It’s going to be a busy week for MfE, with not one, not two, but EIGHT Daytime groups starting their new term. Plus there is the beautiful Chamber Singers concert to look forward to on Saturday evening at St Barnabas Cathedral, 8pm start – tickets on the door!

For more information see the attached flyer, or click here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/ncs-concert/

The youth groups, all Open Voices groups, Sunday Afternoon Big Band and Flute Choir and Nottingham Chamber Singers have all started their new seasons, with the World Drumming starting next week (26th Sept). See a full weekly schedule below.

To find out more about any of these groups and how to join, please contact the office.

The next BANDWISE & STRINGWISE workshop is open for young musicians to join! We’re so excited to see many young wind, brass, percussion and string players taking part this November. Over the last few years the combined concert has been a magnificent affair with more than 150 young players all coming together to share the music making.

Bandwise: 11 & 19 November, young wind, brass and percussion grade 2+

https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/byme-bandwise-2023/

Stringwise: 12 & 19 November, young string players from beginners


 

We’ve been ‘musing’ on the fantastic music chosen for the NFC workshop day in October with Sam Evans. Interesting fact about the operetta by Franz Lehár The Merry Widow – did you know Lehár was not the first choice to compose the music? Richard Heuberger was asked first, but his draft was deemed ‘unsatisfactory’ and he left the project.

The Vilja Song is one of the most well-known pieces from the score, if you’re not familiar, take a listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4366WDO3jhU


 


 

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

18/09/2023

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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Nottingham Festival Chorus

We are now taking bookings for our Festival Chorus day on Saturday 7th October.

We are very lucky to be joined by the seasoned and acclaimed Chorus Master Sam Evans! Much in demand for workshops for singers of all kinds, Sam has run events for large choirs such as Highgate Choral Society, The London Chorus and Henley Choral Society. He has run numerous “Come and Sing” workshops, on repertoire ranging from opera choruses to pop music from movie soundtracks.

Get ready to sing a selection of well-loved choruses from Mendelssohn’s epic Oratorio Elijah, Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach’s sparkling Magnificat and the beautiful Vilja chorus from Lehár’s opera The Merry Widow.

Booking can be made online here: Music For Everyone (savoysystems.co.uk) or by calling the office.

Autumn Term Begins

It might not have felt like Autumn with all this glorious sunshine, but some of our groups started their Autumn term this weekend.

SAM Big Band and Flutes had a sweltering start to the term, with the Flute Choir even resorting to playing outside!

To check when your group is starting, and to sign-up for any of our Adult groups, click here

Bandwise and Stringwise

For any young musicians wanting to get involved in Music for Everyone, we have the exciting Bandwise and Stringwise coming up in November.

Bandwise:

Date

Venue

Who’s it for?

11 & 19 November 2023

Course venue – South Notts Academy, Radcliffe on Trent

Concert – Albert Hall, Nottingham

Young wind, brass and percussion players grade 2 – 8

 

Book online here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/byme-bandwise-2023/

Stringwise:

Date

Venue

Who’s it for?

12 & 19 November 2023

Course venue – South Notts Academy, Radcliffe on Trent

Concert – Albert Hall, Nottingham

Young violin, viola, cello and double bass players beginners – grade 8

Book online here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/byme-stringwise-2023/


 

Did you know Mendelssohn’s oratorio Elijah was given its premiere in Birmingham in 1846 to an ecstatic audience of 2,000 people. It had taken him some ten years to prepare, including penning most of the libretto himself. It was very much the ‘Messiah’ of its day: hugely popular, cementing Mendelssohn’s position as one of the greatest composers of sacred music.

It will be fantastic to work through this in our Nottingham Festival Chorus day with Sam Evans next month.


 


 

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

11/09/2023

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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Everyone at Music for Everyone is still on a high from this weekend’s magnificent 40th anniversary celebrations!

Nearly 1000 people descended on the Albert Hall to celebrate 40 years of music making, recounting many highs from the last four decades and looking forward to the next four.

On Saturday, we celebrated our youth programme, with hundreds of young people taking part in an impressive concert.

Earlier in the day, celebrated folk violinist and MfE alumnus Sam Sweeney led a workshop with our youth string players, the fruits of which raised the roof in the afternoon concert.

Also featured were our Youth Bands, Vocals choir, Strictly Strings training orchestra, and a wonderful line up of ‘big kids’ — alumni youth participants who returned as adult players to share in the day. 


On Sunday, members of our Daytime Voices choirs, the Nottingham Chamber Singers, Nottingham and Loughborough Daytime Orchestras, Nottingham Concert Orchestra, Big Band and Flute Choir, were amassed to give a triumphant concert featuring excerpts from favoured programmes from the last 40 years.

This included works by Brahms, Handel, Freddie Mercury and, excitingly, the world premiere of a new fanfare by composer Libby Croad.

Sunday’s concert was rounded off with a performance of the Hallelujah Chorus, conducted by our incoming artistic director Alex Robinson.

We proceeded to finish this fantastic weekend with celebratory tea and cake, after a special moment on stage with Angela Kay.


Thank you and well done to everyone who participated and made the weekend so extremely special!


  • Did you see our Exhibition this weekend? Showcasing Music for Everyone’s history over the past four decades, it was great to see so many wonderful memories.
  • Thank you to Minder and everyone who helped make such a special display.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

04/07/2023

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Yesterday, singers young and ‘less young’ gathered at The Grange, Radcliffe for our Family Sing day. 

On a hot, sunny day, the singers were able to cool off with songs from Kool and the Gang (see what we did there?!) and dip their toes in the water with Under the Sea from the Little Mermaid. 

They were transported to the Caribbean with a special performance from our new Steel Pan group supported by Music Leader Nicola Coker and her band Pure Steel, and were even able to have a go themselves!

It’s not too late to book for Blow the Dust this coming Sunday.  We are particularly keen to hear from violas, bassoons and brass.  Music can be emailed to you in advance, so don’t miss out on your opportunity to take part in this fun and relaxed playing day. To book, click here.

Here’s our latest brochure with details of everything happening from April – August. Click on the picture below to read through the brochure.

Please also share this link far and wide!


You know by now how much we love a playlist in the MfE office, so now that the Summer has finally arrived, here are 15 pieces of summery classical music to enjoy in the garden with a G&T.


  • Fun Fact: The oldest instrument is 50,000 years old.  The earliest indications of humans wearing underwear date from 20,000 years ago.  So, for approximately 40,000 we had music but no pants!

Read the full story here.


Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

12/06/2023

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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We hope you have been enjoying the sunshine recently! It is a busy time for us all at MfE, as we gear up for an exciting summer of concerts, courses and workshops.

Don’t forget to book for the FAMILY SING, which is happening this Sunday 11 June from 2.00pm to 5.00pm at The Grange in Radcliffe on Trent.  The whole family is invited to take part. It promises to be an uplifting experience, open to all keen singers aged 5+ (children must be accompanied by an adult). You will be singing favourites like ‘Celebration’ by Kool and the Gang and ‘Under the Sea’ from the Little Mermaid.

Special guests Pure Steel and our new Steel Pan ensemble will also be performing on the day. There will be an opportunity to ‘have a go’ at playing steel pan.

Full details and booking link here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/family-sing-workshop/  


NEW PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR – We are pleased to announce the appointment of Minder Kaur Athwal as our new Project Co-ordinator, supporting the 40th Anniversary season.  Minder is helping the team to deliver the 1st and 2nd July celebration events, as well as collating the exhibition for the Albert Hall.  We would like to thank Arts Council England for enabling this appointment and we welcome Minder on board.

BLOW THE DUST OFF YOUR INSTRUMENT is on Saturday 17 June – places are still available and we particularly welcome applications from bassoon, viola and brass players.  Items include Edward Elgar’s rousing Imperial March Op.32 and Queen’s iconic rock anthem We are the Champions. Find out full details and book online here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/blow-the-dust-off-your-instrument-3/ or contact the office on 0115 9589312.

TONY KOFI will be leading a special workshop with the Sunday Afternoon Music group, for those who wish to attend.  Tony is a jazz multi-instrumentalist born of Ghanaian parents, player of Alto, Baritone, Soprano, Tenor saxophones and flute. This closed workshop has been made possible through Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants.

SUMMER SCHOOL – Monday 7th to Wednesday 9th August at Trent College, Long Eaton. Three days of shared music making with workshops for intermediate and advanced musicians aged 16+.


A MUSICAL CELEBRATION – 40th Anniversary Weekend 1 – 2 July 2023. Come and be part of Music for Everyone’s 40th birthday celebrations. Youth groups and invited alumni will perform on 1st July at 3.30pm. The combined Daytime Voices, Daytime Orchestras, Festival Chorus and Concert Orchestra will perform on Sunday 2nd July at 3.30pm at the Albert Hall

Book tickets for the concert now!

1st July: Spotlight on Youth https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/a-musical-celebration-spotlight-on-youth/

2nd July: Musical Celebration https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/a-musical-celebration-concert/


Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

05/06/2023

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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Thanks to the Nottingham Chamber Singers for an exquisite concert on Saturday evening.

They were joined by strings from the Nottingham Classical Players in a programme of great contrast and beauty under the baton of Angela Kay. There were moments of great intensity, inventiveness, contemplation, and lyricism. Congratulations to all involved!


We are getting excited about the Family Sing afternoon on 11th June (2-5pm) – a brilliant opportunity for families to enjoy making music together!  Taking place at The Grange in Radcliffe-on-Trent this event is for children age 5+ with their mums, dads, grandparents, carers, aunts and uncles and friends too. No preparation is needed, just bring along your best singing voices!

What are you waiting for?? Click here to book.


Places are still available for all instruments on our Blow the Dust off you Instrument Day at the Albert Hall on 17 June.  We particularly welcome applications from bassoon, brass and viola players.

For more information, click here.

To enrol for Blow the Dust, click here.


Do you know a young person looking for their own cornet?

We have a lovely instrument that has been donated and we would love to find a home for it.

Please get in touch if you can help.

Email: admin@music-for-everyone.org or call 0115 958 9312.


Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

22/05/2023

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.

MfEMondays is back! From Coronations to Eurovision, we hope you have enjoyed the various festivities over the past couple of weekends – we’re looking forward to a busy time at MfE, starting this Saturday… see below.

Hail, Star of the Sea

This coming Saturday 20th May (7.30pm start), the Nottingham Chamber Singers are performing at St John’s Church, Beeston.

It will be a wonderful programme of contrast and beauty for voices and strings including Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Whitacre’s Five Hebrew Love Songs. For any of you who came along to the AGM you might remember singing the Brahms and Mendelssohn which will also feature in the concert.

Click here for more details. Click here to book tickets – save money when you book in advance!


*Special 40th update* More exciting events from MfE as we continue the 40th celebrations!

The FAMILY SING is now open for booking, happening on Sunday 11 June, open to all keen singers aged 5+ (children must be accompanied by an adult). Singing favourites like ‘Celebration’ by Kool and the Gang and ‘Under the Sea’ from the Little Mermaid, our new Steel Pan ensemble will also be performing with the opportunity to ‘have a go’. Full details and booking link here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/family-sing-workshop/

BLOW THE DUST OFF YOUR INSTRUMENT is on Saturday 17 June – music packs will be going out to all players very soon; items include Edward Elgar’s rousing Imperial March Op.32 and Queen’s iconic rock anthem We are the Champions. Find out full details and book online here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/blow-the-dust-off-your-instrument-3/ or contact the office on 0115 9589312 to book your place over the phone.

A MUSICAL CELEBRATION – 40th Anniversary Weekend 1 – 2 July 2023

There’s something for everyone at the big weekend!

Vocals – sign up to take part in the youth concert on 1st July (just £5 per child)
Spotlight on Youth concert: 1st July, ticket booking is now open.
Daytime Voices & Orchestras – join us on 2nd July for a Musical Celebration, including speeches and birthday cake!

All details of how YOU can get involved can be found here:

https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/a-musical-celebration/


  • Woodwind players required for a Bulwell based wind band. Anyone is welcome and no weekly subscriptions are required. If you are interested, please contact David on 01159179203 or 07847099245.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

15/05/2023

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.

***BREAKING NEWS!!!***

Vocals have DONE IT again – and by ‘done it’, we mean absolutely smashed it out of the park (!!!), with their amazing concert this weekend.

Saturday and Sunday saw 120 children aged 5 – 13 come together for an incredible weekend of music making and fun. We went on a trip around the world both aurally and visually, with folk songs, traditional songs and popular songs spanning the continents of our globe. All of the vocals groups sang magnificently, filling Nottingham’s Albert Hall with their voices and their laughter, and delighting the audience with varied songs, actions and dance moves. Vocals 1 even made an impressive collection of flags from around the world which were used to decorate the hall throughout their performance.

We travelled to Scotland with a rousing ‘Loch Lomond’, raced through Finland with the exciting Reindeer song ‘ole le loyla’ and encountered the ‘Amazing Egyptians’ and Columbia’s fictitious ‘Family Madrigal’, not to mention that fellow that people don’t like to talk about… Bruno (from Disney’s En Canto if you hadn’t heard)!!!

The singing was enhanced beautifully by the masterful accompanying skills of our resident pianist Angela Foan, and we were treated to castanets, gongs and all manner of exciting percussion instruments from Steve Barwell our guest percussionist. We were also privileged to invite Madhav Mehta, a local young tabla player, who wowed the audience with his quick fingers and virtuosic skills on the beautiful Indian classical drums.

As well as being a wonderfully joyful occasion, Sunday carried a tinge of sadness as it was time to say goodbye to Alison Bennet, who has worked with the vocals team for the past 20 years – I think we’d call that a really good innings, and I’m sure we’ll continue to see Alison at various MfE events. Thank you to her for all her hard-work, enthusiasm and brilliant actions!!

A huge thank you to everyone involved in making the weekend such a huge success. Rachel, Kirstie and the rest of the MfE team were really proud of how it went, and can’t wait for the next one!


Vocals in pictures!


  • Callout to all MfE alumni. Do you know someone who used to sing or play in one of MfE’s youth groups? To help us celebrate our 40th anniversary, we’d love for as many alumni of the youth choirs, youth string orchestra and youth bands to join us on Saturday 1st July at the Albert Hall, Nottingham for a celebration event! Ask them to email by the end of April to admin@music-for-everyone.org if they would be interested in joining us.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

24/04/2023

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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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.

Introducing Laura, the newest member of the MfE office team! Laura started work as our new administrator at the beginning of April and will be based in the office on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings. She studied Music at the University of Nottingham and has taken part in a few MfE activities before so is excited to be involved with more of the organisation. Welcome Laura!

Nottingham Lunchtime Voices starts back this week. If you work in Nottingham City Centre, take your Thursday lunch break at the Concert Hall (Level 4 Foyer) for an hour of singing, 12.30pm – 1.30pm with Rachel, details on the attached flyer.

The Vocals course is coming up this weekend! (22/23 April) It’s not too late to take part if you know any young singers, age 5 – 14 who would like to take part, find out all the details and sign up online here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/vocals-apr-2023/


With our journey around the world coming up at vocals and the steel pan and world drumming groups starting this week, we’ve been looking at different types of world percussion sounds, some of which we’ll be hearing this week!

The Steel pan ensemble starts this evening in Beeston. Their distinctive sound originates from Trinidadian culture, traditionally using paint pots, dustbins and oil drums with a series of dents hammered into the metal surface to create different notes. It has become popular to play familiar songs on steel pan, see the link below for a well-known song from The Lion King.

Find out more here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18903131

Here is a school band playing ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woBZME7sN3E


  • Callout to all MfE alumni. Do you know someone who used to sing or play in one of MfE’s youth groups? To help us celebrate our 40th anniversary, we’d love for as many alumni of the youth choirs, youth string orchestra and youth bands to join us on Saturday 1st July at the Albert Hall, Nottingham for a celebration event! Ask them to email by the end of April to admin@music-for-everyone.org if they would be interested in joining us.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

17/04/2023

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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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.

Well what a week it’s been for our Youth members!

Last Tuesday members of the East Midlands Youth String Orchestra and the Nottingham & East Midlands Youth Band travelled to Birmingham to take part in the Music for Youth festival at the CBSO centre. They performed brilliantly and received some excellent feedback from the panel.

What a treat on Friday evening when a choir of almost 300 children from the Spencer Academy Trust filled the Nottingham Albert Hall and gave a stunning performance under the expert leadership of Sophie Pascall.

And yesterday our highly-talented youth groups performed a Mothers Day concert at The Grange in Radcliffe-on-Trent.

Phew! Well done to everyone involved. Time for a well-deserved rest!!


We are on the hunt for a new Artistic Director.

As many of you will know, Music for Everyone‘s Founder and former Artistic Director, Angela Kay MBE, stepped down from the day-to-day running of the organisation at the end of our 2021-22 season.  We appointed a new Director, Donna Fox, to lead the business and strategic development of MfE from September 2022, with Angela Kay continuing as Artistic Adviser for the current season.  We are now looking for a dynamic new Artistic Director to build on Angela Kay’s considerable achievements and develop MfE’s artistic vision, strategy and practice going forward.

This is a key role in the further development of MfE and so please help spread the word far and wide!

Full details can be found via this link: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/about-us/vacancies/


  • As part of the celebrations for MfE’s 40th Anniversary, we have 2 new intergenerational ensembles starting in April, steel pan and world drumming! Beginners welcome, suitable for adults and young people.
    The first session is FREE – Steel Pan begins on Monday 17th April, World Drumming begins on Tuesday 18th April, both at Beeston Methodist Church. Register your interest to admin@music-for-everyone.org

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

20/03/2023

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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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.

As you know, Music for Everyone is currently celebrating its 40th Anniversary season. Founded in 1983 by Angela Kay, the Nottingham based music charity has long championed the voices of women within the field of music and performance. When we made the connection that our concert this weekend would fall in the week that we celebrate International Women’s Day, (Wednesday 8th March) we wanted to celebrate some lesser-known female composers, whose works have often been underrepresented in established anthologies in the genre of sacred choral composition.

Come and join us as we celebrate women in music at St Martin’s Church, Sherwood: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/march-ncs/


Today we are musing on the INCREDIBLE Big Youth Music Experience concert yesterday at Nottingham’s Albert Hall, featuring over 160 young musicians and an amazing joint performance of ‘Feeling Good’. Here are some photos!


  • Flutes in Art History:  Major Find by SAM Flutes Member.

Did you know that famous Derby painter Joseph Wright was a flute player? SAM flutes member Carol Craggs discovered that when she acquired a bound set of the flute duets he used to play in the 1770s with his Derby friend, Rev Thomas Gisborne.  When fellow SAM flutes member Martin Gorman mentioned the duets in a blog article it was spotted by author Dr Stephen Leach of Keele University. He has recently written a book on Joseph Wright and acknowledged their help in identifying for the first time the music that Wright and Gisborne played together. Everyone had assumed the music was burned along with old family papers after Wright’s death. Dr Leach lists Carol’s collection of duets and  is looking into the possibility of getting some of the music performed at the Joseph Wright Gallery in Derby.


Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

06/03/2023

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.