Summer School

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#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 – 20th May 2024

20th May 2024 Music for Everyone

Family Festival

MfE will be holding its first ever Family Festival on Sunday 9th June at Beeston Resource Centre.

From World Drumming workshops to singing sessions for the whole family, and music to enjoy in the garden, there is something for everyone. We’ll also have a cake stall, sweets, glitter tattoos and a whole host of games/activities in and around the venue.

Click here for more information.

Summer School – last chance to enrol!

There are limited places remaining on our 2024 Summer School. Don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to enjoy high-quality music-making, and experience some exceptional performances from international soloists in the wonderful surroundings of Trent College. Book your place now to avoid disappointment!

We particularly welcome enrolments from bassoons, trumpets, saxophones, violas, tenors and basses. All other instruments and voice parts will be closed for enrolment after today.

You can enrol online here or by calling the office on 0115 958 9312.

Strictly Stings seeks new conductor

We are seeking an inspiring and charismatic musician to direct the Nottingham Strictly Strings, our string ensemble for young players of approximately grade 1 – 4 standard, most of whom are joining a group for the first time. If you know anyone who might be interested, please direct them to the advert on our website: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/about-us/vacancies/

Ever wondered what happens if a conductor has to cancel just hours before a performance? Well, if you’re James Lowe, the answer is ‘don’t cancel’!

When the conductor of the Spokane Symphony, Morihiko Nakahara, had a fall requiring hospital treatment 3 hours before the curtain went up on a live performance of the Empire Strikes Back, James Lowe bravely stepped in to help.

Conducting a full symphony through the score of a movie live is no mean feat. “Conducting a movie is an incredibly complicated thing, because obviously the movie doesn’t adjust,” Lowe said. “There’s no room for error at all.” Read the full account of this extraordinary performance here.

Do you know any young clarinet players?

Friend of MfE, Charlotte Reavley, has written a book of fun pieces for young clarinettists called ‘The Clariphant and the Kazoos’ featuring some very creative animals with musical names such as the Chinese Flutiflies and the Hippiano! More information is available from her website Home – Clariphant (theclariphant.co.uk)

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

20/05/2024

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

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

Summer School Day 3: From RELAXED to RE-ENERGISED (and everything in between)

10th August 202310th August 2023 Music for Everyone

The final day arrives, the sun is shining and everyone is raring to go one more time! The Obolensky has transformed overnight in to our concert set up and it’s time to polish up the corners of the music ready for the Showcase Concert.

To help RELAX after the final rehearsals and before the performance, participants were invited to eat their lunch in the chapel and enjoy some special mood lighting and relaxing piano music, played by Summer School accompanist Richard Cox.

A contrast in the afternoon with Katie from Beat Goes On designed to RE-ENERGISE with a body percussion stomp-style session with creating our own rhythms (yes, bottom-patting and much laughter was involved!). A final top and tail rehearsal then it’s SHOWCASE time!

The concert started with Katie getting everyone involved, audience as well, in body percussion to make a rain storm effect (we avoided the real rain thankfully!) The concert programme this year was chosen around the Summer School theme ‘New Horizons’, celebrating women in music in this 40th year of Music for Everyone. The first piece of music was a piece commissioned especially for the 40th anniversary by Nottingham born composer Libby Croad – Hail! Bright Cecilia then each group showcased talent and hard work from the 3 days, with pieces including Hymn by Harding from the saxophones, Gallimaufry by Guy Wolfenden by the wind band, Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes by Grace Williams by the orchestra, Libby Croad’s Suite for Strings, Big Yellow Taxi (Gilpin) and Flower Duet (Delibes) by the choir and the big finale Finlandia by Sibelius performed by all 180+ participants!

Drinks, nibbles and a chance to sit and chat one last time after concert and that’s a wrap! as they say.

THANK YOUS
A huge thanks to our wonderful conductors, Keiron Anderson, Hilary Campbell and Rob Hodge for the incredible work they have done with singers and players. To our guest artists Naomi Sullivan and Papagena for unforgettable recitals and workshops. The tutors, Isobel, Sarah, Jonathan, Jenny, Tim, Rachel, Josh, Gill, Gordon, Dave, David and accompanist, Richard Cox for all their support and sectional rehearsals. The ‘behind the scenes’ staff and volunteers for copious tea/coffee making (we lost count this year!). Of course, a huge thanks goes to Trent College for hosting and being so helpful and also to Bookwise and Turner Violins for attending. We did notice one person didn’t get a mention in the concert… because he was doing the mentioning! Thank you to Robin! for his compering and everything else he did. Finally, to the participants – thank you for supporting MfE – what a 3 days!

Right, we’re off for a little lie down then start planning for next year – see you there?

#SummerSchool2023

Summer School Day 2: A Capella is the game, Papagena is the name

8th August 2023 Music for Everyone

An incredible second day of Summer School on a (mostly) sunny Tuesday at Trent College.

Rehearsals for choir, orchestra, sax ensemble, string orchestra and wind band (busy, busy!) continued throughout the morning (fuelled by regular top ups of tea, coffee and biscuits of course!).

Today’s guests, all-female a capella quintet Papagena blew the roof off the chapel and received a standing ovation at the end of their lunchtime recital for Summer School participants. Their programme, aptly named ‘Nuns and Roses’ featured hauntingly beautiful melodies of traditional Ukrainian lullabies and Georgian hymns all the way through to ‘hard rock’ Guns ‘n’ Roses Sweet Child o’ mine and finishing with The woman’s ‘If’ – a work commissioned for Papagena and based on Caitlin Moran’s female perspective to Rudyard Kipling’s If. Many of the pieces in the programme were also arranged by members of the group. Simply amazing.

Papagena then led the choir in a workshop, teaching them one of the pieces from their recital and working on some of the repertoire chosen by Hilary for this year’s course.

Further rehearsals in the afternoon led to Tuesday’s ‘sharing concert’ – where the singers perform the players and the players perform to the singers. A short session to share items that won’t feature in the final Showcase Concert – from the choir with Hilary (with Richard’s debut performance on the drums…), the sax ensemble with Keiron, the string orchestra with Rob and the wind band, again with Keiron performing A Single Step of his own composition.

That wraps up another busy Summer School day, bring on the finale!

#SummerSchool2023

Summer School Day 2 in under 20 seconds!

Summer School Day 1: The many (many) sounds of the saxophone

7th August 2023 Music for Everyone

Welcome to Summer School 2023! Taking place once again in the picturesque setting of Trent College in Long Eaton, we are delighted to be back with new and returning faces (participants and staff!).

We kicked off with pastries and a welcome from Robin then it’s straight down to the musical good stuff… Rehearsals! The choir head off the the Chapel with Hilary, orchestra are in the May Hall with Rob and brand new for this year, the saxophone ensemble get started with Keiron in the Rep!

This year, the focus for day 1 is the glorious saxophone, with amazing guest artist Naomi Sullivan treating us to a stunning recital with a varied programme featuring George Gershwin and Jules Demersseman.

The saxophone players then took part in a workshop with Naomi, creating unique effects and developing techniques beyond mere notes – at one point, impersonating a rain storm! (Check out the video clip in the round-up below – that’s the saxophones, not the weather!)

More rehearsals, sectionals and the traditional tea, coffee and biscuits rounded off a great first day – crossing our fingers the sun continues to shine and we’re looking forward to day 2!

#SummerSchool2023

SS23 Day 1!

#MfEMonday – 10th July 2023

10th July 202310th July 2023 Music for Everyone

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.

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 11^th 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

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF