MfE

Summer Garland Concert, Sun 10 July, East of England Singers

Music for Everyone

strawberries-and-cream-19What better way to pass a Sunday afternoon than by listening to music and eating strawberries?

Join the East of England Singers, conducted by Angela Kay, Artistic Director of Music for Everyone, for their end of season concert at the Djanolgy Recital Hall (opposite Lakeside, University of Nottingham), 3.30pm. There will be madrigals, folks songs, vocal and instrumental soloists.

Travel by tram, or park on the campus. Enjoy a walk before or afterwards.

Click here for tickets.

The East of England Singers is the auditioned chamber choir of Music for Everyone, its members are the tea and coffee makers extraordinaire of other MfE choral activities, conductors of several MfE groups, MfE admin staff, MfE Bookwise and shop ‘managers’ etc, etc. Here’s what the critics say of their singing:

“The work’s driving rhythms, catchy melodies and irresistible exuberance swept both audience and performers off their feet”
William Ruff – Nottingham Evening Post

“First-class choral singing, well balanced and with a depth of understanding which brought every line of the texts to life”
Grahame Whitehead – Nottingham Evening Post

The dust was blown! The rain fell!

Music for Everyone

ClarinetsWell that was quite a weekend! String, reed, brass and recorder players spent a fun Saturday learning and playing new pieces, which they later performed for family and friends. It was a great day for discovering more about playing in an ensemble, band or orchestra, and making music together. MfE’s Blow the Dust (off your instrument) day will be back early next year.

If you came along, or it sounds like something you would enjoy, the Music for Everyone Summer School might be just what you’re looking for. There is a singing option as well. After last year’s successful first School, we listened to participants’ feedback and have made some changes – longer breaks, opportunities to listen to other groups, and less repertoire so that it can be honed to a nuanced performance standard. The hour-long closing concert will showcase the best of the pieces worked on during the time together.

PatGarden2016The heavens opened on Sunday, but that didn’t deter a group from the East of England Singers from going along to sing in Pat Collings beautiful garden. Thank you, Pat, for all your hard work to put on the event and raise money for Music for Everyone. And thank you to everyone who came along, armed with brollies, to look and to listen.

This week(end) – a musical trio for everyone

Music for Everyone

Firstly, the closing date for applications for the exciting post of a Principal Youth Music Animateur is this Friday, 10th June. Information here.

And secondly, Blow the Dust is back on Saturday. This is a day for adult instrumentalists to make music together. So whether you play the tuba, the viola or the recorder, etc, now’s your chance. Book here. We just ask that instrumentalists are Grade 2 and above, and recorder players can read music and play at a steady speed in an ensemble. There is an informal concert at 5pm, lasting about an hour. Albert Hall, Nottingham.

Gardens-Open-signFinally, an extremely pleasant fund raiser. All welcome. This weekend is the Beeston and Chilwell Open Garden Trail. The East of England Singers will be giving a jolly performance at 60 Park Rd, 2pm, Sunday 12 June. Money raised by the garden owner is generously being donated to Music for Everyone – refreshments available, and a beautiful garden to enjoy. Perhaps come on the tram, Chilwell Rd stop, and then a short walk.

We’re recruiting – Principal Youth Music Animateur

Music for Everyone

Last weekend Music for Everyone celebrated two wonderful musical events.

DSC02171 copyThe first was over 100 Vocals! children singing their hearts out throughout their space themed concert in Nottingham’s Albert Hall, to the delight of the audience. The second, later in the day, was Sheku Kanneh-Mason winning BBC Young Musician of the Year, 2016. Sheku, aged about 6, along with other members of his family, played his cello in Music for Everyone’s Stringwise! Many congratulations, Sheku!

Music for Everyone wishes to recruit an energetic and enthusiastic Principal Youth Music Animateur. Details here. Although part-time, there is another part-time vacancy in the city’s music scene, and the two jobs could be combined.

Busy weekend for MfE, and a free concert!

Music for Everyone

Travelling to Bluecoat Academy for rehearsals today are two groups of musicians who illustrate the breadth and diversity of Music for Everyone’s commitment to music-making for all.

DSC01669In one building, there will be an intensive workshop for advanced string players. During the day, under the baton of Richard Howarth, a distinguished violinist and conductor, the orchestra will focus on Tchaikovsky’s hauntingly beautiful Serenade for Strings and other pieces. They will give a FREE concert in St Peter’s Church Ruddington, 4pm tomorrow, Sunday 8 May. Last year’s concert was wonderful, so this one is not to be missed.
bluerktIn another building, nearly 100 primary school children will be blasting off into space themed songs. Their Reach for the Stars concert will be a week tomorrow, Sunday 15 May at 3.30pm in the Albert Hall, complete with the experimental antics of Mad Science! Will there be stinks and bangs and smoke and goodness knows what?!

The children have been learning their words and listening to the songs at home (just as our adult singers do) and will be rehearsing with Alison Bennett (Vocals! conductor), Ray McLeod (Youth Animateur and vocal coach) Phil Smith (MfE’s new Youth Programme Co-ordinator, conductor of Sherwood Daytime Voices), Jane McDouall (conductor of Girls Voice and West Bridgford Daytime Voices). Not forgetting, of course, MfE’s admin staff and all the wonderful volunteers who give of their time to look after the children and make the weekend and concert run smoothly. Here’s a HUGE MfE THANK YOU to the volunteers.

Do you know Tim Peake, or someone who might know him?

Music for Everyone

Imagine Major Tim Peake sending a message or song from space to MfE’s Vocals children. Wouldn’t it be amazing? tim-peake_3528246bWe need your help to make it happen.

On the principle of 3 – 6 degrees of separation between one person and another on (and off, in Tim’s case) the planet, you could well be able to contact him more directly than MfE tweeting him over and over (poor man). He probably gets many requests and might not know about the awesome work of Music for Everyone, and how singing and science are coming together for the youngsters in the next 10 days.
dreamstime_l_27523004background removed copy1smallIf you know someone who might know someone who might know someone else who might know Tim Peake, could you set a chain of contacts going to see whether we can reach him? There will probably be a Mars Bar or a Milky Way, and definitely our undying admiration and gratitude, for anyone who achieves our dream.

The children start rehearsing Reach for the Stars this weekend, and the concert of exciting space themed music is the following Sunday, 15 May, 3.30pm at the Albert Hall. It will also feature the amazing Mad Science, so do come along for a stunning, starlit, inter-galactic concert of music and entertainment. Tickets available here. Advance booking recommended.

A Shakespeare Serenade

Music for Everyone

On Saturday 23rd April at 7.30pm, St Mary’s Church Clifton, the East of England Singers and New Classical Players will be performing a concert of music inspired by the Bard. We warmly invite you to enjoy a programme ranging from Purcell’s comic and delightful Fairy Queen to Walton’s dramatic film score for Henry V, Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music, and other Shakespearean texts set to music. The choir welcomes Ant Dean as guest conductor, and Angela Kay to the alto section!

EOES 2015

Some of the pieces being performed will be included in the Music for Everyone Summer School repertoire, so if you’re coming to that, do come along and listen to the treats in store for you in August. Book your tickets for the concert here. Tickets will also be available on the door.

Glitz and the glamour, from the West End to Broadway

Music for Everyone

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Think Broadway, think the West End, and come to a concert this Sunday, 3rd April, 3.30pm in Nottingham’s Albert Hall.

The afternoon will fizz with familiar songs and tunes from musicals and films. Your toes will be tapping to themes from James Bond and Murder on the Orient Express, songs from The King and I, Oklahoma, Carousel, a medley of Andrew Lloyd Webber numbers, and guest soloists, all accompanied by a Big Band Orchestra conducted by Angela Kay and Phil Smith.

The singers come from all over Nottinghamshire to form Music for Everyone’s Nottingham Community Choir. We would love to see you there. Click here to book your tickets for the best seats. Tickets will also be available on the door.

Vocals! Reach for the Stars!

Music for Everyone

dreamstime_l_27523004background removed copy1smallDo you know a child who loves to sing? Have they been following Tim Peake? Then Reach for the Stars – the theme of Vocals! this May – is something they won’t want to miss. Vocals! offers two weekends of space-themed musical fun for children of primary school age.

During the first weekend the children will learn songs such as Reach For The Stars, Space Oddity, Half The World Away, the space musical Blast Off, and more! The following Sunday, they will polish up the songs for a concert in Nottingham’s wonderful Albert Hall, where lighting and sound effects will add to the excitement. Mad_Science_Logo_3D_M

And if all that inter-galactic magnificence were not enough, there will also be a special appearance at the concert by the national science sensation MAD SCIENCE! What a star-spinning experience for youngsters and adults alike.

The rehearsal weekend will be Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th May, and the concert Sunday 15th May.

Click here for further details, or drop into Boookwise in Hockley and pick up a leaflet.