Open Voices

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 28th October 2024

28th October 2024 Music for Everyone

Open Voices West Bridgford need your support!

We have applied for funding from Rushcliffe Community Infrastructure Levy and have got through the first round of the selection process. If you can spare a couple of minutes to complete the online form we would be extremely grateful! The deadline for completing this form is 2^nd November, so please do take a look this week. More details via this link: West Bridgford Consultations – Rushcliffe Borough Council

Regularly rehearsing groups are on Autumn half term break at the moment, so members of the Nottingham Chamber Singers have been helping with sorting some of our music out and took the opportunity to have a ‘Jumbo Party!’ last week.

We have a vast music library, choral and instrumental, on constant rotation around our many groups and events, most of which is stored in a lock up in Lenton. Many thanks to Angela, John, Dave and Sue for diving in to bring some order to the piles of music! If sorting music sounds like a blissful way to spend time, we’d love to hear from you! We are looking for a willing volunteer to look after the choral music library, this can be one person or a group. Please email Su Evans for more details: su@music-for-everyone.org

LAST CHANCE to join Bandwise and Stringwise on the 9^th/10^th & 17^th November! Percussion places are now full, but all other instruments are still open for young instrumentalists to join us, particularly saxophone, lower brass and strings. Find out more and sign up now – see you there!

Bandwise: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/byme-bandwise-nov24/

Stringwise: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/byme-stringwise-nov24/

Last year for Halloween, we put together our favourite spooky tunes from the office team so thought it would be fitting to share our extra-special MfE Halloween playlist with you again this week, it’s been fun to look back at what each of us chose! There’s a great variety in here, so you’re bound to find something you enjoy! https://www.music-for-everyone.org/news/mfe-halloween-playlist/

The Shipstone Street Jazz Orchestra are looking for a trumpet player to join their group. The band rehearse on Tuesdays, 7pm – 9pm in Bilborough and interested applicants should be at Grade 5 standard and good sight readers. Hear and see a bit more of the band here: https://youtu.be/uOnQ3pmar4s?si=y2an0rnYVO6bio9G
If you, or someone you know would like to join this friendly band, please contact Wendy, email address: wendy.bilborough@gmail.com

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

28/10/2024

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 23rd September 2024

23rd September 2024 Music for Everyone

On Saturday, shoppers in Arnold and Sherwood were serenaded by our very own Nottingham Chamber Singers! The chamber choir are celebrating their 40th anniversary this season and have organised a series of ‘pop-up concerts’ to raise the profile of the choir and the music making opportunities that MfE offers.

Their first concert will include the well-loved Brahms Requiem on Saturday 12th October, 7.30pm at St John’s Church in Carrington – Click the link for more information and to book tickets: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/ncs-concert/

Don’t forget, you can sign up to the NCS Loyalty Discount Ticket scheme: Click here

It was wonderful to welcome back our Daytime Voices and Open Voices singers last week. This week sees the return of our Daytime Orchestras so please spread the word if you know anyone who might be interested. Tuesdays in Loughborough and Thursdays in Sherwood, Nottingham from 10am-12noon: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/whats-on/adult-music/daytime-orchestra/

We are very pleased to announce that our Open Voices groups received over £1000 in funding from regulars attending the Warthog live music events in Lowdham and Gunthorpe. Click here to read more: https://westbridgfordwire.com/music-for-everyone-receives-vital-cash-boost/

Lots you will already know that there are lots of baking fanatics in the MfE team so we are very excited that the new series of the Bake Off starts this week!

A big shout out to Greg White, one of our Sherwood Daytime Voices members, who has started a tradition of bringing along his chocolate squares to the first rehearsal of each term. These have proved very popular in the refreshment break 🙂 Word has spread and the group numbers are rising!

All our Daytime Voices groups have some brilliant bakers within their ranks who put on an impressive bake sale at the end of each term to raise funds for our Open Voices programme.

Last year they raised a whopping £2035 over the year!! Thank you so much to all the bakers and everyone who contributed.

Nottingham Philharmonic Orchestra present Tosca by Puccini one of the world’s most loved operas. Conducted by Mark Heron in the Albert Hall, Nottingham on Sunday 13th October at 3.00pm. Tickets £20 and £16 for adults, Students and Children £5 for any seat, are available from ticketsource.co.uk/npo Tel: 0333 666 3366 and on the door. Seating is unreserved. Refreshments are available.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

23/09/2024

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 – 22nd July 2024

22nd July 2024 Music for Everyone

Summer School 2024 – Calling trumpet and bassoon players! We still have a few places left for these instruments on this years Summer School, 5^th – 7^th August at Trent College, Long Eaton. Places for other instruments and singers are filling up fast, but do get in touch if you are interested to go on the waiting list in case of cancellations: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/summer-school-2024/

Events for our next season are open for booking! The next BANDWISE and STRINGWISE workshops are on 9^th & 10^th November, open to all young woodwind, brass, percussion and string players. The joint concert on 17^th November takes place at Nottingham’s Albert Hall. Find out more via the links below.

Bandwise: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/byme-bandwise-nov24/

Stringwise: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/byme-stringwise-nov24/

On Friday our Open Voices Sherwood singers treated a packed St Martin’s to a semi-staged performance of Oliver! With costumes, staging, drama and excellent singing, it was quite the spectacular.

Well done to Cliff, Vic, and all the volunteers, members and carers.

Did you catch the First Night of the Proms on Friday? You may have seen Director of BBC Symphony Chorus Neil Ferris take a bow as chorus master of the thrilling performance, including Handel’s Music for Royal Fireworks. If you missed it, you can catch up on all the proms through BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00216m5/bbc-proms-2024-first-night-of-the-proms

We are delighted to announce that Neil Ferris will be joining us for a choral workshop day at NTU Clifton on 28^th June 2025, a date for your diary – not to be missed!

Nottingham Lunchtime Voices dates for the Autumn term have now been published on our website and booking is open if you would like to reserve your place for the coming term. Find all the info here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/whats-on/adult-music/workers-lunchtime-choir/

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

22/07/2024

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 13th May 2024

13th May 2024 Music for Everyone

Gift Stall – Call out for volunteers!!

After over 30 years of service Janice Weston-Smith is stepping down from the running of the MfE Gift Stall at the end of this season.

We are looking for a team of volunteers to help with the Gift Stall at MfE events, setting the stall up and down, manning it throughout the day and selling merchandise. The big events we would expect the gift stall to be at are the youth courses/concerts Bandwise, Stringwise & Vocals, NFC/Blow the Dust weekends and Summer School event. Participants in these events would still be able to volunteer to help with the gift stall as this would not interfere with music-making sessions.

If you are interested in finding out more please contact Su via email su@music-for-everyone.org or call 0115 958 9312.

Nottingham Festival Chorus – singers wanted!

There are still places available for Haydn’s Harmonie Mass workshop and concert with Alex, Rachel and the Nottingham Festival Chorus on 5^th & 6^th July. The workshop on Friday 5^th July will take place in the evening at NTU Clifton, followed by a workshop and concert on Saturday 6^th July at the beautiful Beeston Parish Church, located in the centre of Beeston, a short distance from The Square. There are excellent facilities nearby and local trams and bus routes serve Beeston Bus Station, which is a short walk from the church.

Find out more about this stunning course and book here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/nfc-singing-course-concert-july-2024/

Mansfield Open Voices is 1 year old! They had a party to celebrate last week, attended by Mansfield Mayor Andy Abrahams, MfE trustees Janet and John and of course the Mansfield Open Voices team – Cliff, Andy and learners from Portland College. Happy Birthday OV!

We were thrilled to get a first look at a position statement on Arts and Health, written by a MfE volunteer and youth group parent for the Institute of Health Promotion and Education.

As part of the statement, IHPE state “Arts subjects urgently need to be given a higher priority in education. In the UK additional resources are needed to provide equal opportunities for arts provision, particularly musical instrument playing in schools, to contribute to the prevention of widening inequalities.” And “Arts provisions should form an integral component of social prescribing, as part of a balanced approach to the social and medical models of health and be adequately resourced to increase availability and access across all areas of society, including marginalised groups.” To read the full statement, see here: https://ihpe.org.uk/resources/position-papers/

It was the Eurovision grand final on Saturday, with Switzerland taking the crown for their 3^rd win with a gravity defying performance on a large spinning disk (only in Eurovision!)
EUROVISION FACT: Did you know up until 1998, each act was supported by a live orchestra and every country brought its own conductor? Dutch conductor Dolf van der Linde conducted for a record number of 7 countries; Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland before the rules changed and acts could perform with a pre-recorded backing track.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

13/05/2024

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

https://www.classicfm.com/lifestyle/quizzes/answer-only-music-notes/

#MfEMonday – 25th March 2024

25th March 2024 Music for Everyone

Well March has been a musical marathon at MfE, but PHEW, we made it!!!

West Bridgford felt more like the West End on Saturday after a wonderful day of singing at our musicals workshop. Rachel Parkes put the Nottingham Community Voices through their paces and we welcomed Open Voices who stole the show with a wonderful selection of their favourite hits. We were delighted to welcome Simon Theobald as soloist and compere for the event. Thanks to everyone who came along!

Enrolments have now hit 100 for the Big Youth Music Experience coming up in April! We still have spaces left for all string, woodwind and especially BRASS instruments so please encourage any young musicians to join in.

Bandwise – April 20th & 28th. Sign-Up Here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/byme-bandwise-apr24/

Stringwise – April 21st & 28th. Sign- Up Here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/byme-stringwise-apr24/

Thank you to those members who attended our AGM last Wednesday, it was lovely to see you there. We said a fond farewell to a couple of long-standing trustees, Angela Smallwood and Matt Lax – they are not disappearing completely and we will still see them around at events! We are delighted to welcome three new trustees on to the board: Gary Ackrill, Catherine Hocking and Josie Tanvir.

A presentation was made to Andrew James (ex-chairman of MfE) for the enormous contribution he has made to supporting Music for Everyone through the setting up and running of the Bookwise shops. We are extremely grateful for everything you have done Andrew!

I’m sure many of you will be looking forward to the giving and receiving of Easter eggs next weekend! But have you heard of “Easter eggs” in music?

For centuries composers have weaved secret messages or cryptograms into their works, from J.S. Bach to Shostakovich and this idea is still used today by songwriters such as Taylor Swift!

Find out more in this fun video: https://youtu.be/1GuJ-mFNauo?si=Tmg_mLDyhNUC06fN

Or why not test your ability to recognise words in musical notation?! Try this quiz:

Can you answer these quiz questions using just music notes?

You can read music, but can you READ music…?

www.classicfm.com

Can you spare a minute to nominate us for the chance to win £1000?! Click on the banner below.

Nominate now! – Movement for Good awards

We could receive £1,000 in the Movement for Good draw.

movementforgood.com

An exciting upcoming concert by Melodic Fanfare, a Nottingham based brass ensemble. They will be holding their first live performance : A relaxing lunchtime debut concert featuring a variety of classical music. The concert will be held at University Hall, Nottingham on Friday 5^th April with all proceeds going to Mind. Book tickets here.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

25/03/2024

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 4th March 2024

4th March 2024 Music for Everyone

We’re gearing up for an exciting and busy March, so much music making coming up!

The Nottingham Chamber Singers concert ‘Angels, Dreams and Flying Machines’ is on Saturday 16 March at St Mary’s Church, Clifton. Join us for an evening of flight, fantasy and winged creatures, featuring poetry and musical works by Whitacre, Panufnik, Mendelssohn and Vaughan-Williams. Tickets available online in advance now: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/ncs-concert/ or you can buy on the door.

On Sunday 17th March, we’ll be ‘Springing into Music’ with our youth groups spring concert at Chilwell School for an afternoon concert of varied repertoire by string orchestras and wind bands. Tickets available online in advance now: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/yth-concert/ or purchased on the door, subject to availability.

Places are still available for West End to Broadway on Saturday 23^rd March. Don’t miss out the opportunity to learn from the fantastic Simon Theobald. Click this link to hear from the man himself!: https://youtube.com/shorts/qCPwQ5jhyk4?feature=share

Call-out for volunteers! We are looking for some extra help at our friendly Open Voices group in Mansfield. They meet on Friday afternoons from 1.45-3.15pm at Portland College in the wonderful Newstart Theatre. If anyone is able to help our leader Cliff and join in the singing that would be great! Please email su@music-for-everyone.org

It’s not quite officially springtime just yet, but as we have now reached March (and, fingers crossed, some nicer, dryer weather!) it seems apt to welcome the beginning signs of spring with some seasonal music. The most obvious is of course, Spring from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, who was born on this day, 4 March 1678: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LiztfE1X7E

Another is Vaughan-Williams The Lark Ascending, originating from a poem by George Meredith about the song of a skylark. The poem inspired Vaughan Williams to write a musical work of the same name: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbFi85piaEg Vaughan Williams also features in the NCS concert on 16 March.

If you haven’t already seen on our website, we have now released the choir repertoire for Summer School 2024! We’re thrilled that Hilary Campbell will be with us again and exploring the following pieces:
- Lily Boulanger – Hymn au soleil
- James MacMillan – O Radiant Dawn
- Harold Arlen – Over the Rainbow
- Roger Emerson – Ain’t no Mountain High Enough
The choir will also be doing Handel’s rousing anthem Zadok the Priest with the orchestra and an arrangement of Abide with Me with the string ensemble: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/summer-school-2024/

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

04/03/2024

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 15th January 2024

15th January 2024 Music for Everyone

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

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLrEujhHsjs

#MfEMonday – 18th December 2023

18th December 2023 Music for Everyone

Dear MfE friends, supporters, volunteers, singers, blowers, pluckers, bowers, arm-wavers, ivory-tinklers and bangers (that’s percussionists in case you were wondering)…

As it is our last MfE Mondays of 2023, it falls to me to thank each and every one of you for all of your contributions, both musical and otherwise, to all of Music for Everyone’s endeavours over the past year.

It has been a very busy and exciting 40th Anniversary year, with us saying welcome to new members, staff, our Artistic Director Alex Robinson, as well as wishing a fond farewell to some wonderful and hard-working members of the team, not least our fabulous founder, Angela Kay, for 40 years of enthusiasm, inspiration and frankly – REALLY HARD WORK!

We hope you have enjoyed all of our weekly groups, special events and concerts as much as we have. Each and every one of these ventures takes an enormous amount of work, and we wish to especially thank our office staff of Anne, Kirstie, Laura and Su, as well as all their team of volunteer-office supporters, for making these events run so smoothly. We hope they all enjoy a restful Christmas break.

Yesterday saw the Albert Hall full of singing, laughter and seasonal spirit for our annual Christmas is Coming celebration. A huge thank you and well-done to all of the participants, the Daytime Voices Choirs Nottingham Community Voices, Nottingham Chamber Singers, members of the Nottingham Concert Orchestra and of course our fabulous Vocals groups for putting on an amazing show. The roof was raised with everything from the rousing carol O Come all ye faithful, to a beautiful sign-language spectacle of White Christmas and a wild and joyous ride of Jingle Bells, along with our children performing a witty and impressive sung panto of Roald Dahl’s Jack and the Beanstalk. We hope you all left feeling suitably festive, I know I did, and our special visitor Father Christmas told me he was REALLY impressed with the beautiful singing!

Wishing you a peaceful and joyful Christmas and we look forward to seeing you all in the New Year!

Rachel

Vocal animateur and Assistant Artistic Director, MfE

No Christmas concert would be complete without the iconic whip crack in Sleigh Ride. Look what happens when you give percussionists free ‘rein’ (see what we did there?)

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/NOoF0DR9ESA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCLavUoX7Sc&list=RDWCLavUoX7Sc&start_radio=1

Don’t forget we will be singing carols at the Test Match Pub in West Bridgford, this Thursday 21^st December 5.30-6.30pm for an informal sing in aid of open voices. Please meet us there for a 5.30pm – everyone is welcome.
The Office will be closed for a Christmas break from 1pm on Friday 22^ndDecember. We will be back open on Tuesday 2^nd January for an exciting new term!

Have a great week and a Merry Christmas!

Your friends at MfE.

18/12/2023

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 25th September 2023

25th September 2023 Music for Everyone

The gothic splendour of the Cathedral Church of St Barnabas was the setting for the Nottingham Chamber Singers’ performance of Durufle’s Requiem last Saturday. Under the expert baton of Rachel Parkes, the Nottingham Chamber Singers, accompanied by the Nottingham Classical Players and organist Peter Seipmann, performed a sumptuous programme of French Romantic music by Franck, Durufle, Elgar, Boulanger and Faure. Joined by renowned mezzo-soprano, Emily Hodkinson, the concert closed with a luscious and deeply moving account of Durufle’s masterful Requiem.

Join us for the next Nottingham Chamber Singers’ concert ‘Sparkling Baroque’ on Saturday 02 December at St John’s Church, Carrington. For more information, click here.

On Monday 18 September, we held a special event to thank our Supporters and Donors for their contribution to the success of Music for Everyone. After a chance to mingle over a glass of wine, the audience was treated to performances from Artistic Director, Alex Robinson on viola and harpsichord – not at the same time! – and a beautiful selection of songs from Rachel Parkes, soprano, accompanied by Alex on harpsichord. Chairman John Hess then put Alex under the spotlight with a question and answer session, where Alex revealed that when he isn’t playing badminton and listening to Nordic Jazz, he secretly enjoys a bit of Euro-pop!

Anyone else watch open mouthed as the Fijian rugby team made history in a win against Australia last week? Is singing the key to their success? It would seem that they are a harmonious team on and off the pitch and often use singing as part of their preparations.

Click here to hear how the team unwinds before a big game!

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

25/09/2023

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF