Music for Everyone

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 (Europe/London) | Christ Church, Chilwell, NG9 4AS
Online Booking is now closed. Tickets will be available on the door.
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
Online Booking is now closed. Tickets will be available on the door.
Adult £8, Child/Student £4

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
Online Booking is now closed. Tickets will be available on the door.
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:
Online Booking is now closed. Tickets will be available on the door.
Tickets to include summer refreshments
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:

For Choir:
Christopher Alexander – Loch Lomond
WA Mozart, adapt. Campbell – O Isis und Osiris
Arr. Patrick Hawes – O, Waly Waly
Arr. Pete King – When You Wish Upon A Star
Henry Purcell – Hush, No More

For Orchestra:
Hector Berlioz – March to the Scaffold from Symphonie Fantastique.
Gioachino Rossini – Overture to Cenerentola
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Overture to Sleeping Beauty
Joint with Choir:
Carol Orff – Carmina Burana

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

For Saxophone Ensemble:
Keiron Anderson – Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
Keiron Anderson – Blewz
Keiron Anderson – Haunted Moor

For String Orchestra:
Benjamin Britten – Frolicsome Finale from Simple Symphony
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Extracts from Serenade for Strings
Joint with Choir:
Engelbert Humperdinck – Evening Prayer

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.
Online booking is now closed for this event. A limited number of tickets will be available to purchase on the Monday lunch break at Trent College, however it will not be possible to buy tickets on the door.
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-4.30pm
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 – 4.30pm
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

BYME - Bandwise 2026
2026-11-07 - 2026-11-15 | South Nottinghamshire Academy, Radcliffe on Trent, Notts, NG12 2FQ, United Kingdom
Come to BANDWISE 2026!
Workshop: Saturday 7th November 2026 – South Nottinghamshire Academy, Radcliffe on Trent
Concert: Sunday 15th November 2026 – Albert Hall, Nottingham

BANDWISE is a fun, creative workshop day & concert for all young woodwind, brass and percussion players of grade 2 standard and above aged 8 – 21. (For string players – check out STRINGWISE!)
Rehearsals are led by experienced conductors and a team of specialist tutors will help you build new skills and work on the music during the workshop day. The following weekend you will perform at Nottingham’s iconic Albert Hall in the Big Youth Music Experience concert — with family and friends cheering you on!
There will be two bands:

Bandwise 1: grade 2-4
Bandwise 2: grade 5+

A music pack (including rehearsal tracks which are accessible via digital download) will be sent out about 4 weeks before the course, helping you learn the pieces before continuing in the rehearsals at the workshop day.

Timetable
Saturday 7th November 2026 – Workshop Day
South Nottinghamshire Academy, Radcliffe on Trent
Bandwise 2: 10.15am – 5.30pm
Bandwise 1: 12.45pm – 5.30pm
Sunday 15th November 2026 – Concert Day
Albert Hall, Nottingham
Bandwise 2: 11.15am – 3.00pm
Bandwise 1: 12.15pm – 3.00pm
Concert: 3.30pm – 5.30pm
NB Children will be supervised in between the rehearsal and concert.

How to join the support team
We welcome parents and carers to join the support team at the Bandwise course and concert, either as a player helper or to assist with the logistics. If you play a musical instrument and would like to join in and help our youngsters, we would love to hear from you, particularly any lower instrument parts.
As a logistical helper, parents and carers can help with registration, general supervision of a group of children, setting up and down (some heavy lifting and moving of equipment involved) or running the popular tuck shop!
To become a parent helper for this event, please tick the box on the enrolment form and we will be in touch with more details. You can also specify if there are any tasks you would prefer to help with, if you would like to be near your child or if there is anything you cannot do when we contact you closer to the event.

How much does it cost?
The enrolment fees for Bandwise 2026 are:
Bandwise 1 – £25
Bandwise 2 – £30
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.
Please note if you have children registering for both Stringwise & Bandwise, a 10% discount for all siblings can be applied using the code: BYME10
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 kirstie@music-for-everyone.org if this is the case.

BYME - Stringwise 2026
2026-11-08 - 2026-11-15 | South Nottinghamshire Academy, Radcliffe on Trent, Notts, NG12 2FQ, United Kingdom
Come to STRINGWISE 2026!
Workshop: Sunday 8th November 2026 – South Nottinghamshire Academy, Radcliffe on Trent
Concert: Sunday 15th November 2026 – Albert Hall, Nottingham

STRINGWISE is a fun, creative workshop day & concert for young string players (violin, viola, cello, double bass) Grade 0–5+ aged 8 – 21. (For wind, brass and percussion players – check out BANDWISE!)
Rehearsals are led by experienced conductors and a team of specialist tutors will help you build new skills and work on the music during the workshop day. The following weekend you will perform at Nottingham’s iconic Albert Hall in the Big Youth Music Experience concert — with family and friends cheering you on!
There will be three groups

Stringwise 1 (grade 0 – 1)
Stringwise 2 (grade 2 – 4)
Stringwise 3 (grade 5+)

A music pack (including rehearsal tracks which are accessible via digital download) will be sent out about 4 weeks before the course, helping you learn the pieces before continuing in the rehearsals at the workshop day.

Timetable
Sunday 8th November 2026 – Workshop Day
South Nottinghamshire Academy, Radcliffe on Trent
Stringwise 3: 10.15am – 5.30pm
Stringwise 1 & 2: 1.00pm – 5.30pm
Sunday 15th November 2026 – Concert Day
Albert Hall, Nottingham
Stringwise 3: 11.15am – 3.00pm
Stringwise 1 & 2: 12.30pm – 3.00pm
Concert: 3.30pm – 5.30pm
NB Children will be supervised in between the rehearsal and concert.

How to join the support team
We welcome parents and carers to join the support team at the Stringwise course and concert, either as a player helper or to assist with the logistics. If you play a musical instrument and would like to join in and help our youngsters, we would love to hear from you, particularly any lower instrument parts.
As a logistical helper, parents and carers can help with registration, general supervision of a group of children, setting up and down (some heavy lifting and moving of equipment involved) or running the popular tuck shop!
To become a parent helper for this event, please tick the box on the enrolment form and we will be in touch with more details. You can also specify if there are any tasks you would prefer to help with, if you would like to be near your child or if there is anything you cannot do when we contact you closer to the event.

How much does it cost?
The enrolment fees for Stringwise 2026 are:
Stringwise 1&2 – £25
Stringwise 3 – £30
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.
Please note if you have children registering for both Stringwise & Bandwise, a 10% discount for all siblings can be applied using the code: BYME10
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 kirstie@music-for-everyone.org if this is the case.
