Fundraising

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 2nd June 2025

2nd June 2025 Music for Everyone

This weekend is the MfE Family Festival Day! Saturday 7^th June at Middle Street Resource Centre in Beeston, 1pm – 5pm. Please come along and support the MfE groups that will be taking part; Beeston Open Voices, Wollaton Daytime Voices, Nottingham Chamber Singers and Sunday Afternoon Big Band. Turn up anytime throughout the afternoon to hear the groups perform, we’ve also got a cake stall, games and tombola!

We’ve also got drumming workshops and singing workshops – spaces will be available on the day, or you can book in advance now to avoid disappointment: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/family-festival/

Drumming #1: 1.10pm – 1.40pm

Drumming #2: 1.50pm – 2.20pm

Nursery rhyme time: 2.30pm – 3.15pm

Family Sing: 3.30pm – 4.15pm

Have a look at last year’s event and keep your fingers crossed for some lovely weather again! https://youtu.be/9B6Xz-bLr7I

We’ve all heard how classical music can be soothing and calming to babies, both before and after they are born – with studies showing 84% of foetuses responding positively to classical music over 59% for pop music.

But recently, it’s also been shown that music sessions, particularly with waltz-time rhythms (think Viennese Waltz King Johann Strauss!) can improve babies abilities to detect patterns in sounds and help with language and speech sounds.

If you’ve got little ones who enjoy a lullaby and nursery rhyme, bring them along to the Family Festival on Saturday where Rachel will be running a special singing session for under 5s from 2.30pm – 3.15pm, which is free to attend once you have entered the festival – looking forward to seeing you all there! No need to book in advance, just turn up

LAST CHANCE to donate to our bottle tombola and cake stall for the Family Festival Day on 7th June. If you are coming along and would like to donate something to support MfE, please bring along on the day and a huge thank you to those that have donated already!
A concert you may be interested in as part of Sherwood Arts Week: Monday Night Live – 30th June, Sherwood Methodist Church, 7pm. A concert celebrating musical and artistic diversity as part of Sherwood Arts Week. Free admission. Cakes available for donations.

‘Just Us’ – a concert at Beeston Methodist Church on 7th June at 7.30pm. Come and listen to a programme full of songs from many countries, in aid of Mission Possible 2 (see attached flier)

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

02/06/2025

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 19th May 2025

19th May 2025 Music for Everyone

We hope you have been enjoying the sunshine this week – even if your gardens are not!

Here is a round-up of all our summer musical offerings:

07 June, Family Festival

Musical fun for the whole family. Something for everyone from World Drumming workshops to singing sessions for the whole family, and music to enjoy in the garden. There will also be a cake stall, a second-hand bookshop, drinks, and games/activities in and around the venue. Book your workshop place here.

14 June , Blow the Dust

Instrumental playing day. Places are still available, click here.

21 June, Nottingham Chamber Singers 40th Birthday Celebration Concert

Don’t miss this wonderful celebration! Tickets are available here.

28 June, Choral Workshop with Neil Ferris

Workshop with BBC Singers choral director, Neil Ferris. Places still available. Click here to book.

4 – 6 August, Summer School

A wonderful 3 days of music making with expert conductors and tutors, and performances from exceptional guest artists.

Places still available. Click here to book.

This year’s BBC Proms season has just been announced and features 86 concerts, 72 at London’s Royal Albert Hall and 14 at venues elsewhere around the UK.

The Proms was founded in 1895 by impresario Robert Newman, who wanted to bring life to the quiet summer months with a bold new kind of concert. His idea was simple but revolutionary: take out the expensive stalls seats and create a standing area, a ‘promenade’, right in front of the orchestra. Newman made these standing tickets the cheapest in the house, putting those who paid the least closest to the music and flipping the usual stuffy rules of classical concerts on their head.

That approach still defines the Proms today. ‘Promming’ remains the most affordable way to attend, and you don’t need to book ahead. Each day at 10:30am, around 1,000 standing tickets are released online for just £8, even if all seated tickets are sold out, making The Proms the most accessible major classical music festival. Shame they can’t do anything about train fares to London!

Can you help with donations for our Family Festival? This is a reminder to donate any spare bottles or chocolates! At our Family Festival we will be running some tombola stalls. If you are able to donate a box of chocolates or a bottle of any kind (wine, shampoo, water bottle, olive oil etc.) please drop them into Bookwise Nottingham (10 Goose Gate, Nottingham, NG1 1FF) or hand them in to Rachel Parkes at DTV Hucknall, Southwell or West Bridgford!
How well do you understand noise? See flier to help participate in an NTU Psychology study: Flier

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

19/05/2025

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

World Drumming Workshops (1:10pm or 1:50pm)

#MfEMonday – 29th April 2025

28th April 2025 Music for Everyone

We had a marvellous, magical and mythical weekend at our Vocals singing workshop and concert! There was some fantastic singing so congratulations to everyone who took part. We are now looking forward to our Family Festival Day – Saturday 7th June (Middle Street, Beeston)

From World Drumming workshops to singing sessions for the whole family to take part in and music to enjoy in the garden, there is something for everyone. We’ll also have a cake stall, second hand bookshop, drinks and games/activities in and around the venue.

Workshops available to book in advance as follows (£8 per adult / £6 per child, Includes Festival Entry)

Lullaby Bank (2:30pm-3:15pm)

Family Sing Workshop (3:30pm-4:15pm)

Festival visitors – Pay on the day. Entry from 1pm – 4.30pm (£4 entry for adults, £2 for children over 5)If a workshop isn’t for you, come along and enjoy an afternoon of relaxed music from the Family Sing participants, MfE groups and other ensembles in the garden with a piece of cake and other activities. Charity bookshop Bookwise are bringing a selection of books and sheet music for you to browse. Music in the Garden from Music for Everyone groups including: Beeston Open Voices, SAM Big Band, Wollaton Daytime Voices, Nottingham Chamber Singers plus special guests: Second Time Around Folk Club and Beeston Community Drumming Circle (BC/DC)

COMING SOON…Meet the Composer Open Workshop – Sunday 11th May, 2 – 4.30pm University of Nottingham, Music DepartmentHave you ever wondered how a composer goes about writing a piece for choir and orchestra? This is your unique opportunity to find out!To celebrate their 40th Anniversary the Nottingham Chamber Singers have commissioned a piece for choir and string orchestra from the gifted, Nottingham-born composer, Libby Croad. Come along and watch, or sing with the choir, and be part of the creative process as Libby introduces and explores her new piece, ‘The Nightingale’

Click here for more information and to sign up or see the attached flyer.

As the world pays its respects to Pope Francis this week we reflect on his love of music.

We know from interviews, and his famed frequent trips to record stores, that he loved music. Pope Francis’ music library, curated by Cardinal Ravasi, is the home of over 2,000 CDs and 19 vinyl records, among which are albums by Édith Piaf and Elvis Presley as well as Wagner, Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Piazzolla and Pärt from the revered performers and conductors Pope Francis loved.

“Among musicians, I love Mozart,” he said in a 2013 interview. “The ‘Et incarnatus est’ from his Mass in C minor is matchless; it lifts you to God!”

Some of you will have heard the Nottingham Festival Chorus perform Mozart’s ‘Mass in C minor’ in February. Click here to have a listen to the sublime ‘Et incarnatus est’: https://youtu.be/3JuMyBtszG0?si=BvOTX7ogW02DP6En

Call out for donations of bottles or chocolates!! At our Family Festival we will be running some tombola stalls! If you are able to donate a box of chocolates or a bottle of any kind (wine, shampoo, water bottle, olive oil etc.) please drop them into Bookwise Nottingham (10 Goose Gate, Nottingham, NG1 1FF) or hand them in to Rachel Parkes at DTV Hucknall, Southwell or West Bridgford!
Lincoln Choral Society have a concert coming up on 10^th May at Lincoln Cathedral. See attached flyer for further details.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

28/04/2025

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 17th March 2025

17th March 202518th March 2025 Music for Everyone

March is off to a very musical start! One hundred singers came together for our West End to Broadway event on Saturday led by the inspirational Rachel Parkes and gave a fantastic performance of hits from the shows including Les Misérables, Wicked and Fiddler on the Roof. They were joined by members of Open Voices with hits from Mary Poppins and fantastic solos from The Greatest Showman and Les Miserables.

Sunday saw our Bandwise and Stringwise musicians taking part in the Big Youth Music Experience concert at the Albert Hall. Over 130 young people performed a wide variety of music from Handel’s Concerto Grosso to the theme from Wallace and Grommit!

All finishing with combined bands and strings with a rousing rendition of the Toreadors Song from ‘Carmen’.

Well done to everyone involved!

Exciting news! Big Give week is here!!

Music for Everyone has been accepted to Big Give’s ‘Arts for Impact’ Week starting tomorrow (Tuesday 18th March) for one week only and we need your help!

The Big Give is a fantastic match-funding platform that will double every pound we raise (up to £2,500). That means your donation goes twice as far in supporting our much-loved Open Voices groups. These sessions bring joy, music, and connection to so many, and with your help, we can continue the great work. See the attached flyer for more information.

For donations to be doubled, they must be made through our Arts for Impact campaign page using a valid debit or credit card from midday Tuesday 18th March to midday Tuesday 25th March. Look out for our messages from tomorrow with the link to donate!

Job vacancy! We are looking for maternity cover for the post of Youth Programme Co-ordinator, Marketing and Finance Officer. Please follow the link or see the attached advert for further details and forward on to anyone who might be interested. The closing date for applications is Friday 11^th April.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

17/03/2025

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 16th December 2024

16th December 2024 Music for Everyone

It was “All Aboard” the Polar Express and other festive favourites in yesterdays annual MfE Christmas is Coming concert! With over 200 performers and a full house in the audience, it was a joyous occasion – a huge WELL DONE to our youth Vocals choir, the Nottingham Community Voices and Nottingham Chamber Singers for all their hard work.

Congratulations to the Nottingham Daytime Orchestra for their end of term concert last Thursday, a great way to finish a busy term!

MfE do Carol singing at the Test Match Pub in West Bridgford on Wednesday 18th December from 6pm – come and join us! All welcome, carol books are provided.

The office will be closed from Monday 23^rd December – Thursday 2^nd January, reopening on Friday 3^rd Jan. Bookwise is still open (normal opening times) apart from bank holiday days. For details of MfE events and groups in 2025, check the website: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/

In a letter from Buckingham Palace, King Charles has conveyed “his warmest good wishes” to Music for Everyone and his “sincere thanks” for our invitation to His Majesty to attend our “In the King’s Company” concert in October. The King says he is most grateful for thinking of him, but was unable to accept our offer to attend due to the volume of requests he receives.

In the letter to our chair of trustees John Hess, the King says he was “most interested to learn a bit about Music for Everyone and our work in Nottingham.”

Devised by our artistic director Alex Robinson, “In the King’s Company” was a celebration of the baroque music and song from the royal courts of England and France.

King Charles also says he hopes the occasion was “enjoyable for all involved”, and thanks us for our “thoughtful “letter and “truly generous “invitation.

As this is our final MfEMonday of 2024, we’d like to take this opportunity to look back on a year of music-making and wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a joyful New Year – here’s to an even more musical 2025!

One of our members, David, has been getting creative to raise funds for Open Voices. He has turned one of his paintings into a Christmas card which has been purchased by singers at Beeston, Wollaton, and West Bridgford Daytime Voices and raised £150. Thank you so much David!

An uplifting video sent in by one of our members, OrchLab take on a Space Adventure with a project inspired by The Planets by Gustav Holst: https://orchlab.org/orchlab-film-2024-a-space-adventure/

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

16/12/2024

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 9th December 2024

9th December 2024 Music for Everyone

What a busy week that was!!

Our Loughborough Daytime Orchestra gave a wonderful performance at Emmanuel Church, Loughborough last Tuesday. We hope they had a great time in the pub afterwards and are looking forward to seeing what exciting music they will be sharing with us at the next concert! The Nottingham Daytime Orchestra have their performance this Thursday 12 December at St Martin’s Church Sherwood, 11am for 11:15 start. Please come along and support these wonderful musicians. Parking alert: gas works are in progress on Trevose Gardens, on-street parking may be limited.

Congratulations to the Lunchtime Voices Choir for their fantastic singing in the Victoria Centre on Thursday 5 December! It was definitely a highlight for many Christmas shoppers who gathered to listen. We would like to thank everyone who came along to support, including some of our wonderful Open Voices members, who joined in to make the event even more memorable. Thanks to your combined efforts, we raised an impressive £70.

Our next carol singing event will be on Wednesday 18 December at the Test Match pub in West Bridgford. Join us from 6pm for some carolling outside with children from Abbey Road school. Afterwards, warm up with a mulled wine while the carolling continues indoors with members of the various MfE choirs and our Open Voices singers.

On Saturday, our talented young musicians kicked off the festive season with their ‘Countdown to Christmas’ concert at Kingswood Methodist Church in Wollaton. The concert showcased the incredible skill and energy of our youth ensembles, and was the perfect way to close another year of great music-making from them.

The Christmas cheer continued on Sunday with the ‘Stories of Christmas’ concert at St Mary’s Church in Hucknall. The Nottingham Chamber Singers presented an entertaining and varied programme of Christmas songs, stories and carols, expertly compered by Robin Reece-Crawford, guiding the audience through the evening with wit and warmth.

With so much incredible music-making taking place it is impossible not to reflect on the power of music and how it brings people together. Whether it’s a rehearsal, concert, carol singing or simply playing on your own, music connects us in ways words alone cannot. We are really proud of the musical communities we create and support. With the new year fast approaching, let’s keep the momentum going and continue to use our collective voices, instruments, and passion to make the world a little brighter, one note at a time. Keep playing, keep learning, and keep sharing the joy of music with those around you!

A huge congratulations to our Assistant Artistic Director, Rachel Parkes, for her outstanding work as Chorus Master for the Nottingham University Choir, who performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Royal Concert Hall last Wednesday. The choir delivered a stunning rendition of Eric Whitacre’s Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine before joining forces with the Nottingham Trent University choir for an epic performance of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. If you missed this unforgettable concert, you can catch it on BBC Radio 3 on Tuesday, 10 December, at 7:30pm.
The Villiers Quartet have an event this Wednesday. See attached flyer for details.
We recently secured a grant of £2,000 from Broxtowe Community Fund to support Beeston Open Voices. Below is a photo of the grant cheque being received.

A date for your 2025 diaries:
The Cranmer Singers are organising a “Fun and Sing” on Saturday 1st March. All comers welcome.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

09/12/2024

Nottingham Chamber Singers “Stories of Christmas”

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 2nd December 2024

2nd December 2024 Music for Everyone

Special message from John Hess, Chair of Trustees, Music for Everyone

It’s with great sadness I report that, after a short illness, MfE trustee Janet Wootton died last Monday. This news will come as a considerable shock to so many of you in the MfE “family” who knew and sang with Janet over many years.

I saw her husband Jeffrey to pass on our condolences on behalf of the trustees, staff and MfE members. If you would like to send a letter of condolence, please send it to the MfE office and we will pass it on to Janet’s family.

Janet joined the board several years ago and brought considerable experience and enthusiasm to her role as a trustee, having worked in the creative industries, journalism, TV regulation and public relations.

She first started singing with us in the late 1980s and also sang with the NTU (Nottingham Trent University) Choir, the Nottingham Operatic Society and with her local church choir in Wollaton. Janet was also an accomplished artist and her paintings were exhibited at an annual exhibition of the Nottingham Arts Society. Janet will be missed.

Events this week:

Carol singing inside the Victoria Centre on Thursday lunchtime at 1pm (near the entrance to John Lewis and Boots) members of the Lunchtime Voices and Open Voices will be serenading the Christmas shoppers. Do come and join us to sing or have a listen.

Sunday 8th December at 3.30pm – St Mary Magdalene Church, Market Place, Hucknall.

A magical afternoon of stories and carols for all to enjoy featuring Roisin Hickey on harp. Tickets available to book online or call 0115 958 9312.

Daytime Orchestra Loughborough end of term performance tomorrow at Emmanuel Church – All welcome, 11 for an 11.15am start.

Yesterday began the Christian season of Advent – a season of expectation and preparation for celebrating Christ’s coming (adventus) into this world. The four weeks that lead up Christmas are marked with beautiful and poignant music in anticipation and preparation of the son of God’s birth.

Follow this link to explore some favourite advent pieces: https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/occasions/christmas/advent-carols-hymns/

Check out this advent calendar app from Naxos. A different piece of classical music is hidden behind each door which you can unlock every day, from well known classics like ‘Sleigh Ride’ to lesser known gems waiting to be discovered!

https://www.naxos.com/FeaturePages/Details/?id=The_Musical_Advent_Calendar_App__Free_App_Free_Music

MfE has a tree in the Christmas Tree Festival at All Saints Church in Loughborough. Entry is free and there are gift stalls, crafts, a tombola and festive refreshments. The Festival is open every Thursday and Saturday until 21 December from 10am to 4pm and all funds raised go towards the South Roof Appeal.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

02/12/2024

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

Recorder Workshop Day – 14^{th September}

#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.

If you can’t view this email properly or you would like to unsubscribe from future #MfEMonday emails, please get in touch.

#MfEMonday – 12th August 2024

12th August 2024 Music for Everyone

We are all recovering from a marathon of music-making at our Summer School last week!

There was a great buzz of excitement at Trent College as we welcomed back Hilary Campbell to lead the singers, Keiron Anderson the wind band and our Artistic Director Alex Robinson to direct the orchestra and strings. Our guest artists included the talented folk-jazz fusion duo, Katie Foster and Ben Sayah who also delivered a workshop on improvisation with the string players (pushing quite a few of us out of our comfort zone!) and Heron Brass, a London-based quintet who entertained with a superb recital.

On the final day we were treated to a relaxing programme of piano classics by the wonderful Richard Cox, our Summer School accompanist.

As well as all the fantastic music-making, breaktimes were an excellent time to catch up with fellow musicians, drink bottomless tea and coffee and browse the Bookwise stall of second-hand books and sheet music which raised an epic £587 of sales over the three days!

Thank you so much to all the staff, conductors tutors and volunteers who made it happen – you are all AWESOME.

The biggest THANK YOU and WELL DONE to all the singers and instrumentalists who took part and worked so hard over the 3 days, your performances were incredible. Hope to see you at the next one!

If you can’t wait that long for your musical fix then take a look at our season brochure for opportunities coming up next season…Click here

Booking now open for the following:

Singing Workshop and Concert – 5^{th & 6th October}

Nottingham Chamber Singers Concert – 12^th October

Youth Music courses – Bandwise / Stringwise – 9th/10^th November & 17^th November

Have you been swept up in the sporting fever of the Olympics? If you’re suffering from OWS (Olympic Withdrawal Syndrome) then at least there isn’t long to wait until the Paralympics on 28th August!

Music has always played a huge role in the Olympics – take a look at the top musical moments that brought occasion and spectacle to the world’s biggest sporting stage:

https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/top-classical-music-olympic-games/

Nottingham City Council is currently undertaking a public consultation around changes to the library service including closure of 4 libraries (Aspley, Basford, Bilborough, Radford-Lenton) and reduction of hours elsewhere plus cuts to other areas of spend.

If you would like to have a say in the future of the City library service please complete the survey via the following link: https://www.nottinghamcitylibraries.co.uk/shape-the-vision/

Please note this is relating to City libraries not County (Inspire)

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

12/08/2024

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/classical-music-inspired-by-birdsong/

#MfEMonday – 10th June 2024

10th June 202410th June 2024 Music for Everyone

What a fun-packed musical weekend!

On Saturday evening the Nottingham Chamber Singers and Angela Kay brought a floral bouquet of music to St Mary’s Church in Bunny with their entertaining programme of evocative part songs, colourful folk-songs and foot tapping swing numbers. Accompanied by the wonderful Angela Foan and joined by violinists Isobel Bounford, Sarah Trevers and flautist Dave Hatherly it was perfect for a sunny summer’s evening.

There was a great buzz in Beeston on Sunday at our first Family Festival. Lots of you got involved with so much going on including drumming workshops, lullaby bank, Open Voices and Family Sing sessions. The sun made an appearance and the beautiful garden at Middle Street Resource Centre was filled with a great variety of stalls and performances from folk bands to ‘a cappella’ group the Ooh La La’s. A special thanks to our Youth Bands, Daytime Voices and the many volunteers who made the day such a success. For those of you who missed it, here are a few photos to give you a flavour!

Following on from so much birdsong in the concert on Saturday and in the garden at our Family Festival yesterday it got us thinking about music inspired by our feathered friends.

We bet you can think of lots of suggestions but follow the link below if you’re stuck for ideas!

What is your favourite birdsong? Perhaps a blackbird, song thrush, nightingale even?! If you’re a fan of Springwatch you might have seen the presenters get very excited the moment a nightjar interrupted the live broadcast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0j0xyrj

Or maybe you prefer this lockdown version of blackbird from our very own Rachel Parkes: https://youtu.be/FQpcXqzic6I?si=ScDAPRwC-aU8j04Z

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

10/06/2024