Concerts

#MfEMonday – 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

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.

#MfEMonday – 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 23rd 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

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

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#MfEMonday – 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!

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

 

  • 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

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

 

#MfEMonday – 29th January 2024

Music for Everyone

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

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

29/01/2024

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.

Searching for the Glorias of Nottinghamshire

Music for Everyone

The search is on for the Glorias of Nottinghamshire to step forward. The Nottingham-based Music for Everyone (MfE) is offering every Gloria a FREE ticket for their next big concert at the city’s Albert Hall, on Saturday 3rd February.

MfE’s Festival Chorus will be singing not one, but two of the most memorable pieces of music ever written that rejoice in the title of “Gloria!”

So, you’re thinking; where does the name Gloria come from…. you’ve probably heard of Gloria Vanderbilt, US heiress, and Gloria Estefan, singer. But where does the name come from? ‘GLORIA’ – meaning “glory” originates from the Portuguese and Spanish titles of the Virgin Mary.

So, to celebrate this wonderful name, the Nottingham Festival Chorus are inviting all the Glorias in Nottinghamshire to their next concert for FREE! as they perform choral Glorias by Poulenc, Rutter and more, all accompanied by a full symphony orchestra and conducted by MfE’s Artistic Director Alex Robinson. Join for this special occasion as this fantastic concert, featuring over 200 performers and French soprano soloist Clara Orif, in a programme that includes the delicate sounds of Claude Debussy to the fanfares by British composer Dame Judith Weir.

Anyone called Gloria can contact the box office on 0115 9589312 to book a ticket*, completely FREE, bring your ID on the day and experience the thrill of a concert that celebrates your name!

The Nottingham Festival Chorus is MfE’s flag-ship choir, a large-scale four-part chorus performing major classical, and twentieth century works. There are three intensive and highly enjoyable events per year for singers of all abilities. from a one-day workshop to a full weekend course and concert.

For more information on the full range of singing and orchestral courses for youth and adults and how to join in please see the MfE website: www.music-for-everyone.org. Tickets for the Glorias concert are available online and telephone at the MfE office on 0115 958 9312.

Notes: *one ticket per person. Additional tickets half price.

……..ENDS…….

For further information and requests for photographs and interviews:

John Hess – Chair E: john@johnhess.co.uk

Kirstie Hind – Marketing Officer 0115 958 9312

E: kirstie@music-for-everyone.org

Music for Everyone is an educational charity committed to making a difference to people’s lives through the creativity and enjoyment of music. It supports people to discover and develop their musical interests, abilities and aspirations at all levels. Music for Everyone is an open, welcoming and collaborative organisation. It builds a sense of community and belonging through the high-quality musical experiences provided for participants, audiences and our staff. MfE aspires to enhance the inclusivity of its programme by building partnerships with likeminded organisations so we can reach more people.

Music for Everyone has:

  • Board of Trustees, chaired by John Hess.
  • A small, dedicated staff team.
  • Over 400 subscribing members who regularly take part in core parts of our programme.
  • 200 friends who support the organisation within their communities and through financial assistance.
  • 18 performing groups, both choral and instrumental, involving over 1000 participants.
  • Many volunteers who do a huge range of work for the organisation from running vital parts of the programme to assisting at events.
  • A Patrons scheme supported by local businesses and private individuals, with major sponsorships-in-kind from Nottingham Trent University.
  • Music for Everyone is a key partner in Nottinghamshire Music Hub – Inspire

Brief History

Music for Everyone was originally formed as the Nottingham Choral Trust in 1983 by Angela Kay MBE (Founder/Artistic Advisor). The organisation celebrated its 40th Birthday in July 2023.

The founding aim was to promote weekend choral courses and concerts for singers from all walks of life in the Nottingham area. Committed from the beginning to an imaginative and adventurous approach to choral music, the work of the Trust has developed rapidly since then. We present a varied programme of high-quality concerts per season and work throughout the year in developing education programmes with schools and health and well-being initiatives in Nottingham and surrounding areas.