ADULT MUSIC

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 15th April 2024

8th April 202415th April 2024 Music for Everyone

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 22^nd 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 25^th 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 25^th to try it out.

Other youth groups start back from Sunday 12^th May.

A date for your diary… Sunday 9^th 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

GOOD LUCK to all our young musicians approaching exam season, to get you in the revision mood, here’s a list of ‘scientifically proven’ (Disclaimer: not sure how scientific it actually is) pieces to help by Classic FM: https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/classical-studying-music-for-brain-power/ and remember that a rehearsal break in revision is very good for you!

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

15/04/2024

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 – 18th March 2024

18th March 2024 Music for Everyone

Our talented youth instrumentalists put on an amazing performance in their concert yesterday. We were also delighted to be joined by the Round Hill School Orchestra who joined MfE’s two youth bands to perform ‘Shorewood Overture’ by Michael Sweeney – a piece especially designed for 3 groups of different ability levels which fits like a jigsaw puzzle when played together. All three groups have been rehearsing separately this term and only came together for the first time on the day, creating a mass band of 60 players! A huge well done to the Strictly Strings, East Midlands Youth String Orchestra, Nottingham and East Midlands Youth Bands for a wonderful concert of musical variety and talent!

Congratulations to Nottingham Chamber Singers for a gravity defying performance on Saturday night at St Mary’s Church, Clifton. The choir performed a beautiful programme of music old and new on the theme of Angels, dreams and flying machines, much of it unknown to many of the audience and before they started rehearsals this term, most of the choir!

Birds soared, angels danced and even the family of bats in the belfry at the church came out for the show! A gorgeous night for all.

Tickets are still available for our West End to Broadway concert this Saturday at Rushcliffe Spencer Academy. Tickets are only £8 and include a pre-concert drink. Come along and hear our wonderful massed choir along with the joyful sound of our Open Voices groups. Be entertained by the charismatic Simon Theobald and MfE’s wonderful Rachel Parkes as they perform highlights from some of the best-loved Broadway shows. Tickets are available here, on the door or by phoning the office on 0115 958 9312.

Just a reminder to MfE members that the Annual General Meeting of Music for Everyone will take place this Wednesday at 7.15pm at St Luke’s Church, West Bridgford, NG2 6GL. We need to know today if you are planning on attending so please RSVP to admin@music-for-everyone.org

I don’t know what Daytime Voices have been putting in their cakes this term (gold?!) but they have managed to raise an astounding total of £760.96 from their end-of-term bake sales. All of this money will go to support our Open Voices groups. Thank you Daytime Voices!

All this talk of cake has put us in a baking mood. Click here for some of the best pieces of music inspired by the art of baking!

Our Daytime Orchestras perform their end-of-term concerts this week: Daytime Orchestra Loughborough on Tuesday 19 March at All Saints Parish Church, Steeple Row, Loughborough LE11 1UX, and Daytime Orchestra Nottingham on Thursday 21 March at St Martins Church, Trevose Gardens, Sherwood NG5 3FU. Come along at 11:00am and have a cup of tea or coffee with the players before being treated to a varied programme of Beethoven, Bernstein, Mendelssohn, John Barry and more. Both concerts are free, so please do come along and support our wonderful adult instrumentalists.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

18/03/2024

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 – 11th March 2024

11th March 2024 Music for Everyone

WELL DONE to our VOCALS CHOIR for an amazing performance of songs from the Movies at the Albert Hall yesterday. 140 children worked incredibly hard in Saturday’s workshop ready for the concert to family and friends, we’ve had a great weekend with them all!

Don’t forget, the Nottingham Chamber Singers have their Angels, Dreams and Flying Machines concert this Saturday 16th March at St Mary’s Church in Clifton, last chance to book tickets in advance this week, we’ll have some on the door as well but best to reserve them now to avoid disappointment! Book here

It’s been a Movie-filled weekend with our Vocals event and the Oscars last night! (You might not know the results yet unless you were up at 1am to watch, so don’t read on if you’re not a fan of spoilers!)

The dark and tense score for Oppenheimer won Best Original Score by Ludwig Goransson. Using the violin as a starting point, Göransson and his wife Serena, a violinist, began experimenting with vibratos and microtonal glissandos, they aimed to convey the anxiety of Oppenheimer through the violin’s ability to instantly switch from a romantic and sentimental sound to something “neurotic” and “horrifying.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLUwsAbkmx0

By stark contrast, Best Original Song was won by Billie Eilish for her song What Was I Made for? From the Barbie movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW8VLC9nn ,a ballad that reflects on identity and belonging.

Blackwood Clarinets are excited to be organising their first Clarinet Play Day. This will be a full day event, on Sunday 14th July, including workshops and play sessions exploring music from the clarinet choir repertoire, along with a masterclass and optional improvisation session. The day will end with a short concert free for friends and family to attend. Please see attached flyer and for more information follow this link
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. See attached flyer and book tickets here.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

11/03/2024

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 – 26th February 2024

26th February 20244th March 2024 Music for Everyone

It’s a new season of MfE, so it’s time for a new brochure!

See all the exciting events we have planned from March to August 2024, in our new brochure: https://simplebooklet.com/brochuremaraug24

Coming soon – From West End to Broadway Course and Concert – 23rd March

Places are still available for this course and concert and we are really excited to be welcoming back Simon Theobald, who will add his unique energy and charisma to the proceedings. We are also thrilled to be joined by members of our inspirational Open Voices groups.

It is going to be a wonderful evening of wine, music and smiles, so please join us! Course places are available here, and concert tickets are available here.

MfE on X (formerly twitter)

We have had to start a new X profile as our old one went awry! Please follow our new account @MfENott

A British Concert in Darkest Peru!

Attached is an interesting article from one of our members, David Gilmour, whose great-Aunt and Uncle took part in an extraordinary concert in Peru in 1869.

Tim Edwards, known to many of you for playing double bass at a number of MfE events, will be performing with his Viol Consort ‘Arculo’ at the cathedral on 15 March for a rendition of Buxtehude Membra Jesu Nostri. More details attached.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

26/02/2024

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

https://youtu.be/X69P_Vce9vw?si=rMKwOYS4udiJGv_i

#MfEMonday – 19th February 2024

19th February 2024 Music for Everyone

A message from Bookwise:

Bookwise need your help! They are planning some furniture moving around this week and would appreciate any help if anyone can come in any time this week to help.

There will be heavy lifting involved so please bear this in mind!

For more info, contact Gary Directly on 07818423536. Many thanks!

Hello Eveyone,

We hope you’re all feeling energised and ready for some more music-making!

A spotlight on our Musicals workshop and cabaret for adults on Saturday 23rd March at the Rushcliffe Spencer Academy.

Enjoy the glitz and glam of the theatre with our special guest compere and baritone soloist Simon Theobald, conducted by MfE’s Assistant Artistic Director, Rachel Parkes, and accompanied by Angela Foan.

Come along and sing a selection of foot tapping numbers from Oliver and Guys and Dolls, unforgettable melodies from West Side Story and Chess, and moving songs from hit musical Blood Brothers.

The day will finish with an informal cabaret-style concert and we are really excited that singers from our Open Voices choir will be performing their favourite musical hits for us!

To sign up for the workshop visit: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/ncm-come-and-sing/

If you would like to come and watch, tickets are £8 and include a free pre-concert glass of wine or soft drink from 4pm. For tickets visit: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/from-west-end-to-broadway/

There is still time for any younger singers to sign up for our next Vocals ‘at the Movies’ event on 9th & 10th March. Music packs have now left the building and the excitement is building for this special weekend! https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/vocals-mar-24/

Continuing the Musicals theme here are some fun facts about a couple of the shows which will feature in our workshop:

Chess – It’s written by the boys from ABBA and Sir Tim Rice!

What’s it about? Cold War, East vs West. In today’s era of Russia’s cyber-threat to Western Democracies, that seems more relevant than ever. Chess takes the rivalry, subterfuge and political plotting of two global super-powers and transfers the action to the World Chess championships, where defection, gamesmanship and espionage are as rife as in the corridors of power. It’s a love story between characters whose lives are torn apart by powers they cannot control. Chess is probably best summed up as “The Thinking-Person’s Musical.”

According to The Guinness Book of Records, the single “I Know Him So Well” remains the most successful ever by a female duo, retaining the No.1 spot in the UK Singles Charts for 4 weeks. It may also have broken the world record for the most cans of hairspray used on the video!! https://youtu.be/s2SDInk6voA?si=wsor_qnbPdt5wvGz

Guys and Dolls – A modern classic that explores the lives of two seemingly mismatched couples. It premiered on Broadway in 1950 and ran for 1,200 performances. In the smash-hit 1955 film adaptation of Guys and Dolls, the swingin’ and swoonin’ Frank Sinatra took on the role of powerful gambler Nathan Detroit. This was his first major film role, and the gamble paid off, he received critical acclaim for his performance!

The songs from the musical are total bangers and have been covered and adapted by numerous artists over the years, including Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Barbra Streisand. ‘Luck Be a Lady’ in particular gained widespread popularity and recognition and has even made appearances in shows such as The Simpsons, Family Guy and can even be heard in the family favourite movie Mrs. Doubtfire!

String players! The Villiers quartet are about to launch their next online string quartet course this Sunday studying Haydn’s Emperor Quartet. The course is for amateurs who love to study their music in greater depth and want to explore the art of string quartet playing. For more information and booking visit: http://villiersquartet.com/vqdiscovery

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

19/02/2024

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 5th February 2024

5th February 2024 Music for Everyone

Well, what a fantastic and Gloria-filled concert we had on Saturday! A huge congratulations to all the performers in the Festival Chorus, Chamber Singers and the Nottingham Concert Orchestra for a stunning performance. There were not just Glorias being sung on stage, there were also 3 Glorias in the audience! They were invited to chat with the sheriff in the interval about the event and their namesake.

We were also delighted that Dame Judith Weir spoke to Alex and Rachel last week via Zoom, about her piece in the concert ‘Stars, Night, Music and Light’, in which she expressed how thrilled she was we were performing the full orchestral version of her piece, which she said was “a rarity”. See the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zd2ztuXP90

We are now looking forward to our next singing event for community singers ‘From West End to Broadway’ on Saturday 23rd March, conducted by Rachel Parkes with special guest soloist Simon Theobald.

Come and join for a singing workshop day exploring songs from the musicals and theatre, with an informal cabaret performance and glass of wine to finish. Click here to sign- up: Workshop Day: NCM From West End to Broadway (music-for-everyone.org)

Today is a big day for John Cage’s composition ‘Organ2/ASLSP ‘As Slow as Possible’. We spoke about this piece on MfEMondays in 2022, the last time a chord was changed and today a single chord is again being changed in this piece, due to last for 639 years! Find out more on Classic FM website here: https://www.classicfm.com/composers/cage/as-slow-a-possible-aslsp-germany-organ-chord-change/

We think Mondays need a little brain boosting exercise to wake up for the week… try this quiz where the answers can all be spelt using music notes! Some are tricky and beware the dreaded alto clef! https://www.classicfm.com/lifestyle/quizzes/answer-only-music-notes/

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

05/02/2024

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 29th January 2024

29th January 2024 Music for Everyone

We are busy putting packs together for our next vocals singing weekend – ‘Vocals at the Movies‘! On Saturday 9^th March, our young singers will gather at Nottingham Trent University for a day of rehearsals and fun activities. On Sunday the 10^th 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!

As you know, at MfE we are great believers in the power of music to make you feel good and enhance wellbeing. Here are 10 pieces of classical music that will, according to Classic FM, 100% change your life. Enjoy! 10 pieces of classical music that will 100% change your life – Classic FM

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

29/01/2024

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF