Author: Music for Everyone

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 4th July 2023

5th July 2023 Music for Everyone

Everyone at Music for Everyone is still on a high from this weekend’s magnificent 40th anniversary celebrations!

Nearly 1000 people descended on the Albert Hall to celebrate 40 years of music making, recounting many highs from the last four decades and looking forward to the next four.

On Saturday, we celebrated our youth programme, with hundreds of young people taking part in an impressive concert.

Earlier in the day, celebrated folk violinist and MfE alumnus Sam Sweeney led a workshop with our youth string players, the fruits of which raised the roof in the afternoon concert.

Also featured were our Youth Bands, Vocals choir, Strictly Strings training orchestra, and a wonderful line up of ‘big kids’ — alumni youth participants who returned as adult players to share in the day.

On Sunday, members of our Daytime Voices choirs, the Nottingham Chamber Singers, Nottingham and Loughborough Daytime Orchestras, Nottingham Concert Orchestra, Big Band and Flute Choir, were amassed to give a triumphant concert featuring excerpts from favoured programmes from the last 40 years.

This included works by Brahms, Handel, Freddie Mercury and, excitingly, the world premiere of a new fanfare by composer Libby Croad.

Sunday’s concert was rounded off with a performance of the Hallelujah Chorus, conducted by our incoming artistic director Alex Robinson.

We proceeded to finish this fantastic weekend with celebratory tea and cake, after a special moment on stage with Angela Kay.

Thank you and well done to everyone who participated and made the weekend so extremely special!

Did you see our Exhibition this weekend? Showcasing Music for Everyone’s history over the past four decades, it was great to see so many wonderful memories.
Thank you to Minder and everyone who helped make such a special display.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

04/07/2023

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSz6vkyQ-6Q&list=PLQAO4RYdubNoXXOvRnTeoiZsBIimxhTaY&index=2

#MfEMonday – 26th June 2023

26th June 2023 Music for Everyone

Good morning!

Unless you’ve been up in space for the last 6 months, you’ll know that this week is a very big week for Music for Everyone with our celebration weekend now just 5 days away!

As a warmup to the weekend, all of this week you can catch our brilliant Daytime Voices Groups in action at their informal end of term concerts. This is a great chance to bring along family, friends or people who might be looking for a choir to join in September…

The dates, times and locations are as follows (tea and cake for 30mins, followed by short concert FREE, with donations for cakes). Please do come and support your local group:

Monday:

Hucknall DTV – 11.15 at the John Godber Centre Ogle Street

& Southwell DTV – 3pm at Southwell Methodist Church

Tuesday:

West Bridgford DTV – 3pm at West Bridgford Baptist Church

Wednesday:

Wollaton DTV – 3.15pm at St Leonard’s Community Centre, Wollaton

Thursday:

Sherwood DTV – 3pm at Sherwood Methodist Church

We can’t wait to see you on Saturday for ‘Spotlight on Youth’ where we will be showcasing the talent of our youth groups, along with our alumni and special star guest and folk fiddle player Sam Sweeney – book your tickets here to be part of this fun afternoon and to support the next generation of MfE.

Then on Sunday our adult choirs and orchestras will be coming together with over 300 performers to celebrate in style. We have a brand new 40^th anniversary fanfare commissioned specially by MfE to Nottinghamshire composer Libby Croad, along with well-known favourites by Brahms, Orff, Rutter, Elgar, Rodgers and Hammerstein and even…Queen! The Sunday Jazz and flute groups will be warming us up before the concert and tickets are available here. It promises to be a fantastic weekend and will be a chance for us to formally thank Angela Kay for a spectacular 40 years, whilst welcoming Alex Robinson, who has recently been appointed as Music for Everyone’s Artistic Director, starting from 1^st September. Alex is an experienced conductor and harpsichordist, and you can read more about him here https://alexrobinsonconductor.co.uk/biography

As the countdown to our Celebration Weekend continues MfE Founder, Angela Kay and MfE Chair, John Hess have been hitting the airways!.

When Angela went along to watch the Women’s Ashes match at Trent Bridge on Friday she didn’t expect to receive an invite to appear as the guest on the BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra Test Match Special afternoon ‘tea break’ spot. But word had got out to the TMS team that Angela was in the crowd, that she was a keen cricket fan and that the 40^th Anniversary of the charity she founded in 1983 was coming up. They wanted to know more and so an interview was arranged with their top presenter, Alison Mitchell which proved to be both informative and entertaining. It really is worth a listen, just click here.

John Hess was also invited to go along to Notts TV to be interviewed in their Friday evening ‘Great Local’ spot. Click here to go straight to the programme. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qNDKQcTazk&list=PLQAO4RYdubNoXXOvRnTeoiZsBIimxhTaY&index=1

So if you haven’t bought your tickets yet do come along and be part of the action!

Next week a bumper edition of MfEMondays will be appearing in your email box a little later than usual. This is to give everyone time to prepare a special Bumper Edition with lots of pictures and reports on our Celebration weekend.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

26/06/2023

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#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 – 19th June 2023

19th June 2023 Music for Everyone

What a lovely day of music making we had on Saturday at the June ‘Blow the Dust off your Instrument’ day! 120 players took cover from the heat in Nottingham’s Albert Hall for a fabulous day of Elgar, Leroy Anderson and Queen!

12 DAYS TO GO!

The countdown has begun to the big BIRTHDAY WEEKEND! We’re so excited to welcome so many singers and players (over 400 performers!) to the 2 days to help us celebrate.

As well as the 2 concerts (Spotlight on Youth on Saturday 1^st July and A Musical Celebration on Sunday 2^nd July) here is what else will be on offer…

Video messages from Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Brian Kay, John Rutter and more!
MfE’s new world drumming ensemble will be playing in the Osborne Suite before the concert on 1^st July and Sunday Afternoon Big Band and Flute Choir will be playing in the Osborne Suite before the concert on 2^nd July.
There will be an exhibition taking you back through the decades, including photos, letters and the famous MfE pencil!

We’d love to see as many as possible in the audience, so do encourage family and friends to come along to watch and support on both days, details below.

Saturday 1^st July, 3.30pm ‘Spotlight on Youth’

Ticket prices: £10 for adults, £5 for children/students

Link to book tickets: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/a-musical-celebration-spotlight-on-youth/

We are beyond excited to be welcoming one of Britain’s finest folk-fiddle players of the moment, and MfE youth alumnus Sam Sweeney to headline this concert.

Sam will be performing one of his own numbers from his recent album ‘Escape this’ as well as joining the combined strings and voices of MfE’s youth ensembles for a special arrangement and world premiere of a local Nottinghamshire folk-song about… watercress!!!

The event will also feature music from our talented bands, strings and singers and there will be something for everyone to inspire the next generation of Nottingham born and bred music-makers.

Sunday 2^nd July, 3.30pm ‘A Musical Celebration’

Ticket prices: £15 for adults, £7.50 for children/students, includes souvenir programme and birthday cake!

Link to book tickets: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/a-musical-celebration-concert/

Bringing together over 300 performers from Daytime Voices, Orchestras, the Nottingham Festival Chorus, Chamber Singers and Concert Orchestra and opening with a brand new fanfare commission by Libby Croad ‘Hail, Bright Cecilia!’ the concert also includes ‘O Fortuna’ from Orff’s Carmina Burana, ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ from Handel’s Messiah and more!

Other things that are turning 40 this year!

Microsoft Word (the very first version 1.0) was launched in 1983!
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi was released
‘Red Red Wine’ by UB40: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXt56MB-3vc

The Sunday Afternoon Big Band, Flute Choir and members of the youth bands enjoyed a jazz workshop with celebrated jazz musician Tony Kofi yesterday – learning new techniques and getting to grips with improv! Well done all who took part!

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

19/06/2023

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 12th June 2023

12th June 2023 Music for Everyone

Yesterday, singers young and ‘less young’ gathered at The Grange, Radcliffe for our Family Sing day.

On a hot, sunny day, the singers were able to cool off with songs from Kool and the Gang (see what we did there?!) and dip their toes in the water with Under the Sea from the Little Mermaid.

They were transported to the Caribbean with a special performance from our new Steel Pan group supported by Music Leader Nicola Coker and her band Pure Steel, and were even able to have a go themselves!

It’s not too late to book for Blow the Dust this coming Sunday. We are particularly keen to hear from violas, bassoons and brass. Music can be emailed to you in advance, so don’t miss out on your opportunity to take part in this fun and relaxed playing day. To book, click here.

Here’s our latest brochure with details of everything happening from April – August. Click on the picture below to read through the brochure.

Please also share this link far and wide!

You know by now how much we love a playlist in the MfE office, so now that the Summer has finally arrived, here are 15 pieces of summery classical music to enjoy in the garden with a G&T.

Fun Fact: The oldest instrument is 50,000 years old. The earliest indications of humans wearing underwear date from 20,000 years ago. So, for approximately 40,000 we had music but no pants!

Read the full story here.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

12/06/2023

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 5th June 2023

5th June 2023 Music for Everyone

We hope you have been enjoying the sunshine recently! It is a busy time for us all at MfE, as we gear up for an exciting summer of concerts, courses and workshops.

Don’t forget to book for the FAMILY SING, which is happening this Sunday 11 June from 2.00pm to 5.00pm at The Grange in Radcliffe on Trent. The whole family is invited to take part. It promises to be an uplifting experience, open to all keen singers aged 5+ (children must be accompanied by an adult). You will be singing favourites like ‘Celebration’ by Kool and the Gang and ‘Under the Sea’ from the Little Mermaid.

Special guests Pure Steel and our new Steel Pan ensemble will also be performing on the day. There will be an opportunity to ‘have a go’ at playing steel pan.

Full details and booking link here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/family-sing-workshop/

NEW PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR – We are pleased to announce the appointment of Minder Kaur Athwal as our new Project Co-ordinator, supporting the 40^th Anniversary season. Minder is helping the team to deliver the 1^st and 2^nd July celebration events, as well as collating the exhibition for the Albert Hall. We would like to thank Arts Council England for enabling this appointment and we welcome Minder on board.

BLOW THE DUST OFF YOUR INSTRUMENT is on Saturday 17 June – places are still available and we particularly welcome applications from bassoon, viola and brass players. Items include Edward Elgar’s rousing Imperial March Op.32 and Queen’s iconic rock anthem We are the Champions. Find out full details and book online here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/blow-the-dust-off-your-instrument-3/ or contact the office on 0115 9589312.

TONY KOFI will be leading a special workshop with the Sunday Afternoon Music group, for those who wish to attend. Tony is a jazz multi-instrumentalist born of Ghanaian parents, player of Alto, Baritone, Soprano, Tenor saxophones and flute. This closed workshop has been made possible through Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants.

SUMMER SCHOOL – Monday 7^th to Wednesday 9^th August at Trent College, Long Eaton. Three days of shared music making with workshops for intermediate and advanced musicians aged 16+.

A MUSICAL CELEBRATION – 40^th Anniversary Weekend 1 – 2 July 2023. Come and be part of Music for Everyone’s 40^th birthday celebrations. Youth groups and invited alumni will perform on 1^st July at 3.30pm. The combined Daytime Voices, Daytime Orchestras, Festival Chorus and Concert Orchestra will perform on Sunday 2^nd July at 3.30pm at the Albert Hall

Book tickets for the concert now!

1^st July: Spotlight on Youth https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/a-musical-celebration-spotlight-on-youth/

2^nd July: Musical Celebration https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/a-musical-celebration-concert/

Have a go at this fun quiz! https://www.classicfm.com/lifestyle/quizzes/answer-only-music-notes/

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

05/06/2023

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

What are you waiting for?? Click here to book.

#MfEMonday – 22nd May 2023

22nd May 2023 Music for Everyone

Thanks to the Nottingham Chamber Singers for an exquisite concert on Saturday evening.

They were joined by strings from the Nottingham Classical Players in a programme of great contrast and beauty under the baton of Angela Kay. There were moments of great intensity, inventiveness, contemplation, and lyricism. Congratulations to all involved!

We are getting excited about the Family Sing afternoon on 11^th June (2-5pm) – a brilliant opportunity for families to enjoy making music together! Taking place at The Grange in Radcliffe-on-Trent this event is for children age 5+ with their mums, dads, grandparents, carers, aunts and uncles and friends too. No preparation is needed, just bring along your best singing voices!

Places are still available for all instruments on our Blow the Dust off you Instrument Day at the Albert Hall on 17 June. We particularly welcome applications from bassoon, brass and viola players.

For more information, click here.

To enrol for Blow the Dust, click here.

Do you know a young person looking for their own cornet?

We have a lovely instrument that has been donated and we would love to find a home for it.

Please get in touch if you can help.

Email: admin@music-for-everyone.org or call 0115 958 9312.

Djanogly Community Orchestra is looking for a trombone player to join them for their next concert on 15 July, ideally also available to attend rehearsals on Monday evenings. If you are interested, please contact: membership@djanoglycommunityorchestra.co.uk
Can you answer these GCSE Music questions?! Find out if you would pass first time…https://www.classicfm.com/lifestyle/quizzes/gcse-music-questions-pass-exam/

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

22/05/2023

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/a-musical-celebration/

#MfEMonday – 15th May 2023

15th May 2023 Music for Everyone

MfEMondays is back! From Coronations to Eurovision, we hope you have enjoyed the various festivities over the past couple of weekends – we’re looking forward to a busy time at MfE, starting this Saturday… see below.

Hail, Star of the Sea

This coming Saturday 20^th May (7.30pm start), the Nottingham Chamber Singers are performing at St John’s Church, Beeston.

It will be a wonderful programme of contrast and beauty for voices and strings including Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Whitacre’s Five Hebrew Love Songs. For any of you who came along to the AGM you might remember singing the Brahms and Mendelssohn which will also feature in the concert.

Click here for more details. Click here to book tickets – save money when you book in advance!

*Special 40^th update* More exciting events from MfE as we continue the 40^th celebrations!

The FAMILY SING is now open for booking, happening on Sunday 11 June, open to all keen singers aged 5+ (children must be accompanied by an adult). Singing favourites like ‘Celebration’ by Kool and the Gang and ‘Under the Sea’ from the Little Mermaid, our new Steel Pan ensemble will also be performing with the opportunity to ‘have a go’. Full details and booking link here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/family-sing-workshop/

BLOW THE DUST OFF YOUR INSTRUMENT is on Saturday 17 June – music packs will be going out to all players very soon; items include Edward Elgar’s rousing Imperial March Op.32 and Queen’s iconic rock anthem We are the Champions. Find out full details and book online here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/blow-the-dust-off-your-instrument-3/ or contact the office on 0115 9589312 to book your place over the phone.

A MUSICAL CELEBRATION – 40^th Anniversary Weekend 1 – 2 July 2023

There’s something for everyone at the big weekend!

Vocals – sign up to take part in the youth concert on 1^st July (just £5 per child)
Spotlight on Youth concert: 1^st July, ticket booking is now open.
Daytime Voices & Orchestras – join us on 2^nd July for a Musical Celebration, including speeches and birthday cake!

All details of how YOU can get involved can be found here:

Woodwind players required for a Bulwell based wind band. Anyone is welcome and no weekly subscriptions are required. If you are interested, please contact David on 01159179203 or 07847099245.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

15/05/2023

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 24th April 2023

24th April 2023 Music for Everyone

***BREAKING NEWS!!!***

Vocals have DONE IT again – and by ‘done it’, we mean absolutely smashed it out of the park (!!!), with their amazing concert this weekend.

Saturday and Sunday saw 120 children aged 5 – 13 come together for an incredible weekend of music making and fun. We went on a trip around the world both aurally and visually, with folk songs, traditional songs and popular songs spanning the continents of our globe. All of the vocals groups sang magnificently, filling Nottingham’s Albert Hall with their voices and their laughter, and delighting the audience with varied songs, actions and dance moves. Vocals 1 even made an impressive collection of flags from around the world which were used to decorate the hall throughout their performance.

We travelled to Scotland with a rousing ‘Loch Lomond’, raced through Finland with the exciting Reindeer song ‘ole le loyla’ and encountered the ‘Amazing Egyptians’ and Columbia’s fictitious ‘Family Madrigal’, not to mention that fellow that people don’t like to talk about… Bruno (from Disney’s En Canto if you hadn’t heard)!!!

The singing was enhanced beautifully by the masterful accompanying skills of our resident pianist Angela Foan, and we were treated to castanets, gongs and all manner of exciting percussion instruments from Steve Barwell our guest percussionist. We were also privileged to invite Madhav Mehta, a local young tabla player, who wowed the audience with his quick fingers and virtuosic skills on the beautiful Indian classical drums.

As well as being a wonderfully joyful occasion, Sunday carried a tinge of sadness as it was time to say goodbye to Alison Bennet, who has worked with the vocals team for the past 20 years – I think we’d call that a really good innings, and I’m sure we’ll continue to see Alison at various MfE events. Thank you to her for all her hard-work, enthusiasm and brilliant actions!!

A huge thank you to everyone involved in making the weekend such a huge success. Rachel, Kirstie and the rest of the MfE team were really proud of how it went, and can’t wait for the next one!

Vocals in pictures!

Callout to all MfE alumni. Do you know someone who used to sing or play in one of MfE’s youth groups? To help us celebrate our 40th anniversary, we’d love for as many alumni of the youth choirs, youth string orchestra and youth bands to join us on Saturday 1st July at the Albert Hall, Nottingham for a celebration event! Ask them to email by the end of April to admin@music-for-everyone.org if they would be interested in joining us.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

24/04/2023

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

Introducing Laura, the newest member of the MfE office team! Laura started work as our new administrator at the beginning of April and will be based in the office on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings. She studied Music at the University of Nottingham and has taken part in a few MfE activities before so is excited to be involved with more of the organisation. Welcome Laura!

Nottingham Lunchtime Voices starts back this week. If you work in Nottingham City Centre, take your Thursday lunch break at the Concert Hall (Level 4 Foyer) for an hour of singing, 12.30pm – 1.30pm with Rachel, details on the attached flyer.

The Vocals course is coming up this weekend! (22/23 April) It’s not too late to take part if you know any young singers, age 5 – 14 who would like to take part, find out all the details and sign up online here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/vocals-apr-2023/

With our journey around the world coming up at vocals and the steel pan and world drumming groups starting this week, we’ve been looking at different types of world percussion sounds, some of which we’ll be hearing this week!

The Steel pan ensemble starts this evening in Beeston. Their distinctive sound originates from Trinidadian culture, traditionally using paint pots, dustbins and oil drums with a series of dents hammered into the metal surface to create different notes. It has become popular to play familiar songs on steel pan, see the link below for a well-known song from The Lion King.

Find out more here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18903131

Here is a school band playing ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woBZME7sN3E

Callout to all MfE alumni. Do you know someone who used to sing or play in one of MfE’s youth groups? To help us celebrate our 40th anniversary, we’d love for as many alumni of the youth choirs, youth string orchestra and youth bands to join us on Saturday 1st July at the Albert Hall, Nottingham for a celebration event! Ask them to email by the end of April to admin@music-for-everyone.org if they would be interested in joining us.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

17/04/2023

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 17th April 2023

17th April 202317th April 2023 Music for Everyone

Find out more here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18903131

Here is a school band playing ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woBZME7sN3E

Callout to all MfE alumni. Do you know someone who used to sing or play in one of MfE’s youth groups? To help us celebrate our 40th anniversary, we’d love for as many alumni of the youth choirs, youth string orchestra and youth bands to join us on Saturday 1st July at the Albert Hall, Nottingham for a celebration event! Ask them to email by the end of April to admin@music-for-everyone.org if they would be interested in joining us.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

17/04/2023

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF