Welcome from the Summer School Artistic Director

We’re celebrating 10 years of MfE’s Summer School in style! Pop the champagne corks and come and join the party. The choir will be enjoying a number of popular celebratory opera choruses from Donizetti and Verdi, as well as hits by Mendelssohn, Monteverdi, Rutter and more. The orchestra travels to the stars with extracts from The Planets and comes back to earth with Johann StraussRadetsky March. The wind band will take on the celebratory Concert Prelude by Philip Sparke and the saxophone ensemble will tackle Shostakovich’s jazzy Waltz No.2.

You’re in for a treat this year, with no less than 3 CONCERTS! The Tailleferre Ensemble bring top flight wind playing to the table on Monday, Leo Melvin, esteemed cellist from the Nottingham based Villiers Quartet inspires us on Tuesday and vocal ensemble Sonoro sing for joy on Wednesday. Once the concerts are over, learn from these great artists in specially organised workshops just for you!”

 


The Music:

For Singers:

Donizetti

Verdi

Mendelssohn

Rutter

 

For Orchestra:

Extracts from The Planets

Johann Strauss, Radetsky March

 

 

 

For Wind Band:

Philip Sparke, Concert Prelude

 

 

 

For Saxophone Ensemble:

Shostakovich’s, Waltz No.2.

 

 

 

For String Orchestra:

TBC

 

 

 


Conductors:

Alex Robinson – Artistic Director

Orchestra & Strings conductor

Alex Robinson is an experienced conductor and harpsichordist with a first-class Music degree from the University of Manchester and an MMus in Performance (Conducting) from the Royal Northern College of Music. He studied under Mark Heron, Justin Doyle, and Clark Rundell.

He is currently the Music Director of Haffner Orchestra, Furness Bach Choir, Amaretti Chamber Orchestra and Nottingham Youth Orchestra, and is the Artistic Director of Music for Everyone in Nottingham. Alex has worked with a number of orchestras and opera companies in the UK and internationally, including the BBC Philharmonic, the Hallé, Northern Chamber Orchestra, English Touring Opera, Heritage Opera, Radius Opera, Spokane Symphony, Prague Philharmomia, Hradec Kravlove Philharmonic, Moravian Symphony Orchestra, Eboracum Baroque, Psappha, House of Bedlam and Ensemble Laus Deo.

He has worked as an assistant conductor to Sir Mark Elder, Juanjo Mena, James Lowe, Clark Rundell, Gerry Cornelius, Nicolas Collon, Jonathan Peter Kenny, Vassily Petrenko and Sir Andrew Davies. Alex regularly works with many international soloists including Martin Roscoe, Milan Al-Ashab, Inon Barnatan, Sophie Rosa, Savva Zverev, April Koyejo-Audiger, Simon Walfisch, and many more.

Recently he conducted at Snape Maltings for the 75th Aldeburgh Festival with House of Bedlam, and assisted English Touring Opera with Judith Weir’s ‘Blond Eckbert’. He has also recorded an album of continuo improvisations on harpsichord, conducted the premiere of Samson Young’s ‘One of Two stories or Both’ for Manchester International Festival, worked as repetiteur for several operas including Handel’s Tamerlano, Ottone, Agrippina and Silla, and worked as Assistant Conductor for the premiere of Alan Williams’ ‘The Arsonists’ opera in a Yorkshire accent with the BBC Philharmonic.

Keiron Anderson

Wind Band & Saxophone Ensemble conductor

Keiron Anderson was born in Aberdeen and studied trumpet and keyboard at the Royal Northern College of Music where he started both a light orchestra and big band.

Keiron currently directs Yorkshire Wind Orchestra, Nottingham Symphonic Winds with whom he has produced many excellent concerts and recordings, and Phoenix Concert Band.

He has worked with many other groups including Harlequin Brass, Leeds Conservatoire Wind Orchestra, Nottingham Symphony Orchestra, the National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain and numerous chamber ensembles throughout the UK and Europe as part of a diverse and rich schedule of conducting.

Keiron is a prolific Composer producing unique and exciting new music across an eclectic mix of styles. Some of these works are written specifically for the groups he directs or as commissions for other ensembles. He recently conducted his own music at the Bavarian Music Academy Annual Wind Orchestra course in Germany, coaching composers and conducting the excellent orchestra.

Keiron has worked extensively as a freelance performer working with the Scottish Ballet Orchestra, London Festival Ballet, Welsh Opera, Scottish National Orchestra and the BBC Northern Radio Orchestra. Keiron established the Keiron Anderson Orchestra and completed several years working on cruise ships followed by a period in Spain before returning to the UK and performing all over the country with artists such as Cannon and Ball, Ronnie Corbett, Bob Monkhouse, Little and Large, Frankie Vaughan and many more.

Keiron’s teaching experience includes 10 years as a peripatetic teacher of brass and composition, three years as Head of the Ilkley Music Centre and 18 years as Head of Music, then Head of Creative Arts at Ilkley Grammar School.

Hilary Campbell

Choir conductor

Hilary Campbell is a freelance choral specialist, Founder and Musical Director of professional chamber choir Blossom Street, and Musical Director of Bristol Choral Society, West London Chorus and West London Chamber Choir. Her project work includes guest conducting ensembles such as the BBC Singers, Trinity Laban Chamber Choir, the Fourth Choir and the University of Greenwich Choir, and Chorus Mastering the BBC Symphony Chorus and Royal Academy of Music Symphony Chorus.  She is also Associate Conductor of Ex Cathedra, and often runs projects with Master of the Queen’s Music, Judith Weir, at the Royal Academy of Music, in conjunction with Blossom Street and the RAM composition department.  Hilary also leads workshops for the Royal Opera House and is a course director for Helicon Arts.

Hilary gained a Distinction for an MMus in Choral Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music with Patrick Russill; she was also awarded the three choral conducting prizes.  She received a Distinction for an MA in Vocal Studies at the University of York and undertook an Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in singing at Trinity College of Music.  Following her studies, she returned to the RAM as the Meaker Fellow 2012-13, the first choral conductor to have been thus honoured.

In 2018, Hilary was delighted to be made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM).  In addition to her regular conducting work, Hilary also acts as an adjudicator, choral workshop leader and guest conductor.  She is a founder member of the Voices of London Festival, and is also a published and prize-winning composer.  With Blossom Street, she has released two award-winning Naxos recordings, and recently released a third.

Richard Cox

Summer School accompanist

Local pianist Richard Cox has worked in the Nottingham area and beyond for many years, accompanying numerous soloists and ensembles. He studied music at the University of Nottingham specialising in piano performance with Brenda May, and began working with community organisations after graduating, initially through Music for Everyone (then known as the Nottingham Choral Trust).

He now spends the majority of his time running music-related businesses, including Europadisc (selling recordings of classical music to collectors around the world), and local woodwind specialist, Windblowers.

 

 

Guest Artists:

Tailleferre Ensemble

Devoted to promoting women in classical music, the Tailleferre Ensemble is a UK- based chamber collective founded by oboists Nicola Hands and Penelope Smith. Since its inception in 2019 the group has gone from strength to strength. The ensemble’s work encompasses diverse instrumentation, time periods, and genres, with a particular onus on promoting underrepresented and underappreciated works and composers, both historical and contemporary. Their playing has been praised for its ‘extensive palette of timbres’.

In February 2023 the ensemble released their debut album There are Things to be Said, which reviewers praised for their ‘superb musicianship’ and ‘effortless’ performance. Textura magazine celebrated it as an ‘exceptional debut’ on account of ‘the beauty and precision of the musicians’ playing and their sensitivity to dynamics.’ The ensemble has enjoyed airtime on radio stations across Europe and Canada, and is developing an ongoing relationship with BBC Radio 3. They are especially proud to have ongoing collaborations with numerous contemporary composers, many of whom have dedicated new works to them, including Ingrid Stölzel, Rhian Samuel, Sally Wave, Jonathan Heeley, and Dana Joras.

Recently the ensemble has performed at London’s Conway Hall and St. John’s Smith Square, University Hall in Nottingham. They have also recently collaborated with the English Music Festival and are repeat artists for the Nottingham Chamber Music Festival and Leatherhead Concert & Arts Society. They regularly perform in recital series around the UK, including at St. James Piccadilly, Aylesbury Lunchtime Concerts, Music-at-Hill, St. John’s ARC, and Brighton’s Chapel Royal. The ensemble has also collaborated with Façade Ensemble and the South Florida Chamber Ensemble.

Individual members’ own playing experience includes with orchestras such as Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, English National Opera, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Aurora Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Wexford Festival Opera orchestra and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, as well as venues such as the National Theatre, Royal Opera House, London Coliseum, Wilderness Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, National Portrait Gallery, and Wigmore Hall, and recording at Abbey Road Studios.

The Tailleferre Ensemble are Musicians in Residence at St. John’s Church, Notting Hill.

Leo Melvin

Leo Melvin is a cellist based in London. He enjoys a varied career of solo, chamber music and orchestral playing.

Leo graduated with honours from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in 2013 where he studied with the great Richard Lester. He then went on to study in Germany for a couple of years with several eminent professors such as Troels Svane, Claudio Bohorquez and Kleif Carnarius.

Returning to London, Leo then began working with the top London orchestras – LSO, LPO and Philharmonia. Alongside this he would play solo recitals around the country. Several years later he would join the Villiers Quartet, of which he is still a member today. Leo’s most recent and significant accolade would be becoming a guest principal cello of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Leo also teaches both cello and piano, and has a deep passion for great music. His greatest hobby is playing the piano and chamber music with friends, but is also an avid fan of science and reading.

 

Sonoro

Described as “outstandingly refreshing” (BBC Music Magazine) and “abundant in vibrant colour” (The Guardian), Sonoro is one of the UK’s foremost vocal ensembles. Under conductor Neil Ferris, Sonoro have performed at internationally renowned festivals and concert halls, including St Magnus Festival, Orkney, St Martin-in-the-Fields and King’s Place, London, and in St Gallen, Switzerland. Sonoro’s critically acclaimed debut album ‘Passion and Polyphony’ featured works by Sir James MacMillan and Frank Martin, and ‘Christmas with Sonoro’ was BBC Music Magazine’s Christmas choice in 2018. Recent releases which have gained significant recognition include an album of music by Martin Bussey, and two volumes of ‘Choral Inspirations’ featuring choral classics partnered with newly commissioned works by established and emerging British composers, including Errollyn Wallen, Cecilia McDowall, and Oliver Tarney. Combining a passion for excellence in choral music and education, Sonoro’s SING! outreach programme delivers projects in schools, as well as side-by-side performances and conducting masterclasses. SING! has reached hundreds of children and amateur singers, inspiring either a first love of singing or a renewed engagement with a shared passion in choral music.

“Classical concerts seldom feel so downright uplifting.” The Scotsman

“A rich, robust texture, abundant in vibrant colour and undoubted excitement.” The Guardian

“Outstandingly refreshing.” BBC Music Magazine

“A huge dynamic and expressive range.” Gramophone


The Details:

A Summer School pack with all your music will be sent out to you approximately four weeks in advance.

Each day will start at 10am (registration from 9.30am) and finish at approximately 5.30pm with Showcase Concerts for the singers and instrumentalists early on Wednesday evening.

“It was great fun. A varied and fascinating mix of music. Tutors were excellent.”

Be part of the social buzz. There is plenty of time to chat to tutors, browse the stands and enjoy the school grounds.

There will be coffee and pastries to welcome you on the first day and a farewell buffet on the final evening.


The Venue:

Trent College

 

We will be back at the beautiful Trent College in Long Eaton, where expert-led rehearsals will be interspersed with inspiring recitals from acclaimed musicians.

 

 

 


How to Enrol 

The Summer School fee: £145 for MfE Members, £175 for non-members, £85 for Students, covers all music, tuition, refreshments at breaks, and drinks and buffet after the showcase concert. In order to provide the best quality experience for all participants, some instrument numbers will be capped. Please book early to avoid disappointment.

Fully Booked Instruments: Clarinets, Oboes.

To be added to the waiting list for the instruments above, please email anne@music-for-everyone.org

 

For all other instruments/voices, click the button below.

 


 

1pm – 5pm at Middle Street Resource Centre, Beeston, Nottingham NG9 2AR

Click here to view the brochure.

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.

Have a go at West African drumming with Milla Hanna on djembe drums. Join Rachel in the Family Sing-a-long workshop, where all ages are welcome, from 5 – 105!

The Lullaby Bank is a group designed especially for new mothers and babies aged 0 – 9 months to address the specific post-partum experience. This includes well-being, bonding, emotional and physical concerns. Open Voices are MfE’s health initiative designed to suit adults with learning disabilities, come and try a session with Helen to see how it works! More information about the Lullaby Bank and Open Voices regular sessions can be found on the MfE website: www.music-for-everyone.org/health-well-being/


FESTIVAL WORKSHOPS

WORLD DRUMMING WORKSHOPS
Workshop 1: 1.10pm – 1.40pm
Workshop 2: 1.50pm – 2.20pm

Have a go at West African drumming with Milla Hanna on djembe drums. We have 2 sessions to choose from, open to age 5 upwards. Please note, children must be accompanied by an adult. 

NURSERY RHYME & LULLABY TIME
2.30pm – 3.15pm
A singing session especially for babies and children up to the age of 5. Come and sing nursery rhymes with Rachel, all children must be accompanied by an adult.

FREE session for under 5s and their parents/carers. Booking essential, places are limited.

FAMILY SING WORKSHOP
3.30pm – 4.15pm
Come and enjoy a fun afternoon of singing together. Children aged 5+ with their mums, dads, grandparents, carers, aunts and uncles – the whole family, friends too! Singing is great for health, togetherness, confidence and fun.

No preparation is needed, we will send all details out by email before the day – all you need is your best singing voice!


FESTIVAL VISITORS
Entry from 1pm – 4.30pm. Festival finishes at 5pm
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. £4 entry for adults, £2 for children over 5.

Music in the Garden from:

  • Music for Everyone’s Beeston Open Voices
  • Second Time Around Folk Club
  • Music for Everyone’s Nottingham Chamber Singers
  • Beeston Community Drumming Circle (BC/DC)
  • Music for Everyone’s Big Band
  • Music for Everyone’s Wollaton Daytime Voices


Enrolment and Price

NB Please note, all children must be accompanied by an adult.

Workshop price – £8 per adult, £6 per child (between the ages of 5 and 15)

BOOK ONLINE HERE

Online – pay through PayPal or by card

Complete the form and payment here to sign up. Payment can be made via PayPal or debit/credit card.


By post – pay by cheque

Please download and complete this PDF form and post it, together with your enrolment cheque (made payable to Music for Everyone) to Music for Everyone, 10 Goose Gate, Hockley, Nottingham NG1 1FF

For any further information, email admin@music-for-everyone.org or telephone 0115 9589312

An incredible second day of Summer School on a (mostly) sunny Tuesday at Trent College.

Rehearsals for choir, orchestra, sax ensemble, string orchestra and wind band (busy, busy!) continued throughout the morning (fuelled by regular top ups of tea, coffee and biscuits of course!).

Today’s guests, all-female a capella quintet Papagena blew the roof off the chapel and received a standing ovation at the end of their lunchtime recital for Summer School participants. Their programme, aptly named ‘Nuns and Roses’ featured hauntingly beautiful melodies of traditional Ukrainian lullabies and Georgian hymns all the way through to ‘hard rock’ Guns ‘n’ Roses Sweet Child o’ mine and finishing with The woman’s ‘If’ – a work commissioned for Papagena and based on Caitlin Moran’s female perspective to Rudyard Kipling’s If. Many of the pieces in the programme were also arranged by members of the group. Simply amazing.

Papagena then led the choir in a workshop, teaching them one of the pieces from their recital and working on some of the repertoire chosen by Hilary for this year’s course.

Further rehearsals in the afternoon led to Tuesday’s ‘sharing concert’ – where the singers perform the players and the players perform to the singers. A short session to share items that won’t feature in the final Showcase Concert – from the choir with Hilary (with Richard’s debut performance on the drums…), the sax ensemble with Keiron, the string orchestra with Rob and the wind band, again with Keiron performing A Single Step of his own composition.

That wraps up another busy Summer School day, bring on the finale!

#SummerSchool2023


Summer School Day 2 in under 20 seconds!

What an amazing concert yesterday to end such a Christmassy week for MfE! A great big WELL DONE to all the singers in Vocals and Nottingham Community Voices for a great performance and a special thank you to Santa for taking the time to drop by.


We have been getting into the festive spirit with this great playlist of classical Christmas favourites – perfect for tree decorating, present wrapping and anything else that requires an alternative to Chris Rea!

https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/occasions/christmas/best-festive-classical-music/


  • There are still a few places left for Blow The Dust Off Your Instrument! If you are looking at that cello in the attic, clarinet in the garage or trumpet in shed (don’t keep trumpets in sheds please) you have just a few days left to sign up for our 7th January BTD! All the info and how to book online is here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/event/blow-the-dust-off-your-instrument-3/

Stay warm and have a great week!

Your friends at MfE.

12/12/2022

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.

What. A. Day.

Everyone was still in high spirits despite the rather warm weather as final rehearsals and preparations for the Showcase Concert got underway.

Simon Theobald, our guest artist for today and firm friend of MfE having worked with us at our Musicals concerts in the past, brought us a programme that was ‘unashamedly popular’ (his words!) at the lunchtime concert, even managing to get everyone to join in at the end!

The singers were then treated to a workshop on some Gilbert & Sullivan with Simon, before all came together for the Showcase Concert for family, friends and guests in the Oblensky Building.

The concert was a triumph! A wonderful mix of music from Britten to Vaughan Williams, featuring harpsichords and recorders alongside the choir, orchestra, strings and band and a mega finish with the Agincourt Song. (More photos to follow…)
The traditional Summer School buffet followed after, with enough sausage rolls to feed an army and a chance to cool down after a ‘rather warm’ performance.

THANK YOU – firstly to all who took part on the course, for making this one a sell-out and singing/playing with enthusiasm and a smile, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.
Also to our superstar volunteer and ‘bumper’ team, helping to serve the endless tea and coffee, moving chairs and things when needed, manning the book stall and supporting all instrumental and vocal sections.
Our brilliant conductors Gill, Hilary and Rob – who once again smashed it (I don’t think we’ve put them off yet), our amazing guests Anthony, Carmen and Simon, and to the wonderful Trent College for hosting us once again, who have THE best site and staff team supporting us.

Phew! Right, where’s the [insert preferred alcoholic drink here]…

See you next year!

Saturday saw 150 people gathering at Nottingham’s Albert Hall for our Autumn Singing Workshop and Concert. This was the first event for the Nottingham Festival Chorus since January 2020 which was originally planned to take place in June. However, despite the postponement, it was a fantastic occasion, the chorus in fine voice with rousing renditions of Vaughan William’s Let All the World in Every Corner Sing and Holst’s Psalm 148 accompanied by Henry Parkes on the organ along with the strings of the Nottingham Classical Players. Other music included three anthems by John Rutter and excerpts from Henry Purcell’s Ode to Queen Mary with Sarah Trevers, Rachel Parkes, Angela Kay and Greg Treloar singing the solo arias.

The concert programme also contained two organ solos, Elgar’s Chanson du Matin played by the strings and two items by the Nottingham Chamber Singers. All in all, a great day!

Here are some moments our photographer managed to capture.


As the daily temperatures begin to fall and the autumn colours appear on the trees, we thought you might like some music inspired by the change of season to listen to –

Autumn Music – Jennifer Higdon – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA8zWzGuDjg

Autumn (from Die Jahreszeiten) – Joseph Haydn – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHYBac1B6_g

Autumn (from The Seasons) – Aexander Glazunov – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg6dZScORQk

Autumn Leaves – Joseph Kosma – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9-6lnnUeT4


  • Performing music is often a very serious business but the duo of violinist Alexsey Igudesman and pianist Hyung-ki Joo prove that classical musicians often have a sense of humour too…..
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKZITB_r8t0

Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

18/10/2021

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.

KEEPING IN TOUCH

Hello everyone,

Well what a week of frustration and disappointment!

There we all were, along with thousands of other singers throughout the country, looking forward so much to joining together and having a SING!!

But – as I’m sure you are now all aware – the government made a screeching u-turn round about 5pm last Tuesday regarding choir rehearsals and singing was proclaimed DANGEROUS!! Professional choirs are able to sing together but only 6 amateur singers are allowed to sing under one roof!!

This meant that one of our choir rehearsals on Wednesday evening could not go ahead as planned and our Family Singing Afternoon at the Albert Hall, which was going to be a wonderful event with almost 100 singers from across the generations enjoying themselves together, was scuppered and has had to be rescheduled for later in the year (17th July). And it looks as though our Daytime Voices rehearsal scheduled for Wednesday of this week will have to be cancelled.  We’ll be in touch with singers round about lunchtime tomorrow to let you know what’s happening.

So we’ve hit the media to express our feelings!

Our chairman, John Hess gave an excellent interview on East Midlands Today. https://youtu.be/PZ2ljbf25sM

Robin Reece-Crawford returned to Radio Nottingham on Sunday morning to chat once again to Francis Finn https://youtu.be/SuuhmykKVww

And the Evening Post ran an article about the whole situation. On line on Thursday https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/charity-singing-group-disappointed-latest-5439430 and in the newspaper on Saturday.

So what can you do?

  1. Write to your MP – John wrote to his and she raised it with the Prime Minister at the meeting of the 1922 Committee of Conservative MPs.
  2. Sign this on-line petition – very easy to do and it will make a difference. Let’s see if we can make Nottingham and the surrounding areas bright red on the petition map. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/586559
  3. Make representation to anyone you know in high places.
  4. Hope that the government sees sense!!

We’ll keep you up-dated with any developments.

Keep cheerful!

Angela

PS The subject was raised on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme this morning – perhaps waves are being created.



Have a good week!

Your friends at MfE.

24/05/2021

admin@music-for-everyone.org

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

10 Goose Gate | Hockley | NG1 1FF

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on Instagram

*Support us with easyfundraiser*

#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.

KEEPING IN TOUCH – Diary Dates!

Hello Everyone

In Monday’s email I said I would let you know our plans for the coming months just as soon as they were finalised – and here they are!

We’ll be letting you have further details about timings, repertoire etc. closer to the event – but at least you have something to put in your diaries and, we hope, look forward to!

Live music making is coming back – let’s all keep our fingers crossed that the government doesn’t have to change the ‘road map’!

With all best wishes

Angela


MfE Workshops and Concert Dates – 2021/22

Those in red are for youth, those in blue for adult and those in green for everyone!

2021

  • Sunday 23 May, Albert Hall – Family Singing Afternoon
  • Saturday 19 June, Albert Hall –Youth Wind Band Playing Afternoon
  • Sunday 20 June, Albert Hall –Youth String Orchestra Playing Afternoon
  • Sunday 27 June,  Albert Hall –Festival Chorus Workshop day
  • Saturday 10 July, Albert Hall –Blow the Dust off your Instrument Workshop Day
  • Saturday 17 July, Albert Hall – Festival of Youth Workshop Day
  • Mon – Wed 9, 10 & 11 August, Trent College (venue to be confirmed) –MfE Summer School

  • Sat/Sun 9 & 10 October, venue to be decided –Festival Chorus Singing Weekend
  • Saturday 16 Oct, Albert Hall –Festival Chorus Concert
  • Sat/Sun 6 & 7 November, venue to be decided –Youth Instrumental Playing Weekend
  • Sunday 14 November, Albert Hall –Youth Instrumental Concert
  • Saturday 11 Dec, venue to be decided –Youth Christmas Singing Afternoon
  • Sunday 12 Dec,  Albert Hall –Christmas is Coming Concert

2022

  • Saturday 8 January,  Albert Hall –Blow the Dust off your Instrument Workshop Day
  • Sat/Sun 29 & 30 January, venue to be decided – Festival Chorus Singing Weekend
  • Saturday 5 February, Albert Hall – Festival Chorus Concert
  • Sat/Sun 26 & 27 February, venue to be decided –Youth Instrumental Playing Weekend
  • Sunday 6 March, Albert Hall –Youth Instrumental Concert
  • Saturday 23 April, venue to be decided –Musicals Singing Workshop
  • Sunday 24 April, Albert Hall –Musicals Concert
  • Sat/Sun 14 & 15 May, venue to be decided –Youth Singing Weekend
  • Sunday 22 May, Albert Hall –Youth Singing Concert
  • Saturday 11 June, Albert Hall –Blow the Dust off your Instrument Workshop Day
  • Saturday 25 June, venue to be decided –Festival Chorus Workshop Day
  • Mon – Wed 8, 9 & 10 August, venue to be decided –MfE Summer School

MfE’s online singing project for January – February 2021!

Brought to you by MfE’s Assistant Artistic Director, Rachel Parkes and Director of Music of St Barnabas Cathedral, Greg Treloar – these online sessions are designed to help refresh your singing voice and get it back into shape with helpful warm up tips as well as rehearsing a piece of music, chosen by our conductors.

Rachel Parkes

Greg Treloar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sessions in this 4-week course are uploaded to our YouTube channel every Wednesday, but you can watch them in your own time when it suits you.

MfE’s online singing sessions are free of charge to access, but if you feel able to make a donation to support MfE through these hard times, you can do so with a card or through PayPal here: https://www.music-for-everyone.org/donations-page/

Or if you already have an account with us, through our website here (at the bottom of the page): Make a donation

To be added to the online choir mailing list, please email admin@music-for-everyone.org and further details will be sent to you.

This morning Music for Everyone’s three-day Summer School got underway once more, but at a new venue – Nottingham High School. About 150 instrumentalists and singers arrived looking cheery, pleased to have overcome the absence of trams and the road closures. Or perhaps at the prospect of fresh coffee and pastries…

The day was filled with a rich variety of rehearsals and workshops in preparation for Wednesday’s concert performance. The repertoire for all groups has been themed to complement the 50th anniversaries of both the moon landing and Sir Robin Knox-Johnson’s circumnavigation of the globe.

Fly me to the moon, and let me play among the stars!

More about the wind band and strings tomorrow – today’s focus is on the choir. Angela Kay, Music for Everyone’s founder and artistic director, led the singers through warm ups and into Ola Gjeilo’s Across the Vast Eternal Sky (one of her favourites, apparently). Then she had everyone swinging Fly me to the Moon before ending the morning with a first go at Handel’s Let their celestial concerts, superbly accompanied by Richard Cox. 

Lunch was followed by a recital and workshop with mens’ vocal quartet Scaramella. They entertained us with snatches and glees from 18th century gentlemen’s clubs – as you might imagine, the lyrics featured much wine and were at times on the naughty side! The workshop stretched the singers physically and vocally, and everyone enjoyed exploring Pearsall’s poignant Lay a Garland.

After a cuppa, Jane McDouall, fresh from the south, returned to a warm welcome and led a singing technique session followed by a Q+A. Everyone will be breathing (inhaling, Jane prefers) with shoulders down and the right muscles in play tomorrow. ‘Basically,’ Jane said, ‘there’s no point trying to hold your tummy in and look good if you want to have breath for singing!’ The choir is looking forward to Tuesday’s arrival of visiting conductor and choral director, Hilary Campbell.

“Let those tummy muscles go!”