Stringwise

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 11th November 2024

11th November 2024 Music for Everyone

A great time was had at Bandwise and Stringwise this weekend where we were joined by over 120 talented young, enthusiastic instrumentalists. They sounded great and we can’t wait for their concert at the Albert Hall on Sunday!

Spaces are filling up quickly for our Christmas is Coming rehearsals and concert. Be sure to book your spot for the rehearsals happening during the weeks of December 2nd and December 9th. Simply click here to book, or call the office at 0115 958 9312.

After last week’s feature on soothing music for pets, we thought we would continue the pet theme with a smorgasbord of pet-related silliness!

Composing can be a lonely process, with hours spent in solitude waiting for inspiration to strike. It’s no wonder that many great composers turned to pets for companionship.

Ravel was obsessed with cats, allowing them to walk all over his manuscripts and even speaking to them in ‘cat language’. Ravel’s friend Vaughan Williams was equally fond of cats, owning a cat named Mrs Tim, and allowing his friend and fellow composer Gerald Finzi to be on cat-sitting duty when he was away on tour.

Mozart chose a starling as his less conventional pet companion! When his pet starling died, he planned an elaborate ceremony which included veiled mourners and hymns. Mozart himself recited a poem he wrote, which began, ‘A little fool lies here, whom I held dear, a starling in the prime of his brief time.’

Elgar adored dogs and after the death of his wife Alice, who hated dogs, he was finally able to have dogs of his own. His dogs were almost always at his side, and when they couldn’t be, Elgar would often keep in contact with them. He even wished them good night via a live radio broadcast when he was forced to be apart from them whilst celebrating his 70th birthday!

Click here to see Irish Setter, Elmo, singing a virtuosic solo, or here for a doggy duet with Pavarotti!

MfE is hiring! We are looking for a part time administrator to join the office team on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

See the full details on our website here: Vacancies | Music for Everyone Please spread the word about this fantastic opportunity!

On 23^rd November, join Grantham Choral Society for a concert journeying from traditional and folk music to Jazz.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

11/11/2024

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 28th October 2024

28th October 2024 Music for Everyone

Open Voices West Bridgford need your support!

We have applied for funding from Rushcliffe Community Infrastructure Levy and have got through the first round of the selection process. If you can spare a couple of minutes to complete the online form we would be extremely grateful! The deadline for completing this form is 2^nd November, so please do take a look this week. More details via this link: West Bridgford Consultations – Rushcliffe Borough Council

Regularly rehearsing groups are on Autumn half term break at the moment, so members of the Nottingham Chamber Singers have been helping with sorting some of our music out and took the opportunity to have a ‘Jumbo Party!’ last week.

We have a vast music library, choral and instrumental, on constant rotation around our many groups and events, most of which is stored in a lock up in Lenton. Many thanks to Angela, John, Dave and Sue for diving in to bring some order to the piles of music! If sorting music sounds like a blissful way to spend time, we’d love to hear from you! We are looking for a willing volunteer to look after the choral music library, this can be one person or a group. Please email Su Evans for more details: su@music-for-everyone.org

LAST CHANCE to join Bandwise and Stringwise on the 9^th/10^th & 17^th November! Percussion places are now full, but all other instruments are still open for young instrumentalists to join us, particularly saxophone, lower brass and strings. Find out more and sign up now – see you there!

Bandwise: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/byme-bandwise-nov24/

Stringwise: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/byme-stringwise-nov24/

Last year for Halloween, we put together our favourite spooky tunes from the office team so thought it would be fitting to share our extra-special MfE Halloween playlist with you again this week, it’s been fun to look back at what each of us chose! There’s a great variety in here, so you’re bound to find something you enjoy! https://www.music-for-everyone.org/news/mfe-halloween-playlist/

The Shipstone Street Jazz Orchestra are looking for a trumpet player to join their group. The band rehearse on Tuesdays, 7pm – 9pm in Bilborough and interested applicants should be at Grade 5 standard and good sight readers. Hear and see a bit more of the band here: https://youtu.be/uOnQ3pmar4s?si=y2an0rnYVO6bio9G
If you, or someone you know would like to join this friendly band, please contact Wendy, email address: wendy.bilborough@gmail.com

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

28/10/2024

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 7th October 2024

7th October 2024 Music for Everyone

A wonderful weekend of music making with the Nottingham Festival Chorus yesterday and Saturday – well done to all involved for a great workshop day and another stunning concert at Beeston Parish Church, here’s some photos!

There is a special Arts & Culture draw with Movement for Good this week, with the opportunity to receive £5,000. Nominations are open from 7^th – 11^th October. Please consider supporting and nominating MfE! Here’s how…

Click this link: https://culture.movementforgood.com/index.php?cn=1153412&ct=community#nominateACharity
Music for Everyone should be already selected for you as a Community charity.
Fill in your details and complete by clicking the button to nominate us – it’s that easy!

The draw is only open until Friday, so please nominate us today! Thank you for supporting us!

We are very much looking forward to welcoming all the Bandwise and Stringwise youth instrumentalists to the next event in November! We still have spaces for more players to join us, if you know a young person please encourage them to sign up.

Bandwise sign up link: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/byme-bandwise-nov24/

Stringwise sign up link: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/byme-stringwise-nov24/

Each group will spend time on the workshop day rehearsing their own pieces, but we are also looking forward to the grand finale, which involves all the players together – this year, performing In the Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Grieg, from BBC Ten Pieces.

Grieg was a composer who put his country, Norway, firmly on the musical map. Many of his pieces were based on Norwegian fairy stories and melodies, and over 100 years since his death he is still his country’s most respected composer. In the Hall of the Mountain King comes from undoubtedly his most famous work – Peer Gynt Suite, which was written in 1875 as background music to a famous play. Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLp_Hh6DKWc

The character of Peer Gynt is even older and has been a Norwegian folk tale for many centuries, with a story of mountains, troll Kings and kidnapping!

A long-standing member of MfE is looking to donate her Dolmech (wooden) recorder to a deserving and keen recorder player. It’s in excellent condition and comes with it’s own box, including a brush. If you are interested, please let us know and we will put you in touch with the owner

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

07/10/2024

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

#MfEMonday – 9th September 2024

9th September 2024 Music for Everyone

Nottingham’s Concert Hall and Albert Hall both hosted BBC Proms over the weekend, with a programme entitled ‘Music of Sherwood Forest’ at the Concert Hall and a showcase by recent winners of the BBC Young Composer competition at the Albert Hall. In the build up to the event, Alex was invited to talk about what this means for Nottingham on BBC Radio Nottingham last week. Listen to his interview on YouTube here: Alex on BBC Radio Nottingham – 05/09/2024 (youtube.com)

As we begin the Autumn term, we are looking forward to the first youth event in November! BANDWISE and STRINGWISE workshop days will take place at South Nottinghamshire Academy in Radcliffe on Trent on 9^th & 10^th November respectively, followed by a joint concert at Nottingham’s Albert Hall on Sunday 17^th November.

Booking is open to all young instrumentalists now:

Bandwise: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/byme-bandwise-nov24/

Stringwise: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/byme-stringwise-nov24/

With the proms in full swing across Nottingham this weekend, here are a few of the more ‘unusual’ moments throughout the proms history:

In 1912, Arnold Schoenberg premiered a new composition called Five Orchestral Pieces at a Prom at the Queen’s Hall. Unfortunately, even with a forewarning that this would be ‘difficult listening’, it was not to everyone’s taste and was met largely with laughter and hissing!
At the Last Night of the Proms in 1995, ‘Panic’ ensued with a bizarre piece of music that included a rogue saxophonist wandering around the hall ‘bellowing like a bull’. This was all intentional, although not appreciated by the audience, in a Proms commission by Sir Harrison Birtwistle. He “thought it was fun”, but the audience were expecting the traditional crowd-pleasers to round off the Proms series and it ultimately led to a flood of complaints.
In a move from the norm, an orchestra in 2015 played an entire symphony from memory while standing up! There were no music stands, no sheet music and no seats.

Many of you might know that our chamber choir, the Nottingham Chamber Singers are celebrating their 40^th Anniversary this coming season. To say ‘thank you’ to everyone who has supported them over many years they are running a special Loyalty Discount Ticket scheme. To find out more please click here: https://nottinghamchambersingers.org/contact/

Ilkeston Brass are currently looking for a new MD and advertising positions for new cornet players to join. See the attached sheet for more details

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

09/09/2024

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

Recorder Workshop Day – 14^{th September}

#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

#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

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/apr/22/sir-andrew-davis-obituary#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20most%20beloved,Orchestra%20(1989%2D2000)

#MfEMonday – 22nd April 2024

29th April 2024 Music for Everyone

What an outstanding performance at the Big Youth Music Experience yesterday! Over 150 young musicians came together following their rehearsals last weekend and performed for their friends and family at Nottingham’s Albert Hall. The grand finale raised the roof with ‘This is Me’ from the Greatest Showman. Well done to all those who took part!

Another fabulous performance took place last Monday night following a project with Inspire schools from the Spencer Academy Trust with a choir of 255 pupils singing their socks off under the brilliant direction of Sophie Pascall.

It won’t be long until it’s time for us to Blow the Dust off our Instruments!

Music for Everyone invites you to a friendly, relaxed playing day at Nottingham’s Albert Hall on Saturday 15^th June.

With some fantastic pieces lined up including Copland’s Hoedown for the Orchestra, Bernstein’s Magnificent 7 for the Band and String Quartet in G minor by Florence Price for the Strings. It’s not one to be missed.

To sign-up, click here.

Tributes have been pouring in this week following the loss of one of Britain’s greatest conductors Sir Andrew Davis.

Well-known for his kind nature and the ever-present twinkle in his eye, Davis will be widely remembered as the supreme master of ceremonies at the Last Night of the Proms. Throughout his long career Davis held many roles, including for more than a decade those of chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBCSO) and musical director of Glyndebourne Festival Opera. In fact he conducted over 130 Prom concerts between 1968 and 2022 (click here to see the full list!)

Follow the link below to read the full obituary:

Have you heard the exciting news that Nottingham is going to be host to it’s first ever Prom concert this September?

https://trch.co.uk/whats-on/bbc-proms-nottingham/

On Monday 6 May (bank holiday), Nottingham Concert Band will be playing two 45 minute sets between 1:00 and 3:30 pm as part of the Ruddington Merry Monday celebration on The Green. We will relocate to St Peter’s Church if the weather is bad. Ruddington Community Choir and Mortimers Morris dancers will also be making appearances through the afternoon. So bring your picnic and enjoy some free entertainment!

Saturday 16 May gives you two choices for wind band concerts!

Nottingham Concert Band is at St Swithun’s Church, Woodborough to present a concert called “Here Comes Our Band!”. Tickets are £12.50 (£5.00 for under-18s), to include interval refreshments of wine or fruit juice, and can be obtained from Jean Bush (0115 9652195) or Terry Robinson (0115 9652396). Doors open at 7:00 pm, concert starts at 7:30 pm.
Nottingham Symphonic Wind Orchestra will be at St. Martin’s Church in Sherwood, to enjoy the great outdoors and nature at its best through music. Tickets are priced at £5, £10 or £15. Pay what you wish. Follow the link to purchase your tickets: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/nottingham-symphonic-winds/the-great-outdoors/2024-05-18/19:30/t-krlmxrl.Tickets will also be available through the church. Doors open at 7:00 pm, concert starts at 7:30 pm.

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

29/04/2024

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

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

#MfEMonday – 25th March 2024

25th March 2024 Music for Everyone

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:

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

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE

25/03/2024

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/videos/nativity-girl-singing-loud-village-church/

#MfEMonday – 11th December 2023

11th December 2023 Music for Everyone

Huge congratulations to all our fabulous youth groups for their magnificent performances in Wollaton yesterday. The standard of playing was fantastic from all the bands and string groups. A particular highlight was the audience participation in The Twelve Days of Christmas which gave everyone a real workout!

You all deserve a rest, and we look forward to seeing you in 2024. New members always welcome – click here for more information.

Next Sunday 17^th December over 200 performers will take to the stage for our final concert of the year: Christmas is Coming! A festive afternoon concert for all the family to enjoy starring our Vocals youth choir, Nottingham Community Voices, Nottingham Chamber Singers and a visit from a special someone!

Tickets available to book online (click here) or call 0115 958 9312.

As it’s that time of year when many of us are treated to a school nativity we couldn’t resist sharing this gem. A young choral enthusiast, her school nativity play, and some very enthusiastic singing!

Nottingham Symphonic Winds have their family concert “Memorable Moments” at the Albert Hall Nottingham, 11am on Saturday 16 December. It’s a family-friendly concert with a fun quiz for the whole family to enjoy. You will hear classic movie soundtracks from Jurassic Park to Frozen and lots of festive favourites too. Tickets available to book online at: https://nsw.org.uk/nswo_concerts/memorable-moments/

Have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

11/12/2023

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF