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

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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This week saw all of our regularly rehearsing groups spring back into action! Four Daytime Voices choirs, two Daytime Orchestras, three Open Voices groups, one Flute Choir, one Swing Band, one Lunchtime Voices choir, one Chamber Choir, two Youth String groups and three Youth Wind bands! That’s approximately 500 people in one week. And all of them delighted to be back making music together.

Perhaps you weren’t aware of the wide variety of groups that MFE run on a regular basis. Do have a look at our website www.music-for-everyone.org to see information about all these groups and the upcoming youth and adult events.

In last week’s MFE Mondays we mentioned the Nottingham Festival Chorus workshop on Saturday 5th February. At the end of the workshop there will be free concert starting at 4:30 featuring music by Mendelssohn, Handel, Haydn and Faure. If you would like to attend, please order your pass by following this link https://www.music-for-everyone.org/nfc-concert-passes/


Many of us make New Year’s resolutions and often fail to continue them beyond the end of January! However, some people choose to make a musical New Year’s resolution. Here are a few examples –

“My goal in 2022 is to dedicate myself to practicing regularly for my weekly keyboard class so I can expand my musical horizons!” Project Manager

“My 2022 New Year’s resolution is to sing better even if it’s only the car or the shower.” Designer

“My music resolution is to play my trumpet regularly again. It’s just sitting in the case right now collecting dust. Thus year I’m going to get it back out and play more often!” Office administrator

“I don’t play any instruments, but I’m an avid music listener.  My goal is to find a new artist to listen to every month this year.” Web developer

What will your musical resolution be this year? Do let us know.


  • Why not start the year off by testing your musical knowledge? This online quiz is great fun but might have you scratching your head on some of the questions – http://classicaltest.net/  Congratulations if you manage 100%!

Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

24/01/2022

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

Notts TV recently visited our fantastic Sherwood Open Voices group. Watch them in action practicing for their Christmas performance here.

We are enormously proud of the positive impact our Open Voices sessions are having on people’s lives, so we thought we would share some heart-warming quotes from our members to demonstrate just how much the sessions mean to them:

“I love being with Open Voices on a Friday morning, I really do.  I have come on leaps and bounds. I used to be shy but I am not now. I really enjoy it.”

“I like the Open Voices, we are like a family. Everyone enjoys it. It is definitely the place to be every week.”

“This group has given my husband and myself great joy. My husband has severe dementia but comes to life when singing at the choirs.”

“Thank you for this amazing group. It has been a privilege to come along and enjoy this time with my mum. It’s such a joyful time. You are BRILLIANT!”

“Community at its best.”


  • Today is National Gin and Tonic Day – Cheers!

Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

21/10/2019

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 new 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.

This year’s Learning Disabilities Week (17-24 June, 2018) is all about health, with a big focus on the Treat Me Well Campaign. This aims to transform the way the NHS treats people with a learning disability in hospital.

There is much evidence that singing is good for EVERYONE’S health and wellbeing – physically, psychologically and socially.

Music for Everyone determined to offer aDf9GpFbXcAAbdL5 vocal programme – Open Voices – particularly suited to adults with learning disabilities. When the first group started in Sherwood, led by Cliff McArdle and Victoria Barlow, it wasn’t known how many people would come along or whether it would work, but they did and it does! Cliff and Vic engage the choir members in singing an enjoyable range of popular songs. Many singers know the words already, some read them from the projection and others hum along, tap their toes or sway to the music. The group has a mid-session break for a cuppa and chat.

With the success of the programme’s format in Sherwood, a second group opened in West Bridgford, and now there is a third in Beeston. Angela Kay’s younger daughter, Sarah Trevers, has joined the Open Voices music leaders’ team. Singers, volunteer helpers, carers and staff head home feeling that the world is a better place for music and friendship, and with spirits uplifted.

Here’s what Open Wings has noticed about their friends who come to sing at Sherwood Open Voices:

An individual who would never smile now carefully spreads her mouth wide shows her teeth and let’s out a little giggle. An individual who uses a wheelchair, has no verbal communication, but sits next to the piano taking in every single note the wonderful pianist plays, her eyes alight with joy. A unique individual that communicates only through verbal noises volunteering to sing a solo and being so clear when singing Hallelujah! An older man with Aspergers, joining in and singing Let’s go fly a kite, arms up in the air, and clapping his heart out to Lilly the Pink the pink the pink, and a Spoonful of sugar, as he remembered days gone by. A solo of Don’t you want me baby and another of Joseph! Absolutely wonderful to watch the joy on every single participants face.

Such is the power of music! This wonderful project has been made possible through our partnership with Open Wings and Reach and by generous donations from groups and individuals. We are delighted that Mapperley Open Gardens 2018 has made Open Voices one of its three charities this year. The East of England Singers will be singing at one of the participating gardens – 31 Richmond Drive, Sunday 8 July – to assist with the fund-raising.

This week sees the first session of a NEW Open Voices group. These singing groups are particularly suited to adults with learning disabilities – those who come along have a fun time singing, making friends and acquiring new skills and confidence. The first choir started in Sherwood last year, the second in West Bridgford earlier this year, and now – fanfare please – a third begins in Beeston on Tuesday 19 April. Open Voices’ sessions brim with joy and everyone goes away from them feeling uplifted – singers, staff, volunteers and care workers.

The picture above says it all!

I’m getting more and more confident and singing is really helping with my speech. When we perform it’s scary, but I love it and when you’ve done it for a while you get better at it.”
Toni, an adult with learning disabilities, writing in the Guardian.

Below is a link to the full article, which we feel sure will leave everyone eager to spread the word about these groups and to support Open Voices – sometimes volunteers are needed and donations to sustain the project are always welcome.

Guardian article: Music can transform the lives of people with learning disabilities

For information about the times and locations of the Open Voices choirs, click here.

This will be very short because we’d love you to hop over to the blog of Open Wings and discover what Open Voices means to their amazing community. Take a tissue with you.

But before you go… Have you voted to enable us to form more Open Voices groups in other locations, to take music into the Teenage Cancer Trust unit at Nottingham Children’s Hospital, QMC, and for other music for wellbeing projects? Thank you if you have, but if you haven’t you have ONE DAY left! Voting for the Aviva Community Fund closes first thing Tuesday. So vote, vote, vote.  CLICK HERE to do it now. Ask your family, your friends, your cat (who just needs an email address) etc to do it too.

Voting done? Fly off to Open Wings.