Author: Music for Everyone

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 11th September 2023

11th September 2023 Music for Everyone

Nottingham Festival Chorus

We are now taking bookings for our Festival Chorus day on Saturday 7^th October.

We are very lucky to be joined by the seasoned and acclaimed Chorus Master Sam Evans! Much in demand for workshops for singers of all kinds, Sam has run events for large choirs such as Highgate Choral Society, The London Chorus and Henley Choral Society. He has run numerous “Come and Sing” workshops, on repertoire ranging from opera choruses to pop music from movie soundtracks.

Get ready to sing a selection of well-loved choruses from Mendelssohn’s epic Oratorio Elijah, Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach’s sparkling Magnificat and the beautiful Vilja chorus from Lehár’s opera The Merry Widow.

Booking can be made online here: Music For Everyone (savoysystems.co.uk) or by calling the office.

Autumn Term Begins

It might not have felt like Autumn with all this glorious sunshine, but some of our groups started their Autumn term this weekend.

SAM Big Band and Flutes had a sweltering start to the term, with the Flute Choir even resorting to playing outside!

To check when your group is starting, and to sign-up for any of our Adult groups, click here

Bandwise and Stringwise

For any young musicians wanting to get involved in Music for Everyone, we have the exciting Bandwise and Stringwise coming up in November.

Bandwise:

Date

Venue

Who’s it for?

11 & 19 November 2023

Course venue – South Notts Academy, Radcliffe on Trent

Concert – Albert Hall, Nottingham

Young wind, brass and percussion players grade 2 – 8

Book online here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/byme-bandwise-2023/

Stringwise:

Date

Venue

Who’s it for?

12 & 19 November 2023

Course venue – South Notts Academy, Radcliffe on Trent

Concert – Albert Hall, Nottingham

Young violin, viola, cello and double bass players beginners – grade 8

Book online here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/byme-stringwise-2023/

Did you know Mendelssohn’s oratorio Elijah was given its premiere in Birmingham in 1846 to an ecstatic audience of 2,000 people. It had taken him some ten years to prepare, including penning most of the libretto himself. It was very much the ‘Messiah’ of its day: hugely popular, cementing Mendelssohn’s position as one of the greatest composers of sacred music.

It will be fantastic to work through this in our Nottingham Festival Chorus day with Sam Evans next month.

According to a new study 84% of the general population want to experience an orchestral concert. Read more here: https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/survey-research-royal-philharmonic-orchestra/

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

11/09/2023

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

Sunday Afternoon Music – Big Band and Flute Choir

#MfEMonday – 4th September 2023

4th September 2023 Music for Everyone

We are delighted to welcome on board our new Artistic Director, Alex Robinson who officially started on 1^st September.

Many of you will have seen Alex back in July when Angela Kay handed over the baton as he conducted the final piece for MfE’s 40^th Birthday Celebration weekend!

Alex is an experienced conductor and harpsichordist. He graduated from the University of Manchester with a first-class degree in Music and the Royal Northern College of Music with an MMus in Performance at Distinction level (Conducting). He is the Music Director of the Lake District’s Furness Bach Choir, the Haffner Orchestra in Lancaster, the Amaretti Chamber Orchestra in Stockport and the Nottingham Youth Orchestra.

Alex says “Music for Everyone really does embrace a wide range of communities and musical repertoire. Over the summer I have been getting to know the groups, staff and volunteers and am excited to work with the team in the next phase of development.”

Our regular Groups are now open for online booking – CLICK HERE to book or for more information about each group click the relevant link below:

Daytime Voices

Daytime Orchestras

Lunchtime Voices

World Drumming

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR NEW SEASON BROCHURE!! Lots of exciting musical opportunities to enjoy:

Brochure – Sep23-Feb24 : simplebooklet.com

simplebooklet.com

As young people nationwide prepare for the start of another school year we thought it might be a good time to do some revision with the Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra. Click here for a refresher course on the sections of a symphony orchestra!

https://youtu.be/rbUbx9cJPX0

Last chance to apply if you know of any conductors who would like to take up the baton with our Daytime Orchestras – deadline for applications is 12 noon tomorrow!

Vacancies | Music for Everyone (music-for-everyone.org)

Also, Nottingham Chamber Wind Ensemble have a concert on Saturday 9^th September at St Mary’s Parish Church, Wirksworth. Tickets available here:

Nottingham Chamber Wind Ensemble online ticket sales powered by TicketSource

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

04/09/2023

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

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

#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.

#MfEMonday – 21st August 2023

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 23^rd 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, 21^st August, is Lili Boulanger’s birthday – one of the composers featured in the NCS concert on 23^rd 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!

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

21/08/2023

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 14th August 2023

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 5^th 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 2^nd 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/

As it is nearing results time for many A Level and GCSE students – Good Luck to all MfE youth members waiting for results! – do you think you could pass GCSE music? Take a quiz here to find out: https://www.classicfm.com/lifestyle/quizzes/gcse-music-questions-pass-exam/

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

14/08/2023

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

Muppet Songs: Gonzo – Eine Kleine Nachtmusik – YouTube

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

10th August 202310th August 2023 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

8th August 2023 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

7th August 2023 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!

#MfEMonday – 31st July 2023

31st July 2023 Music for Everyone

Nottingham Chamber Singers will be kicking off our 2023/24 concert season in style with an enchanting concert at St Barnabas Cathedral on Saturday 23rd September. Joined by Mezzo Soprano, Emily Hodkinson and Organist, Peter Siepmann, the Nottingham Chamber Singers will present a flavour of the styles and sensibilities of some of the greatest romantic composers of the 19^th and 20^th Centuries including Franck, Boulanger, Elgar and Faure, finishing with Duruflè’s profoundly moving and deeply consoling Requiem.

Click here for more information about the concert, or here to book tickets.

Please be aware that the MfE Office will be closed next week while we decamp to Trent College for our annual Summer School. Nottingham Bookwise will remain open as normal. If you would like to experience a flavour of what the Summer School is all about, why not come along to our Showcase Concert on Wednesday 09 August at 6:00pm? Tickets are only £5 and include drinks and nibbles! Click here to book.

Did anyone catch MfE friend and alumnus, Sam Sweeney, on radio 4 this week?

Click here to listen and find out how Bach’s Toccata and Fugue and Ski Sunday are connected!

We’re looking forward to hearing the Summer School strings playing the Romance from Eine Kleine Nachtmusic. Let’s hope it’s more successful than this death-defying acrobatic version!

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

31/07/2023

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 24th July 2023

24th July 2023 Music for Everyone

Hello everyone,

I would just like to say a big ‘thank you’ to everyone who so generously donated to my 40th Anniversary Gift collection – over £2,250, what a wonderful amount. I can’t wait to look round for garden furniture to grace my patio! Thank you also for all the lovely messages so many of you wrote in the ‘guest book’, such wonderful and touching comments and memories.

Without you all – singing, playing and being involved in so many ways – I would never have been able to develop MfE into the charity it is today – my deepest thanks to all of you.

Have a good summer,

With love and best wishes
Angela

This weekend has seen the release of 2 long-awaited very different, films, and whether you are a Barbie fan, or an Oppenheimer fan (or perhaps both or neither!) both feature some iconic music…

The ‘Barbie’ film’s opening scene features Richard Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra, a very dramatic beginning to introduce an 11.5-inch doll! You might also recognise the tune from the ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Szdziw4tI9o

Throughout the ‘Oppenheimer’ soundtrack, the sound of strings can be heard often, which was a request from the film director Christopher Nolan, who wanted the violin in particular to feature to fit with the high emotions of pain, grief and drama.

Listen out for these features if you’re going to see one!

We’re feeling a little chilly in the office today (where has the sun gone?!) so have been listening to some summer themed music to warm us up and remind us it’s only July! https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/mood/summer/best-classical-music-for-summertime/

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

24/07/2023

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF