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:

Recorder Workshop Day – 14th September

Singing Workshop and Concert – 5th & 6th October

Nottingham Chamber Singers Concert – 12th October

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

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

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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!

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


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

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

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

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

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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:

https://www.classicfm.com/lifestyle/quizzes/answer-only-music-notes/

 

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 5th April with all proceeds going to Mind. Book tickets here.

 

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

25/03/2024

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

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Dear MfE friends, supporters, volunteers, singers, blowers, pluckers, bowers, arm-wavers, ivory-tinklers and bangers (that’s percussionists in case you were wondering)…

As it is our last MfE Mondays of 2023, it falls to me to thank each and every one of you for all of your contributions, both musical and otherwise, to all of Music for Everyone’s endeavours over the past year.

It has been a very busy and exciting 40th Anniversary year, with us saying welcome to new members, staff, our Artistic Director Alex Robinson, as well as wishing a fond farewell to some wonderful and hard-working members of the team, not least our fabulous founder, Angela Kay, for 40 years of enthusiasm, inspiration and frankly – REALLY HARD WORK!

We hope you have enjoyed all of our weekly groups, special events and concerts as much as we have. Each and every one of these ventures takes an enormous amount of work, and we wish to especially thank our office staff of Anne, Kirstie, Laura and Su, as well as all their team of volunteer-office supporters, for making these events run so smoothly. We hope they all enjoy a restful Christmas break.

Yesterday saw the Albert Hall full of singing, laughter and seasonal spirit for our annual Christmas is Coming celebration. A huge thank you and well-done to all of the participants, the Daytime Voices Choirs Nottingham Community Voices, Nottingham Chamber Singers, members of the Nottingham Concert Orchestra and of course our fabulous Vocals groups for putting on an amazing show. The roof was raised with everything from the rousing carol O Come all ye faithful, to a beautiful sign-language spectacle of White Christmas and a wild and joyous ride of Jingle Bells, along with our children performing a witty and impressive sung panto of Roald Dahl’s Jack and the Beanstalk. We hope you all left feeling suitably festive, I know I did, and our special visitor Father Christmas told me he was REALLY impressed with the beautiful singing!

Wishing you a peaceful and joyful Christmas and we look forward to seeing you all in the New Year!

Rachel

Vocal animateur and Assistant Artistic Director, MfE


 

No Christmas concert would be complete without the iconic whip crack in Sleigh Ride. Look what happens when you give percussionists free ‘rein’ (see what we did there?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLrEujhHsjs

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/NOoF0DR9ESA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCLavUoX7Sc&list=RDWCLavUoX7Sc&start_radio=1


 

  • Don’t forget we will be singing carols at the Test Match Pub in West Bridgford, this Thursday 21st December 5.30-6.30pm for an informal sing in aid of open voices. Please meet us there for a 5.30pm – everyone is welcome.
  • The Office will be closed for a Christmas break from 1pm on Friday 22nd December. We will be back open on Tuesday 2nd January for an exciting new term!

Have a great week and a Merry Christmas!

Your friends at MfE.

18/12/2023

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

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KEEPING IN TOUCH

Hello everyone

Well we have now reached ‘Step  2’ – perhaps we are gradually creeping towards the ‘new normal’! 

And that ‘new normal’ means the return of MfE music activities.  Our website gives full details of our plans for the next 2 or 3 months. Please be assured that all events will be following Covid Secure protocols.  Just click here to see what is on offer https://www.music-for-everyone.org

Some good news!  Just before Easter we heard that we had been successful in receiving a £1,000 award from the Arnold Clark Community Fund towards our Open Voices project – thank you Arnold Clark!  Details about the fund can be found here https://www.arnoldclark.com/community-fund

Enjoy the sunshine.

With all best wishes

Angela  


Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

12/04/2021

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 motivational moments for your Mondays! We are aiming to send out something new each week.

We’ve decided to make March our online fundraising awareness month and today we would like to share with you just how easy (and how completely free to you!) it is to support MfE – simply by shopping online. Yep, you read that right… 

Online shopping over the past year has grown by a massive 34.7% from 2019 thanks to the pandemic and being ‘locked down’ for large portions of the year. Not that this is a surprise… online shopping has evolved so much and it has never been so easy to buy a smartwatch or a surfboard at 2 o’clock in the morning.

Let’s start with Amazon. Who doesn’t enjoy a good browse for a cake tin and a garden spade, all in the same place, usually while sitting on the sofa in their pyjamas? 

online shopping image
What is AmazonSmile?

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support every time you shop, at no cost to you and can be activated in the Amazon Shopping App for iOS and Android phones. When you shop AmazonSmile, you’ll find the exact same low prices and convenient shopping experience as amazon.co.uk, with the added bonus that AmazonSmile will donate a portion of the purchase price to your selected charity.

How do you activate it I hear you ask? Simply click on the banner below and it will take you to the AmazonSmile home page where you will see in the top left corner of the menu, ‘Supporting Music for Everyone’. Then enjoy a good shopping spree… it really is that easy!

You can also install a free extension to your web browser so you don’t have to remember to visit Amazon Smile (we’ve all been there… there we are happily shopping online then only remembering that AmazonSmile or Easyfundraising works if you go through the right site, but by then you’re already at the checkout and how much faff is it to go back and start again!?) – Smilematic is a free Edge extension that will automatically turn your everyday Amazon purchases into AmazonSmile donations. You’ll never again miss an opportunity to raise money!

Find out more here: Smilematic | Automated AmazonSmile Extension (couponfollow.com)

Easyfundraising

If you don’t use Amazon all the time, Easyfundraising has over 4,000 online retailers involved with new ones being added all the time, making it so easy to raise funds, all from one main point!

Shops, including eBay, Argos, John Lewis, ASOS, Booking.com and M&S, are all a part of Easyfundraising – and it won’t cost you a penny extra to help us raise funds.

All you need to do is:

  1. Go to https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/musicforeveryone/?utm_campaign=raise-more and join for free.
  2. Every time you shop online, go to easyfundraising first to find the site you want and start shopping.
  3. After you’ve checked out, the retailer will make a donation to Music For Everyone at no extra cost to you whatsoever!

There is also a handy tool on their website that adds a reminder to your web browser so if you’re shopping at your favourite retailer online, it will flash up and let you know you can raise funds – just click go!

Through our generous online shoppers, MfE receives approximately £250 a year through these schemes, did we mention it’s at no cost to you?

THANK YOU to those that already support us when they shop online, we are so grateful and every penny goes to support music making across the East Midlands for adult, youth, singers, players!