Author: Music for Everyone

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 motivational moments for your Mondays! We are aiming to send out something new each week.

#MfEMonday – 9th January 2023

9th January 2023 Music for Everyone

Happy New Year from all of us at Music for Everyone. We hope you have had a good Christmas break.

New year, new term.

Our regular groups resume rehearsals next week with the exception of Nottingham Daytime Orchestra who start again on Thursday, and our Lunchtime Choir which also starts on Thursday. If you are not familiar with our Lunchtime Choir they meet every Thursday in the Level 4 Foyer of the Royal Concert Hall from 12:30 – 13:30. Lead by the Dynamic Duo of Rachel Parkes and Josh Goodman, the group provides a great opportunity for city workers to take a proper break during Thursday lunchtimes and enjoy singing a range of music from folk and pop to blues and classical, in preparation for an informal performance at the end of the term. A singing break has a host of fabulous benefits. It gives you confidence, builds teams, increases motivation and focus, develops creativity and even improves your posture and breathing. Above all, it’s a lot of fun! This friendly and relaxed group is open to everyone who loves to sing and you don’t need to be able to read music to take part.

Blow the Dust

It was fantastic to have so many people join us for Blow the Dust at the Albert Hall last Saturday. 170 musicians gathered to perform works for orchestra, wind band and string orchestra. The final strains of Nessum Dorma are probably still ringing through the Albert Hall now! Please click here to hear some (Dr) miraculous playing from the full orchestra!

News from the MfE office

As you may know, with the departure of Robin Reece-Crawford, Anne Jackson has taken on the role of Adult Music Programme Coordinator. We will also be advertising for a new-part time administrator to join the team in the next few months.

Welcome to a newly refreshed section of MfE Mondays: ‘Monday Musings’ where we bring you some interesting musical thoughts, articles, playlists and more!

In our 40^th Anniversary Season we will be highlighting the achievements of women in music. Research carried out by online classical music magazine Bachtrack, based on over 27,000 listings for performances that took place in 2022, found that almost half of the world’s contemporary composers in 2022 were women. Click here for the full article on ClassicFM.

To welcome the new year, our youth groups will be performing a celebratory varied and entertaining concert on Sunday 22 January at Kingswood Methodist Church. Tickets are available here.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

09/01/2023

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/music-theory/christmas-song-chestnuts-roasting-open-fire-intervals/

#MfETuesday – 20th December 2022

20th December 2022 Music for Everyone

The Music for Everyone team wishes you a happy and festive Christmas and new year.

The MfE office will close on Friday 23^rd December and re-open on Tuesday 3^rd January 2023, emails will be checked intermittently during this time.

See you in 2023 for more music making!

Tomorrow heralds the winter solstice, the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere. As the darkness lifts, the days will grow longer. Winter Solstice celebrations all over the world mark the midwinter cycle of the seasons and new beginnings.

The December solstice gave rise to celebrations that can be traced back to antiquity. Germanic peoples celebrated the feast of juul (yule or yuletide) which included burning a yule log to honor the Norse god Thor. Out of this, too, came yule singing and wassailing. Though some ancient practices were abolished by Christianity, many elements were arrogated, for instance, from the year-end bacchanal Roman Saturnalia. Romans sang songs, decked the halls with greens and garland. Though little is known about the actual music performed during the Roman imperial feast of the winter solstice, texts from the fifth-century Christian philosopher St. Augustine indicate that the songs were profane in nature.

Perhaps the most famous winter solstice celebration in the world takes place in the ancient ruins of Stonehenge, a monument built on a solstitial alignment. To this day, thousands of self-styled druids (Celtic priests), pagans, and visitors gather to usher in the first sunrise, after the long winter night. Revelers sing and dance among the stone landscape waiting for the sun to rise.

Tradition and music are at the heart of solstice. Whether it’s religious or secular, the solstice has engendered beautiful music.

To hear what music would have sounded like at Stonehenge 4,000 years ago, check out this article and recording from the website newscientist.com.

Why ‘Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire’ is the perfect song to teach music theory!

The Friesland Orchestral Society is looking for new members! Rehearsals are on Friday evenings for informal music making with no public performances. You can find them on Facebook as ‘Sawley Music Group) if you’re interested and would like to get in touch.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

20/12/2022

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/occasions/christmas/best-festive-classical-music/

#MfEMonday – 12th December 2022

12th December 2022 Music for Everyone

What an amazing concert yesterday to end such a Christmassy week for MfE! A great big WELL DONE to all the singers in Vocals and Nottingham Community Voices for a great performance and a special thank you to Santa for taking the time to drop by.

We have been getting into the festive spirit with this great playlist of classical Christmas favourites – perfect for tree decorating, present wrapping and anything else that requires an alternative to Chris Rea!

There are still a few places left for Blow The Dust Off Your Instrument! If you are looking at that cello in the attic, clarinet in the garage or trumpet in shed (don’t keep trumpets in sheds please) you have just a few days left to sign up for our 7th January BTD! All the info and how to book online is here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/blow-the-dust-off-your-instrument-3/

Stay warm and have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

12/12/2022

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 5th December 2022

5th December 2022 Music for Everyone

Happy Advent! The festive season is finally upon us, and here at MfE we certainly know how to kick off in style.

Yesterday afternoon saw St Mary’s Church in Bunny aglow with candlelight as the Nottingham Chamber Singers took us on a mystical journey through Chilcott’s setting of the great ‘O Antiphons’ interspersed with advent carols and images.

What started as an audio and visual feast then became an actual feast, as wassail cups and ginger cake were passed around, and the choir (and audience!) really got into the spirit of Christmas. There were rousing drinking songs such as Landlord fill the flowing bowl, Good Ale and the Boar’s Head Carol and a highly raucous Twelve Days of Christmas!

However, don’t worry if you think you’ve missed out as there will be plenty more where that came from…..

More festive dates this week:

Tuesday 6^th December

11.30am the Loughborough Daytime Orchestra and guest singers will be performing a festive concert at All Saints church in Loughborough as part of their Christmas Tree Festival. Free.

Thursday 8^th December – THREE EVENTS!!!

11am the Nottingham Daytime Orchestra will be presenting their end of term concert at St Martin’s church Sherwood. Free.
Approx 1.15pm – 1.45pm the Lunchtime Voices will be singing some of their repertoire, along with popular Christmas songs and carols to join in with on the 2^nd Floor of John Lewis Department Store (home furnishings) within the Victoria Centre. We’d love to see some friendly faces, and we will be shaking the MfE donation buckets in time to Jingle Bells!!!
6pm at Nottingham Train Station – The Youth Bands will be playing festive music in the main ticket hall, so if you can drop by and support after work, they’d greatly appreciate it!

AND FINALLY!

Sunday, 11^th December at 3.30pm in the Nottingham Albert Hall – if you haven’t purchased your ticket for Christmas is Coming! yet, it’s going to be fabulous. We can’t wait! https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/christmas-is-coming/

The ‘O antiphons’, likely dating from the sixth century, were traditionally used at vespers on the last seven days of Advent in Western Christian traditions. They contain an interesting and clever twist, as the first letters of their titles appear to form a Latin acrostic Sarc Ore, which when flipped around become Ero cras, meaning ‘Tomorrow, I will be there’, mirroring the theme of the antiphons.

Christmas pun alert!

Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

05/12/2022

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

Advent music: 10 best carols and hymns to begin the festive season – Classic FM

#MfEMonday – 28th November 2022

28th November 2022 Music for Everyone

We’re looking forward to a month of Christmas music and cheer from next weekend! The Nottingham Chamber Singers A Mystical Christmas concert on Sunday 4^th December at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bunny has now sold out, we have a waiting list if anyone is interested.

There are plenty more opportunities to join us for a festive performance though!

Join the Loughborough Daytime Orchestra next Tuesday 6^th December at the ‘Christmas Tree Festival Lunchtime Concert’! Details on the flyer here.

The annual Christmas is Coming concert is also selling fast, join us at the Albert Hall on Sunday 11^th December, 3.30pm for a traditional afternoon concert, featuring the Nottingham Community Voices and Vocals Youth Choir and a very special guest (we wonder who that could be…?) https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/christmas-is-coming/

Monday Motivation headline and website for Music for Everyone

Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving

Music for Everyone is proud to be part of Giving Tuesday, raising awareness of the incredible work that charities around the world do every year. We would like to say a big thank you to all our wonderful staff, trustees, freelance musicians, volunteers and supporters.

Here’s how you can get involved on GIVING TUESDAY or any day for that matter:

https://www.music-for-everyone.org/supporters/

Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the last decade, this idea has grown into a global movement that inspires millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. You can volunteer your time; donate money; share your skills; donate books or musical instruments.

And on 29 November, BE PROUD! Tell the world how proud you are to donate to, volunteer for or in any way support a good cause #mfe #givingtuesday @givingtuesday

Logo, company name

Description automatically generated with medium confidence

- Yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent, so we think it is now perfectly acceptable to start playing festive music in the office. Luckily for us, we don’t need to come up with our own playlist as Classic FM have once again made a playlist of the best carols and hymns to start the festive season! https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/occasions/christmas/advent-carols-hymns/

Wachet auf! ruft uns die Stimme. Wachet auf is a lutheran hymn, first published in 1599. It appears in multiple German and English hymnals, however, one of its most famous arrangements is the cantata by J.S. Bach.. The cantata was originally written for the 27th Sunday after Trinity; occurring immediately before advent.

www.classicfm.com

Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

28/11/2022

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 21st November 2022

21st November 2022 Music for Everyone

Congratulations to all those Daytime Voices singers who took part in end of term performances last week. Not only did you raise the roof, but various cake sales also raised a very impressive £460 for their associated Open Voices groups! Click here to hear West Bridgford Daytime Voices absolutely rocking ‘Like an Eagle’. A special mention must also go to the newly formed Hucknall Daytime Voices group who were invited to perform at the Jon Godber Centre’s Christmas fair last Sunday – you were brilliant!

Coming up – Daytime Orchestra Loughborough will be performing at All Saints Church Loughborough on Tuesday 06 December at 11:30 as part of their Christmas Tree Festival. The concert is free and they will finish with a carol singalong! Please come along, it will be a wonderful way to kick off a month of festivities.

We are busy putting together the music and information packs for Blow the Dust and are particularly looking forward to hearing the orchestra perform the overture to Dr Miracle by Bizet. In typical operatic fashion, Dr Miracle is a bizarre story about how forbidden love is overcome with the use of a poisoned omelette! There is even an entire quartet dedicated to the serving of the omelette.

Don’t miss out on your opportunity to pay homage to the humble omelette – there are still places available on Blow the Dust, click here for more information and here to sign up. And don’t forget to tell your friends!

On Saturday 26 November, Bingham and District Choral Society will be joining forces with Mansfield Choral Society and the Nottingham Symphony Orchestra to celebrate their 50^th Jubilee with a Last Night of the Proms concert at Southwell Minster. Why not join them to celebrate this Golden Jubilee milestone? Full details attached or on their website here.

Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

21/11/2022

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 7th November 2022

7th November 2022 Music for Everyone

Music for Everyone’s twice-annual mega youth event – The Big Youth Music Experience – kicked off its Autumn course with a bang this weekend. Over 150 young people, dozens of volunteers, five conductors, six instrumental tutors and many, many custard creams all assembled at South Notts Academy for a weekend of amazing music-making!

Bandwise 1 and 2 and Stringwise 1, 2 and 3 spent Saturday and Sunday preparing for next Sunday’s concert spectacular at the Albert Hall.

Tomorrow, November 7th, marks the 139^th Birthday of legendary British composer Arnold Bax. Why not celebrate with this gorgeous recording of his masterpiece ‘Tintagel’? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FX95ET4qSI

Incidentally, if you were interested in hearing this live, why not check out the Charnwood Orchestra’s concert on 26^th November! Details on the flyer.

Did you know that some new works by Vivaldi have been found? Musicologist Olivier Fourés has painstakingly reconstructed fragments of manuscripts found in libraries in Venice of works by composers including Antonio Vivaldi. The reconstructed works will be heard for the first time on an album coming out this month, featuring Ukrainian violinist Vadym Makarenko. Read the full story here.

Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

07/11/2022

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/best-halloween-classical-music-for-children/

#MfEMonday – 31st October 2022

31st October 2022 Music for Everyone

Greetings from us all at MfE!

We hope that all our daytime groups enjoyed the half-term break and are raring to go this week. Just a reminder that even though Christmas still seems a little way off, we are open for bookings for our spectacular family concert in the Albert Hall on Sunday 11^th December. Daytime Voices places are flying off the shelves, and the office elves are getting ready to stuff your musical stockings (ok – envelopes), so if you haven’t already sent your form in, please do so in the next week or so – and bring a friend or loved one too!

Remember that even if you can’t join us to sing, the concert is a fabulous family affair to get you in the mood, with plenty of well-known songs as well as new ones to enjoy. Our Vocals course is also filling up fast with 70+ young people already signed up, so do spread the words if you know primary aged children who love to sing, we heard that Father Christmas has put the date in his diary too…!

For further details, visit our website: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/

Need some spooky music to get you and the children in the mood for ‘Trick or Treat’ing tonight?

Have a listen to these 13 (unlucky for some!) Halloween pieces for children – it might give you some inspiration for your costume! Let us know if you’ve got a good musical-themed one…

If practical jokes are more your thing, why not try and catch your musical friends out with the ‘scariest phrases to say to a musician’! Sight-transposing anyone? ARGH! https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/scariest-musician-phrases/

Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

31/10/2022

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF