Month: August 2023

#MfEMonday – 21st August 2023

Music for Everyone

New term

At MfE, we are looking forward to a new Autumn term full of concerts, courses and of course, our weekly groups.

Information about all our Adult groups is now listed on the website, including first rehearsal dates in September.

Sign-up for any of our groups by clicking here

NCS Concert

Nottingham Chamber Singers have a fantastic concert coming up on the 23rd September at St Barnabas Cathedral, Nottingham. Including a great variety from Franck’s grand and sparkling Psalm 150, to the brooding pre-war angst of Lili Boulanger’s Pie Jesu and Elgar’s achingly beautiful Sospiri, we aim to give you a flavour of the styles and sensibilities of some of the greatest Romantics of the 19th and 20th Centuries.

Relax into Faure’s well-known and beloved cantique de Jean Racine, and lose yourself in the ancient chants that expand and unfurl in Maurice Duruflé’s uplifting Quatre Motets. The second half of the concert will be devoted to Duruflé’s profoundly moving and deeply consoling Requiem, a work you will be guaranteed to fall in love with as the melodies linger long afterwards in your memory.

Tickets are available to book online here or by calling the office on 0115 9589312.

 

Today, 21st August, is Lili Boulanger’s birthday – one of the composers featured in the NCS concert on 23rd September. A French composer and the first female winner of the Prix de Rome composition prize for her cantata Faust et Hélène, NCS will be performing her work Pie Jesu, which she completed towards the end of her life and is scored for high voice, string quartet, harp and organ.

You’ll have to wait until September to hear Pie Jesu, but have a listen to the ‘prize winning’ composition Faust et Hélène here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BQgfSfMG4E

 

  • Did you know about the operatic origins of Old MacDonalds’ nursery rhyme, where the cows go boo instead of moo? Click the link below and rethink everything you know about Old Macdonald!

What are the lyrics to ‘Old MacDonald Had a Farm’, the beloved nursery rhyme with… – Classic FM

 

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

21/08/2023

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on Instagram

*Support us with easyfundraiser*

#MfEMonday – 14th August 2023

Music for Everyone

MfE are hiring!

We are seeking an inspiring and charismatic conductor to lead our Daytime Orchestra programme on a freelance basis. The successful candidate will be an experienced symphony orchestra conductor, with a strong background as an adult educator, animateur and/or teacher.

Deadline for applications: 12 noon on 5th September

Find out more and please do pass this information on to anyone you think might be interested here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/about-us/vacancies/

Recorder consort workshop day

Saturday 2nd September, Belton House, Grantham

Taking place in the historical setting of Belton House, enjoy a day of recorder playing followed by informal performances to members of the public visiting the house. The workshop day will be led by Chris McDouall.

Find out more and book here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/recorder-consort-day/

August is turning a bit cold for our liking so here’s a summer holiday playlist to transport you to sunny beaches and proper summer weather: https://www.classical-music.com/features/articles/best-classical-music-summer/

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

14/08/2023

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on Instagram

*Support us with easyfundraiser*

#MfEMondays are Music for Everyone’s weekly emails designed to keep you up to date with MfE events & to circulate interesting finds, special features, and musical musings for your Mondays! We are aiming to send out something new each week.

Summer School Day 3: From RELAXED to RE-ENERGISED (and everything in between)

Music for Everyone

The final day arrives, the sun is shining and everyone is raring to go one more time! The Obolensky has transformed overnight in to our concert set up and it’s time to polish up the corners of the music ready for the Showcase Concert.

To help RELAX after the final rehearsals and before the performance, participants were invited to eat their lunch in the chapel and enjoy some special mood lighting and relaxing piano music, played by Summer School accompanist Richard Cox.

A contrast in the afternoon with Katie from Beat Goes On designed to RE-ENERGISE with a body percussion stomp-style session with creating our own rhythms (yes, bottom-patting and much laughter was involved!). A final top and tail rehearsal then it’s SHOWCASE time!

The concert started with Katie getting everyone involved, audience as well, in body percussion to make a rain storm effect (we avoided the real rain thankfully!) The concert programme this year was chosen around the Summer School theme ‘New Horizons’, celebrating women in music in this 40th year of Music for Everyone. The first piece of music was a piece commissioned especially for the 40th anniversary by Nottingham born composer Libby Croad – Hail! Bright Cecilia then each group showcased talent and hard work from the 3 days, with pieces including Hymn by Harding from the saxophones, Gallimaufry by Guy Wolfenden by the wind band, Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes by Grace Williams by the orchestra, Libby Croad’s Suite for Strings, Big Yellow Taxi (Gilpin) and Flower Duet (Delibes) by the choir and the big finale Finlandia by Sibelius performed by all 180+ participants!

Drinks, nibbles and a chance to sit and chat one last time after concert and that’s a wrap! as they say.

THANK YOUS
A huge thanks to our wonderful conductors, Keiron Anderson, Hilary Campbell and Rob Hodge for the incredible work they have done with singers and players. To our guest artists Naomi Sullivan and Papagena for unforgettable recitals and workshops. The tutors, Isobel, Sarah, Jonathan, Jenny, Tim, Rachel, Josh, Gill, Gordon, Dave, David and accompanist, Richard Cox for all their support and sectional rehearsals. The ‘behind the scenes’ staff and volunteers for copious tea/coffee making (we lost count this year!). Of course, a huge thanks goes to Trent College for hosting and being so helpful and also to Bookwise and Turner Violins for attending. We did notice one person didn’t get a mention in the concert… because he was doing the mentioning! Thank you to Robin! for his compering and everything else he did. Finally, to the participants – thank you for supporting MfE – what a 3 days!

Right, we’re off for a little lie down then start planning for next year – see you there?

#SummerSchool2023

Summer School Day 2: A Capella is the game, Papagena is the name

Music for Everyone

An incredible second day of Summer School on a (mostly) sunny Tuesday at Trent College.

Rehearsals for choir, orchestra, sax ensemble, string orchestra and wind band (busy, busy!) continued throughout the morning (fuelled by regular top ups of tea, coffee and biscuits of course!).

Today’s guests, all-female a capella quintet Papagena blew the roof off the chapel and received a standing ovation at the end of their lunchtime recital for Summer School participants. Their programme, aptly named ‘Nuns and Roses’ featured hauntingly beautiful melodies of traditional Ukrainian lullabies and Georgian hymns all the way through to ‘hard rock’ Guns ‘n’ Roses Sweet Child o’ mine and finishing with The woman’s ‘If’ – a work commissioned for Papagena and based on Caitlin Moran’s female perspective to Rudyard Kipling’s If. Many of the pieces in the programme were also arranged by members of the group. Simply amazing.

Papagena then led the choir in a workshop, teaching them one of the pieces from their recital and working on some of the repertoire chosen by Hilary for this year’s course.

Further rehearsals in the afternoon led to Tuesday’s ‘sharing concert’ – where the singers perform the players and the players perform to the singers. A short session to share items that won’t feature in the final Showcase Concert – from the choir with Hilary (with Richard’s debut performance on the drums…), the sax ensemble with Keiron, the string orchestra with Rob and the wind band, again with Keiron performing A Single Step of his own composition.

That wraps up another busy Summer School day, bring on the finale!

#SummerSchool2023

Summer School Day 2 in under 20 seconds!

Summer School Day 1: The many (many) sounds of the saxophone

Music for Everyone

Welcome to Summer School 2023! Taking place once again in the picturesque setting of Trent College in Long Eaton, we are delighted to be back with new and returning faces (participants and staff!).

We kicked off with pastries and a welcome from Robin then it’s straight down to the musical good stuff… Rehearsals! The choir head off the the Chapel with Hilary, orchestra are in the May Hall with Rob and brand new for this year, the saxophone ensemble get started with Keiron in the Rep!

This year, the focus for day 1 is the glorious saxophone, with amazing guest artist Naomi Sullivan treating us to a stunning recital with a varied programme featuring George Gershwin and Jules Demersseman.

The saxophone players then took part in a workshop with Naomi, creating unique effects and developing techniques beyond mere notes – at one point, impersonating a rain storm! (Check out the video clip in the round-up below – that’s the saxophones, not the weather!)

More rehearsals, sectionals and the traditional tea, coffee and biscuits rounded off a great first day – crossing our fingers the sun continues to shine and we’re looking forward to day 2!

#SummerSchool2023

SS23 Day 1!