Our talented young musicians offered a splendid end to the season with their The Sound of Summer concert at the Grange Hall in Radcliffe.  Not only was the audience treated to top-notch musical entertainment, but there were outdoor activities for the children and refreshments for the audience.  A huge ‘thank you’ and ‘well done’ to all who took part – children, helpers and conductors!  We bid a fond farewell to Mike Shaw, conductor of Nottingham Strictly Strings, and wish him all the best for the future.

Booking for the Autumn Term for Daytime Voices, Daytime Orchestra, Sunday Afternoon Flutes and Big Band is now open. To book, please follow this link Music For Everyone (savoysystems.co.uk) We look forward to seeing you next term!


Well, what an exciting weekend of sport that was!  But what would sport be without music?  Imagine a football match without the anthems, chants and the occasional trumpet bursts of The Great Escape theme tune.

The first few notes alone of ‘Light and Tuneful’ the Wimbledon theme tune, is enough to put you in mind of strawberries and cream!  Music provides athletes with motivation and focus making it a powerful tool during training sessions and competitions. The beats and melodies can help regulate breathing and pace, contributing to better performance and endurance. In the arena, music unites spectators, creating an exhilarating atmosphere that amplifies the excitement of the event. From energizing pre-game anthems to celebratory victory songs, the fusion of music and sport demonstrates how sound can inspire physical prowess and create a sense of community and shared enthusiasm among athletes and fans alike.


  • And while we’re on the subject, who spotted Djokovic’s musical celebration? Apparently, it is for his six-year-old daughter, who is currently learning the violin. Perhaps she can help him work on his technique?!!


Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

15/07/2024

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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Congratulations to all the adult instrumentalists who gathered at the Albert Hall on Saturday to ‘Blow the Dust Off’ their instruments. It was great to see so many new faces and we had wonderful day of music making together. The orchestra, wind band and string ensembles tackled some challenging music and gave a really enjoyable and polished performance that belied the fact that they had only met for the first time that morning!   

We can’t wait for the next Blow the Dust event and hope that you can join us again at the Albert Hall on Saturday 11th January.


 

For the Bridgerton fans among you, season 3 has been treating audiences to a host of classical delights from Mozart and Scarlatti to Beethoven’s ‘Appassionata’ Piano Sonata, alongside Kris Bowers’ score and those beloved string quartet pop music covers. One of these pop covers is Taylor Swift’s ‘You Belong with Me’, which MfE Administrator Laura had a great time singing along to when seeing Taylor Swift live in Liverpool on Friday night!

Click here for Classic fm’s deep dive into the music of Bridgerton!


 

You are cordially invited to the MfE Daytime Orchestras’ end-of-term concerts!!

The Loughborough Daytime Orchestra concert takes place on Tuesday 2nd July in their new home of Emmanuel Church (Forest Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3NW), and the Nottingham Daytime Orchestra concert takes place at St Martins Church (Trevose Gardens, NG5 3FU). 

Our adult instrumentalists have been working really hard, so please put these dates in your diary and come along to support them. Join us at 11am for a cuppa and a biscuit before the concert at approx. 11:20.

We hope to see you all there!


 

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

17/06/2024

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The summer term is almost upon us!

For adult singers & players: all Daytime Voices, including Lunchtime Voices, Sunday Afternoon Flutes and Big Band and Daytime Orchestras start back from next Monday 22nd April. For further detail on specific groups and how to sign up in advance visit our website here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/whats-on/adult-music/ or you can pay at the first rehearsal for the term.

For youth players: the Nottingham Youth Band, for grade 2 – 4, have an open rehearsal for new players on Thursday 25th April, 5.30pm – 7pm at Beeston Methodist Church. If you know a young musician who might like to try a group, encourage them to come along for free on the 25th to try it out.

Other youth groups start back from Sunday 12th May.

 

A date for your diary… Sunday 9th June is MfE’s Family Festival Day – a musical extravaganza for everyone! There are workshops (advance sign up essential) in world drumming and intergenerational singing, open sessions with Open Voices and the Lullaby Bank, plus music in the garden and cake, punch and games stalls. Bring everyone down to Middle Street Resource Centre in Beeston from 1pm to join in the musical fun: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/family-festival/


 

A quick Monday Musing today… quite literally! Did you know the current official world record for the fastest performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee is 46.19 seconds? It’s over before you know it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naiDpqGFgV8#:~:text=Official%20World%20Record%20Flight%20Of%20The%20Bumblebee%2046.19%20seconds%20%2D%20YouTube

The Flight of the Bumblebee can be played on pretty much any instrument, but we’re most impressed with the multi-tasking involved in playing it on the organ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHZvMAJUN5g&t=1s


 

 


 

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

15/04/2024

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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

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We are busy putting packs together for our next vocals singing weekend – ‘Vocals at the Movies‘!  On Saturday 9th March, our young singers will gather at Nottingham Trent University for a day of rehearsals and fun activities.  On Sunday the 10th they take to the stage at the Albert Hall to entertain the audience with well-known songs from classic shows and films including Trolls, Annie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. To sign up for this course, click here.

 

Our Nottingham Festival Chorus Singers were in excellent voice at Nottingham Trent University this weekend, and we can’t wait to hear them alongside the Nottingham Concert Orchestra at the Albert Hall this coming Saturday.  To ensure your ticket for this not-to-be-missed concert, online booking has now reopened, click here.  Alternatively, contact the office on 0115 958 9312.


2024 is well underway and all of our regular groups are back to rehearsals.  Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes to get these groups up and running?  For the Daytime Voices groups alone we prepare 430 packs with 6 pieces of music. A massive thank you to our volunteers for coming into the office to help prepare and stuff music folders!

That’s 2,580 individual pieces of music that are chosen, sourced, printed, numbered, stamped and put into folders, not to mention 180 pieces of music for our Lunchtime Voices singers, 880 for our Daytime Orchestra players, and 270 for our youth bands and string ensembles!

And let’s not forget the 1,120 pieces of music that our Blow the Dusters got through last weekend and the 750 vocal scores our Nottingham Festival Chorus singers will use on Saturday.  That’s a whopping 5,780 pieces of music this year and it’s still only January!  Right, I’m off for a lie down!



Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

29/01/2024

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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#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.

Greetings MfE followers!

This week sees Music for Everyone back into full swing with all of our regular rehearsing groups starting up again with brand new repertoire to sink your teeth into. If you haven’t been along to Daytime Voices in a while or have been meaning to get a long-neglected instrument out of the cupboard, January is the perfect time to dust it off and get playing and singing!

Our groups are warm, friendly and fun, so what are you waiting for?! Bring a friend and come along.

For more information on our current groups click here: Adult Music Groups & Courses | Music for Everyone (music-for-everyone.org

We also have a host of exciting concerts and events coming up including Blow the Dust and the Nottingham Festival Chorus Glorias! course and concert. Both events are a chance to work with Alex Robinson, MfE’s new Artistic Director, who brings a fresh approach and new enthusiasm and skill to Music for Everyone’s Artistic team, it’s going to be great working with him.

There are still spaces to join up, and we urge you to get involved if you’ve been apprehensive or putting it off. Last week, Rachel worked with the singers for the Gloria’s concert in sectionals, and we had the beginnings of some extremely exciting sounds. Participants are loving the programme and pieces, so if you’ve never sung these pieces before, it’s an opportunity not to be missed. It may seem challenging, but we know it’s going to be barnstorming.

Click here to sign-up for the gloria course and concert: NFC Singing Weekend Course & Concert (music-for-everyone.org)

However, if we can’t persuade you to sing, we hope we can encourage you to sell tickets. If every member of MfE sold 2 tickets for our concerts, it would ensure an incredible audience for our performers who work so hard, and help towards safeguarding the future of MfE and the arts. We know times are tough, a ticket may be the price of 4 coffees, 2 glasses of wine, or a pizza…. but the benefits of immersing yourself in live music for two and a half hours can far outlast those short-term treats. Maybe take a friend who hasn’t heard much classical music, or a teenager who you think could do with a bit more culture. The music we will be performing is youthful and colourful, with shining brass, noisy percussion and sumptuous strings. It’s going to be incredible.

Book now and don’t miss out! – Tickets available here: Gloria! Concert (music-for-everyone.org)


 

 

Last week members of our Open Voices Sherwood group went to the Panto to see Cinderella! The choir members and their carers had front row seats and absolutely loved the performance. One member was even given a red rose by one of the ugly sisters! Here are some photos that capture the fantastic day they had at the Nottingham Playhouse.


 

 

Want to test your knowledge of French composers? Rachel and Alex are here to provide obscure facts and questions about Poulenc, Debussy and Rameau which all featured in our upcoming concert ‘Gloria!’ on Saturday 3rd February, Albert Hall, Nottingham – not to be missed! Watch the video here:

 

·         As Daytime Voices are starting this week, we have been thinking what films they would be! Which films do you like the look of?


Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

15/01/2024

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

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It’s going to be a busy week for MfE, with not one, not two, but EIGHT Daytime groups starting their new term. Plus there is the beautiful Chamber Singers concert to look forward to on Saturday evening at St Barnabas Cathedral, 8pm start – tickets on the door!

For more information see the attached flyer, or click here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/ncs-concert/

The youth groups, all Open Voices groups, Sunday Afternoon Big Band and Flute Choir and Nottingham Chamber Singers have all started their new seasons, with the World Drumming starting next week (26th Sept). See a full weekly schedule below.

To find out more about any of these groups and how to join, please contact the office.

The next BANDWISE & STRINGWISE workshop is open for young musicians to join! We’re so excited to see many young wind, brass, percussion and string players taking part this November. Over the last few years the combined concert has been a magnificent affair with more than 150 young players all coming together to share the music making.

Bandwise: 11 & 19 November, young wind, brass and percussion grade 2+

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

Stringwise: 12 & 19 November, young string players from beginners


 

We’ve been ‘musing’ on the fantastic music chosen for the NFC workshop day in October with Sam Evans. Interesting fact about the operetta by Franz Lehár The Merry Widow – did you know Lehár was not the first choice to compose the music? Richard Heuberger was asked first, but his draft was deemed ‘unsatisfactory’ and he left the project.

The Vilja Song is one of the most well-known pieces from the score, if you’re not familiar, take a listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4366WDO3jhU


 


 

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

18/09/2023

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

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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

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#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.

You might have thought the 40th celebration weekend ended the season, but no! The next MfE event is this coming Sunday, 16 July 2023, in the stunningly beautiful setting of Belton House, just north of Grantham, with two performances by the Nottingham Chamber Singers: 1.30pm and 3.00pm.

Each 45 minute programme will be light and varied – from madrigals to the Beatles! The location of the two performances is weather dependant, but both indoor and outdoor options have been arranged.

So why not have a day out and enjoy Belton’s wonderful and extensive gardens and grounds? Take a picnic or buy lunch there, have a go in the adventure playground (a favourite with children), spot the location of various scenes from the BBC’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and enjoy the music!

Fine weather locations:

1.30pm in the Courtyard where you’ll find shops and the Stables Cafe – grab lunch, a drink or an ice cream and enjoy the singing.

3.00pm on the REAR steps of the house itself, overlooking the beautiful garden. You’ll find a few deckchairs there and grass to sit on, or you might even get lucky and claim one of the hidden benches – look in the low hedging!

Wet weather locations: at either 1.30pm and or 3.00pm

The Saloon – a grand room on the ground floor of the house. Enter via the front door. While we hope it will be a sunny day, it would be quite something for choir and audience to gather in the room where music has been performed since 1688!

Belton belongs to the National Trust. Parking and entry is free to members showing their cards. Otherwise, tickets can be bought in advance or in the entry kiosk.

See: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/nottinghamshire-lincolnshire/belton-house

Belton House | Lincolnshire

National Trust’s Belton House, Lincolnshire, is a country estate with formal Italian and Dutch gardens, and historic deer park.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk

See you there!


There are still places left on our Summer School this August (7th – 9th at Trent College) and we also have a special saxophone ensemble workshop on Monday 7th August with Naomi Sullivan for any sax players who would like to take part.

Please follow the link for more details and booking info: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/saxophone-ensemble-workshop/

Saxophone Ensemble Workshop

With Naomi Sullivan

www.music-for-everyone.org


  • Come along and support the Daytime Orchestras in their free concerts this week!
    • Loughborough: Tuesday 11th July – 11.30am
    • All Saints Church, Steeple Row, Loughborough LE11 1UX
    • Nottingham: Thursday 13th July – 11.30am
    • St Martin’s Church, Trevose Gardens, Sherwood NG5 3FU
  • If you’ve been getting into Wimbledon fever, check out these 10 links between tennis and classical music!

https://www.classical-music.com/features/articles/tennis-and-classical-music/


Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

10/07/2023

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

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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

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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

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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 20th 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 40th update* More exciting events from MfE as we continue the 40th 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 – 40th 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 1st July (just £5 per child)
Spotlight on Youth concert: 1st July, ticket booking is now open.
Daytime Voices & Orchestras – join us on 2nd July for a Musical Celebration, including speeches and birthday cake!

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

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


  • 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

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

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#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.