Peace Day is coming soon and One Day One Choir are aiming for a million voices, singing around the world for unity and peace on Sept 21. One song is enough and dedicating something you are already doing is a really easy way to take part!
Anyone in any kind or size of choir can take part; community, rock, madrigal, school, glee club, youth, symphony, office, gospel, work place, barber shop, hospital, church, synagogue, temple – all kinds of choirs are welcome.
With 9 audition days hosted across the UK and over 150 choirs auditioning for the grand title, the Choir of the Year 2016 audition stage has come to a close. However, the choral journey continues as 16 choirs will be ‘singing it out’ at the Category Finals at Birmingham Symphony Hall in October, for a place in the Grand Final in December.
The UK may be heading for Brexit, but a new non-profit songbook aims to showcase both the individual national identity and shared heritage of European states.
In each country, students and teachers from music colleges (in the case of the UK these were Birmingham Conservatoire, RCM and RAM) nominated pieces in a series of categories to represent different facets of their country. From this shortlist, music lovers are now invited to vote for their six favourites to be featured in the final book as representative of the UK.
Musicians looking for a next step after grade 8 that doesn't involve sight-reading, scales and aural tests may be excited to hear about the new ARSM diploma coming soon from ABRSM.
BBC Radio 3's popular Meet my Choir segment returns this September and they are looking for new choirs to feature.
UPDATE (27/02/17): The BBC is no longer taking submissions.
In the Meet my Choir feature, the BBC want to hear all about you and about your vocal group. They are inviting groups to make their own recordings, and tell Radio 3's listeners what inspires you to sing. What makes your vocal group special? What's your history? What does it mean to your members?
The BBC has revealed the five orchestras chosen to be part of the new series All Together Now: The Great Orchestra Challenge, which the broadcaster describes as ‘a nation-wide search for the orchestra that best captures the spirit of great British amateur music-making in the UK’.
It’s been great to get to know the orchestra personally, and have time to try out several drafts and sections of the piece before finalising them; everyone in the orchestra has been really enthusiastic about having a new piece written for them, and I couldn’t have done it without them.
Nearly 20% of the British population call themselves 'tone deaf', and probably many more would call themselves 'non-singers', holding negative thoughts about their own singing ability and voice.
A new project – Finding a Voice – run by Guildhall School of Music & Drama will focus on people who are not singing, engaging them in specially designed programmes including individual and group sessions with experienced teachers.
After over 100,000 music makers and supporters signed an official Parliamentary petition asking the Department for Education (DfE) to include expressive arts in the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), the proposals were debated in the House of Commons on 4 July.
Health and Wellbeing Month, in August 2016, will include a series of workshops to demonstrate useful skills and practises for musicians' health. The initiative, now in its fourth year, is a partnership between Help Musicians UK, British Association for Performing Arts Medicine and Musicians' Union. Events will be held in Birmingham, Cardiff and London.
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