Month: September 2016

The BIG FRIENDLY SING and STRINGWISE – Music for Youngsters

Helena Durham

FOR CHILDREN WHO LOVE TO SING:

DSC02171 copyWould your primary aged child or children enjoy burning up some half-term energy with a fun singing day? Then the BIG FRIENDLY SING is for them. The BFS (not to be confused with the BFG!) is a new venture for Music for Everyone, and a variation on our years of running Vocals! for children from the same age group.

It’s going to be from 9.30 – 4.00 on Tuesday 25th October at John Clifford School in Beeston. (Very near to the Middle Street tram stop.) The children will be split into groups of similar ages. There will be nothing to prepare beforehand, just the singing games and songs of the BFS to enjoy on the day. The day will end with a ‘come and share’ informal concert from 3.30pm. The children will need to bring snozzcumbers food for the day, drinks will be provided. For more informtion and to book, click here.

FOR CHILDREN WHO PLAY A STRING INSTRUMENT:

STRINGWISE is for young string players, with groups from beginners to those with Grade 6. It happens over two weekends in November. No doubt you’ll know of Sheku Kanneh-Mason winning Young Musician of the Year 2016, but did you know he used to play in STRINGWISE? His mum kindly sent us some photos, and they are both happy for us to write a bit about Sheku and STRINGWISE:

Sheku6sheku17For Sheku, it all started back in 2005 when he saw his sister perform in our Stringwise concert. He became transfixed with the cello section and decided that was the instrument for him! He then switched from violin to cello and went on to take part in our Stringwise courses, impressing our conductors with his astonishing ability to play everything from memory!

Who knows what ability might be drawn out of a young player who comes to Stringwise?! Rosin that bow!

Hop over to the STRINGWISE page for more information and to book.

Choral Workshop, Choirs and Concerts

Helena Durham

benvenue-fortepiano-trio-mendelssohn-1338472770-article-0This is the splendid Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, known as Felix Mendlessohn to his friends. He is central to some of Music for Everyone’s autumn adult choral events.

On Saturday 1st October, Angela Kay will lead a choral workshop exploring the riches of Mendelssohn’s oratorio, Elijah. There are only a few places left, so sign up soon if you’d like to come. We’re looking forward to seeing you there for a day of singing simply for the joy of it – no concert, no pressure.

The following Saturday, 8th October, the East of England Singers, also conducted by Angela, will give a concert in St Mary Magdalene Church, Hucknall. Their programme of religious choral music spans 400 years and will include string orchestral pieces by Mozart and Pärt.

Without Mendelssohn, whose piece Beatus Vir opens the concert, the choral music of J S Bach might have been lost for many more years, even for ever. It’s fitting then that the largest work in the concert will be Bach’s glorious motet, Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied (Sing to the Lord a new song). After the interval the programme travels through the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries with a vareity of well known and lesser known delightful motets. Something for everyone. Click here for tickets.

If you love to sing, Music for Everyone has plenty of choirs for you to join:

Daytime Voices are singing groups based in 5 locations: Southwell, West Bridgford, Wollaton, Sherwood and (new for 2016/17) Ollerton. Although they started this week, you’d still be welcome to join. Click here for info etc.

On Tuesday lunchtimes the Nottingham Lunchtime Choir meets at the Royal Concert Hall for a burst of singing fun. The music ranges from folk and pop to blues and classical.  The rehearsal is short enough to fit into a lunch break for those who work. It doesn’t matter at all if you can’t read music. There will be an exciting opportunity in December to sing in a short concert before the Halle Orchestra’s Christmas Concert. More here.

The East of England Singers (EOES) is an auditioned chamber choir and open to new members. Singers need to have good sight reading ability and time to commit to a busy concert schedule of both EOES concerts and Music for Everyone choral events, where they often form the semi-chorus. The ability to make tea is an advantage.