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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

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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 1st July and A Musical Celebration on Sunday 2nd 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 1st July and Sunday Afternoon Big Band and Flute Choir will be playing in the Osborne Suite before the concert on 2nd 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 1st 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 2nd 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!


  • 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

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.

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

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

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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 40th Anniversary season.  Minder is helping the team to deliver the 1st and 2nd 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 7th to Wednesday 9th August at Trent College, Long Eaton. Three days of shared music making with workshops for intermediate and advanced musicians aged 16+.


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

Book tickets for the concert now!

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

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


Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

05/06/2023

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

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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 11th 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!

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


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.


Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

22/05/2023

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.

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.

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

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.

We are still riding high from the breath-taking achievement of Saturday night’s concert by the Nottingham Chamber Singers. After an ambitious and varied programme of choral music ranging from the 12th to the 21st Centuries, a packed house at St Martin’s Church, Sherwood could be heard cheering several streets away…we imagine!

Huge congratulations to all members of NCS, guest artists Henry Parkes (organ) and John Barker (saxophone), and MfE Assistant Artistic Director Rachel Parkes, under whose direction our wonderful chamber choir sparkled.


This week we celebrate the birthday of beloved Russian composer Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov, born on 18th March 1844. We have loved exploring this in-depth run down of the best recordings out there of NRK’s works!

https://www.classical-music.com/features/recordings/best-recordings-rimsky-korsakov/


  • This Sunday 19th March – yes, Mother’s Day! – will see our youth ensembles – Nottingham Youth Band, East Midlands Youth Band, Nottingham Strictly Strings and East Midlands Youth String Orchestra – perform at the Grange Hall in Radcliffe on Trent at 3pm. Tickets available here

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

13/03/2023

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.

We’ve had an amazing weekend of music making with over 160 young musicians at South Nottinghamshire Academy in Radcliffe on Trent this weekend with Bandwise (Saturday) and Stringwise (Sunday). Can’t wait for their families and friends to hear the result in next weekend’s concert at Nottingham’s Albert Hall!

As we head into March, MfE is looking forward to a busy month of exciting events:

  • NCS concert – A Multitude of Voices on Saturday 11th March at St Martin’s Church, Sherwood. Tickets available in advance here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/march-ncs/ or on the door.
  • We’re excited to announce 3 of MfE’s youth groups will be ‘day-tripping’ to Birmingham for the Music for Youth Regional Festival on Tuesday 14th March, playing in the CBSO Centre!
  • MfE youth groups Mother’s Day concert on Sunday 19th March at the Grange in Radcliffe on Trent, tickets available in advance or on the door.

Music has been proven to have a positive effect on our health and some new research has shown how long it can take to feel happier, or more relaxed or even to overcome sadness.

It won’t come as a surprise that music with a slow tempo is best for relaxation, although it might be of interest to learn that 13 minutes is the optimum listening time for feeling peaceful and contented compared to 9 minutes of a driving rhythm and fast tempo to help you to feel uplifted.

Find out more here: https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/music-to-release-sadness-and-feel-happier-study/ for the stats and percentages!



Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

27/02/2023

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.

Tickets are still available for the Nottingham Chamber Singers’ Multitude of Voices concert at St Martin’s in Sherwood on 11 March. Join them as they dive into the rich, exquisite and relatively under-represented canon of choral works by female composers.

The concert, in the same week as International Women’s Day, will take the opportunity to celebrate 900 years of Passiontide themed motets, both reflective and uplifting from the 11th Century Abbess and Polymath Hildegard von Bingen through to the emerging and talented Kerensa Briggs (b.1991). Throughout the concert, acclaimed Saxophonist John Barker will be weaving transcendent melodies into and around our program, culminating in a second half performance of the beautiful Son of God Mass by James Whitbourn to ease you into Eastertide.

Click here for more information and here to book.

The youth groups are gearing up for a busy month of March, working towards their Mother’s Day concert on Sunday 19th March at The Grange in Radcliffe on Trent, an instrumental treat for all! Click here for more information


We are really looking forward to welcoming 161 young instrumentalists to our Bandwise and Stringwise courses this weekend! After a weekend of being put through their paces by our crack team of experts they will then come together for a showcase concert at the Albert Hall on Sunday 05 March. We can’t wait to hear their joint performance of ‘Feelin’ Good’ arranged by our very own Josh Goodman. Perhaps most famously recorded by Nina Simone, it was first performed by Guyanese-British singer Cy Grant on the opening night of The Roar of the Greasepaint at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham on 3 August 1964!


  • Click here to find out what song was number one on the day you were born. The current range in the office is Fernando by Abba to I Owe You Nothing by Bros – but we’re not going to reveal who came out dancing to Abba!

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

20/02/2023

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.