nottingham.
Get into the Christmas spirit with lots of well-known Christmas songs including some familiar favourites from The Snowman & Muppets Christmas Carol!
Young singers will be joined by other members of the MfE ‘singing’ family too on the concert day for this mega-Christmas extravaganza!
Singers will be divided into two age-group choirs:
Vocals 1 (school yrs 1-3)
Vocals 2 (school yrs 4-8)
Music packs, including lyrics and audio tracks, will be sent out approximately one month before the event, giving everyone the chance to learn the songs as best they can before the singing afternoon.

Cost: All Groups – £25 per child, 10% family discount if two or more children from the same family enrol.
We don’t want anyone to be excluded from MfE activities because of their financial circumstances and there is a subsidised scheme available for any who needs it. Please contact anna@music-for-everyone.org if this is the case.
Music packs, including lyrics and audio tracks, will be sent out approximately one month before the event, giving everyone the chance to learn the songs as best they can before the singing afternoon.
Booking for this course is now closed.

TIMETABLE
Saturday 13 December – Singing Afternoon
Nottingham Trent University, Clifton, Nottingham NG11 8NS All Groups: 2.00pm – 5.00pm
Sunday 14 December – Concert
Albert Hall, Nottingham
Rehearsal: 12.30 – 2.45pm
Concert: 3.30pm – 5.30pm

Community Voices - Christmas is Coming! Rehearsals
2025-12-14 | Albert Hall, Nottingham, N Circus Street, Nottingham, NG1 5AA, United Kingdom
Nottingham Community Voices Rehearsals and Concert – Christmas is Coming!
On Sunday 14 December, Music for Everyone are giving a Christmas Concert at the Albert Hall in Nottingham.
Join with the other MfE choirs, both adult and youth, in presenting this popular, traditional afternoon concert for all the family.
Rehearsal details:
You are welcome to attend more than one rehearsal.
Choose from the following rehearsal dates when booking:

Southwell Methodist Church – Mon 01 December 2-4pm

West Bridgford Baptist Church – Tues 02 December 2-4pm

Wollaton St Leonard’s Community Centre – Weds 03 December 2:15-4:15pm

Hucknall John Godber Centre – Mon 08 December 10:15am-12:15pm

Gamston St Luke’s Church – Weds 10 December EVENING 7-9pm

Sherwood Methodist Church – Thurs 11 December 2-4pm

Concert Day – Albert Hall, Nottingham
Sunday 14 December:
10.45am Arrival
11.15am Rehearsal
1.45pm End of rehearsal
3.30pm Concert
The concert is estimated to finish between 5.30pm and 6pm.
Enrolment Fee
£31 – Adults, £15 Students
Rehearsal sessions and music is all included in the enrolment fee.
Online – pay by card here:
Bookings are no longer available for this course.
Click the button above and fill in your details: Payment can be made via debit/credit card (no additional fees)
By post – pay by cheque/cash.
For any further information, email admin@music-for-everyone.org or telephone 0115 9589312

Christmas is Coming! Concert
2025-12-14 15:30 | Albert Hall, Nottingham, N Circus Street, Nottingham, NG1 5AA, United Kingdom
Nottingham Community Voices Presents: Christmas is Coming
Tickets are no longer available online. Tickets will be available to buy on the door.
Join us for a musical afternoon of festive cheer that’s perfect for the whole family! Delight in beloved carols, seasonal favourites, and wonderful performances by:
Nottingham Community Voices
Vocals Youth Choir
Nottingham Chamber Singers
Nottingham Concert Orchestra
PLUS — a very special appearance from Father Christmas himself!
Come and celebrate the season with us!

Tickets
Tickets are no longer available online. Tickets will be available to buy on the door.
Full £16, £13, £11; Conc. £15, £12, £10; Child/Student £5

Workshop: Blow the Dust off your Instrument!
2026-01-17 | Albert Hall, Nottingham, N Circus Street, Nottingham, NG1 5AA, United Kingdom
Do you have an instrument gathering dust at home, or have you started playing recently just for fun?
Then it’s time to Blow the Dust off Your Instrument!
Albert Hall, North Circus St,
Nottingham NG1 5AA
Join conductors Alex Robinson (orchestra & strings) and Claire Franklin (wind band) for a joyful day of music-making. Reignite your skills, make new friends, and enjoy playing in a relaxed and supportive atmosphere.
Booking for this course is now closed.

You will tackle carefully chosen pieces for full orchestra, wind band, and string ensemble, with parts sent out in advance so you can dust off the notes before the big day.

Provisional Timetable
09:30 – 10:00 Registration
10:00 – 16:00 Rehearsals including lunch break
16:30 – 17:00 Informal concert

Fees
Members £43
Non-members £53

Repertoire
Orchestra:
Amy Beach – Bal Masque
Glen Miller – In the Mood
Marquez – Danzon No. 2

Windband:
Buttall – The Lone Ar-ranger
Lauridsen – O Magnum Mysterium
Lunn – Downton Abbey, The Suite

Strings:
Grainger – Molly on the Shore
Grieg – Nordic Melodies

How to Book:
Booking for this course is now closed.
For any further information, email admin@music-for-everyone.org or telephone 0115 958 9312 (Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm)

NFC Singing Course & Concert January 2026
2026-01-31 - 2026-02-01 | NTU Clifton Campus, College Drive, Clifton, Nottingham, NG11 8NS
Come and be part of an amazing choral workshop and concert!
Course: Sat 31st January and Sun 1st February 2026
NTU Clifton NG11 8NS
Concert: Saturday 7th February 2026
Albert Hall, Nottingham NG1 5AA
Music for Everyone invites you to sing with our Nottingham Festival Chorus, a mixed voice choir of 150+ singers.
We will be singing Haydn’s Creation, a powerful work that brings the story of the world’s beginning to life, celebrating nature, the heavens, and the joy of existence through glorious music.
Led by expert choral specialists, come and be a part of this highly enjoyable singing experience.
Music scores and rehearsal tracks will be sent out approximately 4 weeks before the course weekend. There are also optional sectional rehearsals in early January to help you learn the notes.

What is Nottingham Festival Chorus?

Mixed choir of 100+ voices, no auditions
Expertly led, highly enjoyable rehearsal weekends
Distance-learning packs
High quality concerts with orchestra and top soloists

What experience do singers need?
MfE events are open to all keen singers, you do not need to be a member to take part. (See details below if you would like to become a member). The ability to read music and some previous singing experience is needed for this course.

Schedule
Sectional rehearsals (Optional)
NTU Clifton, NG11 8NS
Sopranos + Altos, Wednesday 14 Jan 2026, 19:00-21:00
Tenors + Basses, Friday 16 Jan 2026, 19:00 – 21:00
Weekend Course
NTU Clifton, NG11 8NS
Saturday 31 Jan 2026 09:30 – 17:30
Sunday 01 Feb 2026 14:30 – 17:30
Concert
Albert Hall NG1 5AA
Saturday 07 Feb 2026
Rehearsals: 13:30 – 16:30
Concert: 18:00 – 20:00
Schedule times subject to change

Booking is now closed.
Members of Music for Everyone £52
Non Members £62
Benefit Claimants/Students £15

Alternatively call the office on 0115 9589312.

The Creation
2026-02-07 | Albert Hall, Nottingham, N Circus Street, Nottingham, NG1 5AA, United Kingdom
Nottingham Festival Chorus presents
The Creation
Saturday 7th February, 6pm
Albert Hall, Nottingham
Join the Nottingham Festival Chorus for an immersive, multi-sensory performance of Haydn’s choral masterpiece The Creation. Fine Artist and Composer, Caroline Bordignon, will bring a dynamic, visual dimension to the performance – as she paints in real time, her evolving artwork will mirror the unfolding drama of Haydn’s score, from the chaos before light, to the emergence of life and nature. Through her exploration of colour, light, space, and time, and the ways these elements interrelate through synaesthesia, Bordignon will create a profound synthesis of sound and image – music inspiring art, and art, in turn, amplifying the expressive power of music.

The Music:

Haydn, The Creation

The Performers:

Alex Robinson, Conductor
Rachel Parkes, Chorus Master
Angela Foan, Accompanist
Eleri Gwilym, Soprano
Harry Grigg, Tenor
William Burn, Bass
Live art, Caroline Bordignon
Nottingham Concert Players
The Festival Chorus (NFC)

The Nottingham Festival Chorus is Music for Everyone’s flag-ship choir, a large-scale four-part chorus performing major classical and twentieth-century works, with the Nottingham Concert Orchestra. There are three intensive and highly enjoyable events per year, from a one day workshop to a full weekend course and concert.

The Venue: Nottingham’s historic and elegant Albert Hall is a comfortable concert venue located in Nottingham’s Castle Zone, next to the Nottingham Playhouse (follow signs for the Playhouse)
Parking is available on neighbouring streets and in multi-storey car parks nearby – Mount Street and Talbot Street – all within easy walking distance. Discounted parking rates, capped at £9.95, are available from NCP Mount Street, collect a validation ticket from the Albert Hall staff before you leave the event to pay on exiting the car park.
Public transport: The Nottingham Tram service runs every 7 – 15 minutes, with free car parking facilities around Nottinghamshire. The nearest tram stops are Royal Centre and Old Market Square, both 5 – 10 minute walk away. Being in the centre of Nottingham has the advantage of many bus services, with the main bus stations nearby. 5 Minute walk from Old Market Square, 15 minute walk from Victoria and Broadmarsh Bus Station.
Tickets: Full £19 – £15, Conc. £18-14, Child £5, Students free (on production of valid student ID)
Tickets are no longer available to purchase online but will be available on the door from 5pm.

Workshop Day: NCM From West End to Broadway
2026-03-07 | John Godber Centre, Ogle Street, Nottingham, NG15 7FQ
Musicals workshop day and concert: From West End to Broadway!
Music for Everyone invites you to come and sing in an entertaining workshop of well known hits from the musicals and West End. Enjoy the glitz and glam of the theatre with our special guest compere and baritone soloist Simon Theobald, conducted by MfE’s Artistic Director, Rachel Parkes, and accompanied by Angela Foan.
Programme to include songs from Mary Poppins, Cabaret and Oklahoma!
The day will finish with an informal cabaret-style concert including a performance from MfE’s Open Voices choir.
All music will be provided on the workshop day.
Parking is available at the venue and Hucknall tram stop is an 11 minute walk away.
Timetable:
Saturday 7 March
John Godber Centre, Ogle Street, Hucknall, Nottingham, NG15 7FQ
10.00am – 6:30pm

This course is now full. Please contact the office to be put on the waiting list.

To book tickets for the concert please use this link.

Concert: From West End to Broadway
2026-03-07 | John Godber Centre, Ogle Street, Nottingham, NG15 7FQ
From West End to Broadway: A Musical Extravaganza!
Saturday 7th March 2026
John Godber Centre, Ogle Street, Hucknall, Nottingham, NG15 7FQ
Bar opens: 4.30pm
Concert: 5pm – 6:15pm
Enjoy an enchanting cabaret performance featuring music from Mary Poppins, Cabaret and Oklahoma! Unwind with a drink from the bar as you soak in the magic of live performance.
Enjoy the glitz and glam of the theatre with our special guest compere and baritone soloist Simon Theobald, conducted by MfE’s New Artistic Director, Rachel Parkes, and accompanied by Angela Foan.
Ticket Prices:
Adult: £8
Child: £0
Online ticket sales are now closed, but tickets can be bought on the door at the event.

NCS Concert - Cathedrals of Sound
2026-04-25 | St Johns, Beeston Parish Church, Middle Street, Beeston, NG9 1GA
Saturday 25th April 2026, 7.30pm, St John the Baptist Church (Beeston Parish Church), NG9 1EJ
Nottingham Chamber Singers and Wind Ensemble
Conductor: Angela Kay
Programme to include:
Bruckner – Mass No.2 in E minor
Górecki – Totus tuus
Vaughan Williams – Let all the world in every corner sing
The programme uses the spaces of the church to enfold the audience in music composed for special buildings and occasions. Bruckner’s sonorous Mass in E Minor, scored for eight-part choir and wind ensemble, takes us to the ‘new’ cathedral in Linz, Austria, while other composers convey us through England, France and Poland to Italy – from Durham Cathedral to St Mark’s in Venice, via Warsaw’s Chopin Airport!
Tickets
Tickets are available to book online via the button below or you can book over the phone by calling our Box Office on 0115 9589312. We are happy to reserve your tickets whilst awaiting the arrival of your cheque, or you can pay when you collect at the venue.
Full £15, Concession £14, Child/Student £5
Online tickets are no longer available. Please buy your tickets on the door, subject to availability, or ring the Box Office to reserve your ticket.

Vocals: Heroes and Villains!
2026-05-09 - 2026-05-10 | NTU Clifton Campus, College Drive, Clifton, Nottingham, NG11 8NS
Singing workshop on Saturday 9th May: Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Campus, NG11 8NS
Concert on Sunday 10th May: Albert Hall, Nottingham

A vocal celebration of heroes, villains, and big, brave singing!
Grab your cape, practise your hero pose, or try out your cheekiest villain grin – it’s time to sing! We can’t wait to learn, laugh, and have fun together in this action‑packed vocals adventure with songs from Hercules, K-Pop Demon Hunters and more.

Singers will be divided into three age-group choirs:
• Vocals 1 (school yrs 1-2)
• Vocals 2 (school yrs 3-4)
• Vocals 3 (school yrs 5-8)
A music pack with rehearsal tracks will be sent about 4 weeks before the course, giving everyone the chance to learn the songs before the singing weekend and concert in Nottingham’s famous Albert Hall.

Timetable:
Saturday 9th May – Workshop Day
Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Campus, NG11 8NS
Workshops: 10.30am – 4.30pm
Sunday 10th May – Concert
Albert Hall, Nottingham, NG1 5AA
Rehearsal: 11.30am – 2.45pm
Concert: 3.30pm – 5.30pm

How much does it cost?
The enrolment fee for Vocals 2025 is £30. (Less 10% discount if two or more children from the same family are enrolling for this course).
Booking is now closed.
We don’t want anyone to be excluded from MfE activities because of their financial circumstances and there is a subsidised scheme available for any who needs it. Please contact anna@music-for-everyone.org if this is the case.
If you have any issues with PayPal or card payments, please call the office on 0115 9589312 and we can take your booking over the phone or offer alternative payment methods.

Supported by:

What's Next Wind Band
2026-06-06 | The Squire Performing Arts Centre, Arboretum Street, Nottingham, NG1 4JB, United Kingdom
WHAT’S NEXT WIND BAND
A new musical experience for ages 18–35

Why This Event?
What’s Next Wind Band is a brand‑new, fun and social music‑making experience designed exclusively for wind, brass and percussion players aged 18–35. Whether you’re in musical limbo, missing your old band days, wanting to meet new people, or simply looking for a creative mental‑health boost — this day is for you.
You’ll enjoy a day of high‑quality rehearsals with a relaxed performance at the end of the day, and plenty of opportunities to socialise with other musicians. It’s a chance to reconnect with your instrument, rediscover your love of ensemble playing, and build a new musical community.

Who Should Attend?

Wind, brass and percussion players grade 5+* aged 18–35
Those who played at school or university and want to get back into it
Young professionals seeking a creative outlet
Local students wanting to meet other musicians and find a musical community for post-graduation
Anyone looking to build confidence and community through music

*(please contact us if you would like to attend but are unsure if this course is at your level)

When & Where?
Saturday 6th June 2026
10am – arrival
10:30am – 4:30pm rehearsals, including morning, afternoon and lunchbreak
5pm – informal performance (tickets available here)
Post performance: a trip to the pub afterwards for anyone who wants to continue the fun!
Venue: Squire Performing Arts Centre, Nottingham, NG1 4JB

The event will be held in Nottingham city centre, making it easy to travel from nearby cities such as Derby or Sheffield.
Getting there:
By Car: There is a free car park at the Squire Performing Arts Centre and additional on-street parking on Arboretum Street.
By Public Transport: The High School tram stop is the closet stop to the Squire Performing Arts Centre. This is a 7 minute walk away.
Nottingham is easily reachable via trains into Nottingham Station – there is a tram stop at the station which will take you to the High School stop. Both tram routes go between the Station and the High School stop.
Repertoire
Repertoire includes:
How to Train Your Dragon by John Powell
Global Variations by Nigel Hess
Movements from Yiddish Dances by Adam Gorb
Landscapes by Rossano Galante
Fantiullusion by Tahashi Hoshide
Hans Zimmer Movie Milestones by Hans Zimmer
The course will be conducted by Gareth Widdowson whose full profile can be found on our Who’s Who webpage.
Pricing
The event costs £30 for the day, including a pizza lunch.
There will be a group discount of 10% at the time of booking for groups of 2 or more players booking together.
We don’t want anyone to be excluded from MfE activities because of their financial circumstances and there is a subsidised scheme available for any who needs it. Please contact anna@music-for-everyone.org if this is the case.
Online booking has now closed. If you would like to come along please email anna@music-for-everyone.org to arrange this.

We are grateful for the financial support from the MfE Founder’s Artistic Development Fund to help us run this event (https://www.music-for-everyone.org/founders-fund)

Find Us

Workshop: Blow the Dust off your Instrument!
2026-06-13 | Albert Hall, Nottingham, N Circus Street, Nottingham, NG1 5AA, United Kingdom
Orchestral Playing Day: 9.30am – 5.30pm
Albert Hall, North Circus St,
Nottingham NG1 5AA
Did you learn an instrument at school, only for it to be gathering dust in the attic? Maybe you have taken up an instrument later in life purely for the joy of playing?
If so, Blow the Dust off Your Instrument June 2026 is for you!
This exciting and welcoming playing day led by Alex Robinson (orchestra and string ensemble) and Claire Franklin (wind band), is designed to help you rediscover old skills or put newly learned ones into action. You will enjoy making music in a friendly, relaxed and supportive atmosphere, alongside fellow players who share your enthusiasm.
To help you feel confident and prepared, parts will be sent out in advance, giving you plenty of time to get to grips with the music before the day itself.
Dust off your instrument, rediscover the joy of playing, and join us for a day of music-making you won’t forget!

Repertoire
Orchestra
Bizet – Aragonnaise & Toreadors from Carmen Suite No.1
Rossini – William Tell Finale
Shostakovich – Waltz No. 2from Jazz Suite No.2
String Ensemble
Holst – Brook Green Suite
Handel – Sarabande
Wind Band
Whitacre – October
Watts – The Traitors TV Theme
Coates – Calling All Workers

Workshop Day Timetable
9.30 am Registration
10.00 am Morning rehearsals (to include coffee break)
12.30 pm Meal break
1.30 pm Afternoon rehearsals (to include tea break)
4.00 pm Short break
4:30 pm Informal concert for friends and family
5:30 pm End of course

Informal Performance This performance is designed to be part of the workshop experience for participants to enjoy. Friends and family will be welcome to attend. There will be no tickets but voluntary contributions in support of MfE will be much appreciated via a retiring collection.
Workshop Day Fee
The fee includes all music, the workshop experience and coffee or tea at the morning and afternoon breaks.
Orchestra players
Members of Music for Everyone £43
Non Members £53
Benefit Claimants/Students £15
Booking is now closed.
For any further information, email admin@music-for-everyone.org or telephone 0115 958 9312 (Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm)
Subsidy scheme is available, please email anne@music-for-everyone.org for further details.

NCM Midsummer Sing
2026-06-21 | NTU Clifton Campus, College Drive, Clifton, Nottingham, NG11 8NS
Singing Workshop day
Come and be part of an amazing choral experience.

Sunday 21st June 2026 10am – 5pm
NTU Clifton

Led by Rachel Parkes
Accompanied by John Hobbs

Brush up your vocal technique and learn new skills in this inspiring vocal workshop led by Rachel Parkes, Artistic Director of Music for Everyone and founding member of VOCES8.
During the day we will explore a couple of John Rutter’s joyous Birthday Madrigals, along with toe-tapping jazz numbers, seasonal folksongs, and madrigals.
Whether you’re an experienced singer or simply enthusiastic about singing, you’ll explore practical vocal techniques, build confidence, and enjoy the energy of singing together in a relaxed, supportive atmosphere – whilst having plenty of fun along the way.

Provisional Timetable

09:45 – 10:00 Registration
10:00 – 16:00 Rehearsals including breaks and lunch break
16:30 – 17:00 Final run-through
Repertoire
Repertoire to include Rutter Birthday Madrigals and other summer themed choral arrangements.

Course Fee
£22 members and non-members
£15 students / BC
How do I enrol?
Fill in the online form via the button below and pay with a credit or debit card (no card fees).

If you do not wish to pay via the internet or have any questions, please telephone 0115 9589312 to book over the phone.
Subsidy scheme is available, please email anne@music-for-everyone.org for further details.

Concert: Summer Soundburst
2026-07-11 15:30 - 17:30 | Christ Church, Chilwell, NG9 4AS
East Midlands Youth String Orchestra
East Midlands Youth Band
Nottingham Youth Band
Nottingham Strictly Strings

Conductors: Claire Franklin, Tamaki Higashi, Erika Zeckser-Owen, Mat Lorrimore-Davis

Saturday 11 July 2026, 3:30pm
Christ Church, Chilwell, Beeston, NG9 4AS

Music for Everyone’s youth music groups present their end of term concert. Join them as they showcase their hard work and perform a fun and wide ranging programme of music from classical to film and tv favourites.

Tickets
Adult £8, Child/Student £4

No. of Adult tickets (£8 each)No. of Student/Child tickets (£4 each)Name *Email Address *Amount to PayProceed to payment

NCS Music for a Summer's Afternoon
2026-07-12 15:30 - 17:30 | Grange Hall, Vicarage Lane, Radcliffe on Trent, NG12 2FB, United Kingdom
Sunday 12th July 2026
3.30pm-5.30pm
Grange Hall, Radcliffe on Trent NG12 2FB
The Performers
Nottingham Chamber Singers
Angela Kay, Rachel Parkes, conductors
The Music
Music for a Summer’s Afternoon
Come and join us for a light-hearted, family-friendly, Sunday afternoon concert featuring folk, jazz and pop, plus a special performance of John Rutter’s Birthday Madrigals to celebrate this popular composer’s 80th Birthday.
Book Here:
Tickets to include summer refreshments
Tickets are available to book online via the button below or you can book over the phone by calling our Box Office on 0115 9589312. We are happy to reserve your tickets whilst awaiting the arrival of your cheque, or you can pay when you collect at the venue.
Music for Everyone offer a free companion ticket for anyone who needs support from another person to attend an event. Please call the office on 0115 958 9312 to book a companion ticket.
Full £13, Concession £12, Child/Student FREE

Course: Summer School 2026
2026-08-03 - 2026-08-05 | Trent College, Derby Road, Long Eaton, NG10 4AD
Welcome to MfE’s eleventh annual Summer School. Prepare to be enchanted and beguiled as we explore the realm of folklore, fairytale and fantasy! The choir will journey through the underworld, battle storms and tempests, and encounter witches and ghouls with a programme drawing on popular folk tales and mystical stories by composers including Mozart, Purcell, Stanford and Humperdinck.
The orchestra will march to the scaffold with movements from Berlioz’s epic ‘Symphonie Fantastique’, whilst the string orchestra will swoon and delight with movements from Tchaikovsky’s ‘Serenade‘. Our saxophone ensemble will be busy getting ‘Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered’, and our wind band will soar skywards with unicorns, dragons, and our very own conductor’s composition ‘Phoenix Flight’.
It doesn’t stop there… Music for Everyone has a long reputation of providing top-quality guest performances throughout the course from both established and emerging musicians, and this year is no exception. We will be welcoming violinist Emma Crossley, and Nottinghamshire-born baritone soloist Marcus Farnsworth, to perform in our lunchtime recitals – and once the concerts are over, you’ll be able to get top tips and tricks from these great artists in specially organised workshops just for you!
We also celebrate the return of our three guest conductors, Hilary Campbell (choir), Keiron Anderson (wind band and saxophone ensemble), and Alex Robinson (orchestra and string orchestra) and, of course, the wonderful Richard Cox returns as Summer School accompanist.

The Music:
(more to come…)

For Singers:

To include music by Mozart, Purcell, Stanford and Humperdinck

For Orchestra:
Hector Berlioz – March to the Scaffold from Symphonie Fantastique.
Other works to be announced

For Wind Band:
Keiron Anderson – Phoenix Flight
Ernest Tomlinson – English Folk Dances
Rossano Galante – Cry of the Last Unicorn

For Saxophone Ensemble:
Keiron Anderson – Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
Other works to be announced

For String Orchestra:
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Extracts from Serenade for Strings
Other works to be announced

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: £160 for MfE Members, £190 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.
Instrumentalists: minimum of grade 4 is suggested.
Clarinet places are now full, please contact anne@music-for-everyone.org if you would like to be put on a waiting list.
Singers: ability to read music is expected.

Conductors:

Alex Robinson
Orchestra & Strings conductor
Alex Robinson is an experienced conductor and harpsichordist with a first-class Music degree from the University of Manchester and an MMus in Performance (Conducting) from the Royal Northern College of Music. He studied under Mark Heron, Justin Doyle, and Clark Rundell.
He is currently the Music Director of Haffner Orchestra, Furness Bach Choir, Amaretti Chamber Orchestra and Nottingham Youth Orchestra. Alex has worked with a number of orchestras and opera companies in the UK and internationally, including the BBC Philharmonic, the Hallé, Northern Chamber Orchestra, English Touring Opera, Heritage Opera, Radius Opera, Spokane Symphony, Prague Philharmomia, Hradec Kravlove Philharmonic, Moravian Symphony Orchestra, Eboracum Baroque, Psappha, House of Bedlam and Ensemble Laus Deo.
He has worked as an assistant conductor to Sir Mark Elder, Juanjo Mena, James Lowe, Clark Rundell, Gerry Cornelius, Nicolas Collon, Jonathan Peter Kenny, Vassily Petrenko and Sir Andrew Davies. Alex regularly works with many international soloists including Martin Roscoe, Milan Al-Ashab, Inon Barnatan, Sophie Rosa, Savva Zverev, April Koyejo-Audiger, Simon Walfisch, and many more.
Recently he conducted at Snape Maltings for the 75th Aldeburgh Festival with House of Bedlam, and assisted English Touring Opera with Judith Weir’s ‘Blond Eckbert’. He has also recorded an album of continuo improvisations on harpsichord, conducted the premiere of Samson Young’s ‘One of Two stories or Both’ for Manchester International Festival, worked as repetiteur for several operas including Handel’s Tamerlano, Ottone, Agrippina and Silla, and worked as Assistant Conductor for the premiere of Alan Williams’ ‘The Arsonists’ opera in a Yorkshire accent with the BBC Philharmonic.
Keiron Anderson
Wind Band & Saxophone Ensemble conductor
Keiron Anderson was born in Aberdeen and studied trumpet and keyboard at the Royal Northern College of Music where he started both a light orchestra and big band.
Keiron currently directs Yorkshire Wind Orchestra, Nottingham Symphonic Winds with whom he has produced many excellent concerts and recordings, and Phoenix Concert Band.
He has worked with many other groups including Harlequin Brass, Leeds Conservatoire Wind Orchestra, Nottingham Symphony Orchestra, the National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain and numerous chamber ensembles throughout the UK and Europe as part of a diverse and rich schedule of conducting.
Keiron is a prolific Composer producing unique and exciting new music across an eclectic mix of styles. Some of these works are written specifically for the groups he directs or as commissions for other ensembles. He recently conducted his own music at the Bavarian Music Academy Annual Wind Orchestra course in Germany, coaching composers and conducting the excellent orchestra.
Keiron has worked extensively as a freelance performer working with the Scottish Ballet Orchestra, London Festival Ballet, Welsh Opera, Scottish National Orchestra and the BBC Northern Radio Orchestra. Keiron established the Keiron Anderson Orchestra and completed several years working on cruise ships followed by a period in Spain before returning to the UK and performing all over the country with artists such as Cannon and Ball, Ronnie Corbett, Bob Monkhouse, Little and Large, Frankie Vaughan and many more.
Keiron’s teaching experience includes 10 years as a peripatetic teacher of brass and composition, three years as Head of the Ilkley Music Centre and 18 years as Head of Music, then Head of Creative Arts at Ilkley Grammar School.
Hilary Campbell
Choir conductor
Hilary Campbell is a freelance choral specialist, Founder and Musical Director of professional chamber choir Blossom Street, and Musical Director of Bristol Choral Society, West London Chorus and West London Chamber Choir. Her project work includes guest conducting ensembles such as the BBC Singers, Trinity Laban Chamber Choir, the Fourth Choir and the University of Greenwich Choir, and Chorus Mastering the BBC Symphony Chorus and Royal Academy of Music Symphony Chorus. She is also Associate Conductor of Ex Cathedra, and often runs projects with Master of the Queen’s Music, Judith Weir, at the Royal Academy of Music, in conjunction with Blossom Street and the RAM composition department. Hilary also leads workshops for the Royal Opera House and is a course director for Helicon Arts.
Hilary gained a Distinction for an MMus in Choral Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music with Patrick Russill; she was also awarded the three choral conducting prizes. She received a Distinction for an MA in Vocal Studies at the University of York and undertook an Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in singing at Trinity College of Music. Following her studies, she returned to the RAM as the Meaker Fellow 2012-13, the first choral conductor to have been thus honoured.
In 2018, Hilary was delighted to be made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM). In addition to her regular conducting work, Hilary also acts as an adjudicator, choral workshop leader and guest conductor. She is a founder member of the Voices of London Festival, and is also a published and prize-winning composer. With Blossom Street, she has released two award-winning Naxos recordings, and recently released a third.

Richard Cox
Summer School accompanist
Local pianist Richard Cox has worked in the Nottingham area and beyond for many years, accompanying numerous soloists and ensembles. He studied music at the University of Nottingham specialising in piano performance with Brenda May, and began working with community organisations after graduating, initially through Music for Everyone (then known as the Nottingham Choral Trust).
He now spends the majority of his time running music-related businesses, including Europadisc (selling recordings of classical music to collectors around the world), and local woodwind specialist, Windblowers.

Guest Artists:
Naomi Atherton
Photo by Kaupo Kikkas
Ever since Naomi Atherton won the Brass final of Young Musician of the Year in 1984, she has been in constant demand as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral member.
Currently, Naomi holds posts as Principal Horn of the Northern Chamber Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, and as a member of Ensemble 360.
Naomi’s solo career has included appearances with the BBC Philharmonic and Ulster Orchestras and the Manchester Camerata, with whom she recently gave a live BBC broadcast of Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with James Gilchrist, conducted by Douglas Boyd. Naomi has appeared as a guest principal horn with many of Britain’s leading orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Scottish Chamber Orchestras.
As a chamber musician, she has partnered the Danel, the Elias and the Heath Quartets and has appeared at the Edinburgh, Bath, Cheltenham and Aldeburgh festivals and at the BBC Proms.

Emma Crossley and the Opus 3 Piano Trio

Having graduated from the University of Manchester with First Class Honours, and a Distinction for Postgraduate Performance from the Royal Northern College of Music, Emma began her professional career in Manchester as leader of The Rivoli String Quartet and as an orchestral freelancer. The Rivolis were finalists of the Royal Overseas League Competition, and winners of the Prix Ravel 2007 from the Academie International de Musique, Maurice Ravel. They went on to gain a Masters in String Quartet Performance from the University of Sheffield, which helped launch their career performing extensively around the UK and abroad. Emma went on to form and lead many other ensembles and is currently a member of the Opus 3 piano trio.
Emma performs and tours internationally with many of the UK’s leading orchestras, including The Philharmonia, London Philharmonic Orchestra, and BBC Symphony Orchestra, amongst others. Emma also features in numerous orchestral recordings and soundtracks for major films, documentaries, and computer games, recorded at Abbey Road Studios and Air Lyndhurst.
Teaching the violin and piano, coaching chamber music, and tutoring on orchestral courses such as the English Schools Orchestra course, also play a very important role in Emma’s musical life. She was Professor of Violin at the University of Sheffield, has taught at many music centres, schools, International Summer Schools, and privately, for many years.

Marcus Farnsworth

Marcus Farnsworth performs in opera, concert and recital around the world. He is also a conductor specialising in choral and vocal music. He is a past first prize winner of the Wigmore Hall International Song Competition and the Song Prize at the Kathleen Ferrier Competition.
Marcus began his musical training as a chorister at Southwell Minster in Nottinghamshire. He went on to study at Chetham’s School of Music, the University of Manchester and the Royal Academy of Music. In addition to a busy career as a performer, Marcus is Head of Vocal and Choral Studies at Chetham’s, Musical Director of the Southwell Choral Society and is Founder and Artistic Director of the Southwell Music Festival.
He has appeared as a principal artist with opera companies in the UK and abroad including English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Bergen National Opera, Boston Lyric Opera and Teatro Real Madrid. Equally at home on the concert platform, Marcus has performed and recorded extensively with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Gabrieli Consort, Academy of Ancient Music, Arcangelo, and Aurora Orchestra. He is also a keen recitalist and an advocate for new music. He has given recitals at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, La Monnaie, the Oxford International Song Festival, Leeds Lieder and the Wigmore Hall.
Marcus lives in Southwell with his wife and two young sons. He is a keen cook and consumer of food, and enjoys cycling and hiking, both of which are good for working off all that food.

Summer School 2026 Showcase Concert
2026-08-05 17:00 - 19:00 | Trent College, Derby Road, Long Eaton, NG10 4AD
Come and join us for the Summer School Showcase Concert!
Date Wednesday 5th August 2026
Time 5pm – 7pm
Venue Chapel followed by Obolensky, Trent College, Long Eaton
Price £10 to include drinks and light buffet
Celebrate the culmination of our Summer School with a truly memorable Showcase Concert on the final day. This special event offers friends and family the chance to experience the extraordinary results of an inspiring 3-days of music-making.
The evening begins in the atmospheric Chapel, where the choir will be joined by acclaimed soloist Marcus Farnsworth for a beautifully crafted performance. The celebration then continues in the Obolensky Hall for a dazzling display from the instrumental ensembles, culminating in an electrifying joint performance from orchestra and choir.
Tickets are just £10 and include a light buffet and drinks. With demand always high, we recommend booking early to secure your place at this unforgettable event.
Tickets for the Summer School Concert are available here:

Please note that physical tickets are no longer offered, just show your email confirmation on the door.

NFC Singing Workshop with Robert Hollingworth
2026-09-26 | St Nic’s Church, City Centre, 79 Main Marian Way, Nottingham, NG1 6AE
Come and be part of an amazing choral experience and perform a dazzling concert. All participating singers become the Nottingham Festival Chorus for the day!
St Nic’s Church, Maid Marian Way, City Centre, Nottingham, NG1 6AE
10am-4pm
Workshop Leader: Robert Hollingworth
Accompanist: Angela Foan

Enjoy a day getting to know beautiful and intriguing music from the 16th century: not the ‘usual’ sacred fare but the most expressive and characterful secular pieces. From Italy, some quite perfect Monteverdi. From Spain, a cancion (five in a bar – best sung as when limping). From Germany – inspired by the Italians – a heart-rending lament. From France, a rather cool chanson (which, however, inspired a very funky dance). England offers a simple-looking madrigal but actually is so full of ideas, it needs calming down a bit.
A day with Robert Hollingworth is so much fun that you might not realise how much you’re learning. His breadth of skill and knowledge, mixed with off the wall humour and excellent anecdotes, is guaranteed to bring the music bouncing off the page and into glorious technicolour.
Ability to read music is essential, however, all music will be made available in advance. Links to music recordings will be given as well as recordings of the pronunciation for the non-English poems.

What is the Nottingham Festival Chorus?

Mixed choir of 100+ voices, no auditions
Expertly led, highly enjoyable workshops and concerts
Distance-learning packs provided

What experience do singers need?
The ability to read music and some previous singing experience is needed for this course.

Mixed choir of 100+ voices, no auditions
Expertly led, highly enjoyable rehearsal weekends
Distance-learning packs

Don’t miss out, book your place now!

Venue
The course and concert on Saturday 26th September will take place at St Nic’s in the city centre. Find out more about St Nic’s here: About — St Nic’s Nottingham

Workshop Leader
Photographer Matt Brodie
Robert Hollingworth
Robert founded I Fagiolini in 1986 and has since spent much of his life thinking about how audiences receive music, instead of just how performers want to deliver it. Aside from his work with I Fagiolini, he is a conductor, broadcaster, educator, editor and festival director. Robert has conducted orchestras including the English Concert, Academy of Ancient Music, BBC Concert Orchestra, Irish Baroque Orchestra and directed some of the world’s finest chamber choirs including Accentus, NDR Chor, RIAS Kammerchor (Berlin), Netherlands Chamber Choir, National Chamber Choir of Ireland, BBC Singers, Danish National Vocal Ensemble and Capella Cracoviensis. Robert is Artistic Director for Stour Music Festival and the new ‘Fairest Isle Festival’ on the Isle of Wight.
At the University of York, Robert directs two choirs and the UK’s only MA in Solo-Voice Ensemble Singing, now in its 13th year. He has written and presented programmes on BBC Radio 3 and more recently created over 30 episodes of the YouTube choral series SingTheScore as well as co-founding and presenting the UK’s top choral podcast series, Choral Chihuahua, with Eamonn Dougan and Nicholas Mulroy, now in its twelfth season. Both are made by Polyphonic Films (Greg Browning). Robert Hollingworth is managed worldwide by Percius.

Repertoire
Monteverdi – Sfogava con le stelle
Schein – Da Jakob vollendet hatte
Anchieta – Con amores mi madre
Tomkins – Weep no more, thou sorry boy
Sandrin – La volonte

Music Scores
We offer music collection points. Please choose an option when booking.

Provisional Timetable –
Saturday 26th September: St Nic’s Church
Registration: 9.45am
Singing sessions: 10am – 4pm
To include tea, coffee and lunch break and end with an informal concert.

Workshop Fee
The fee includes all music copies, the workshop experience and coffee or tea at the morning and afternoon breaks.
All – £30; Benefit Claimant/Student – £10.
We don’t want anyone to be excluded from MfE activities because of their financial circumstances and there is a subsidised scheme available for any who needs it. Please contact anne@music-for-everyone.org if this is the case.

How to enrol

Click the button above and fill in your details: Payment can be made via debit/credit card (no additional fees)
By post – pay by cheque:
For any further information, email admin@music-for-everyone.org or telephone 0115 9589312

MfE Membership

Join us as a member and become part of a unique community of music makers. Your membership will also help to sustain, strengthen and shape the future of MfE, enabling others to experience the joy of music too.
Membership benefits you will receive are:

Special membership rates for courses/workshops
Invitation and voting rights for the annual AGM
Priority early booking of tickets for all events including concerts

Annual Membership – £40 per year
N.B. If you play or sing with one of our regular groups i.e. Daytime Voices / Daytime Orchestras / Nottingham Chamber Singers you are already part of the family and will automatically receive these membership benefits as part of your termly subscription. You do not need to take out membership.
Click here to become a member
