It has been over a year since I first met the Thame Chamber Choir to discuss a new work as part of the Adopt a Composer scheme. Their first concert I attended was a programme of Purcell and his contemporaries interspersed with readings from Samuel Pepys’ diaries – the latter delivered with aplomb by Bruce Alexander. I was struck then by the skill of the choir and by the literary environment in which the concert took place.
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Post date: Tuesday, 1 November 2016 - 11:12am
Visiting the choir a couple of times I was great to be able to build a rapport with the members, listen to them sing and understand and get to know their routine/space/rehearsals.
We decided on a date for the first workshop for a few weeks time to give space to think of how to approach the session and so both Mark, Strathendrick's music director and David, our project mentor, could attend. Their feedback and suggestions on my workshop ideas proved really useful in fine tuning my plans for the session and made me consider accessibility and focus.
Post date: Thursday, 27 October 2016 - 4:50pm
The logistical feat that is taking a musical group abroad and the challenges associated with an aging membership are two issues that we hear about almost every week on the membership team at Making Music. They are both huge issues and issues which we have been working on; see our resources on touring, and on young people’s engagement in amateur music.
Post date: Friday, 21 October 2016 - 12:01pm
Everyone’s heart sank when, for the second time in five years, the great collection of music scores known as the Yorkshire Music Library (comprising nearly 200,000 scores from 11 Yorkshire authorities) closed down when its parent company, a social enterprise, failed earlier this year.
At the time, the resource was being used by almost 2,000 music groups, so the closure had a significant impact on music making across the UK.
Post date: Wednesday, 19 October 2016 - 4:11pm
The celebration will focus on good governance and the skills needed to make trustees effective leaders.
Trustees and committee members from groups can take advantage of free training, resources and events taking place during the week, including:
Post date: Wednesday, 12 October 2016 - 3:24pm
We were delighted that Rosie could join us so soon for an orientation visit at the end of September.
In a full programme we visited three possible premiere venues – from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama’s Dora Stouzker Hall, to a local National Trust property (Dyffryn House and gardens) and Penarth Pier Pavilion. We even started off with a concert, which included the premiere of Viral by Mark Boden, another of this year’s ‘adopted’ composers!
Post date: Tuesday, 11 October 2016 - 12:19pm
So I have recently been selected as the Adopt a Composer Scottish Pairing for 2016-17, working with the Strathendrick Singers on creating a new work. The project really resonates with me – creating relevant and community focused work connects to my interest in concepts of everyday life, nostalgia and personal experiences while thinking about approachability and accessibility allows me to continue challenging my writing, building upon recent work for inclusive audiences and performers – and I am interested to see how the creative process develops.
Post date: Tuesday, 11 October 2016 - 11:40am
They say that Scotland’s a small country, and the adage was – perhaps – proved true at the launch of the Adopt a Composer Scheme 2016/17 in September this year. Two representatives from the Glasgow School of Art Choir, me (Musical Director) and General Manager Kate Hollands, travelled down to London wondering if we would be the only Scottish ensemble represented at the event. Upon arrival I recognised two people in the room, and only two. As did Kate. Both were there representing another choral ensemble, and both were from (yes, you’ve guessed it), Scotland.
Post date: Monday, 10 October 2016 - 6:14pm
Brighton Early Music Festival (BREMF) run Early Music Live - a nine month training scheme and performance platform programme for exceptional early music ensembles in the first stages of a professional career. The scheme is run annually, and ensembles are selected by audition each year.
The linked Promoter Fund offers seven promoting groups the opportunity to to claim a subsidy of between £150 and £525 per group (depending on the size of the ensemble) towards the fee of one of this year’s selected ensembles for performances in the 2017/18 or 2018/19 season.
Post date: Thursday, 6 October 2016 - 4:44pm
When I found out that I had been paired with the Glasgow School of Art Choir I was really excited by the many prospects and possibilities that the collaboration would allow. I immediately had a feeling they would be outgoing, adventurous and creative and those suspicions were confirmed when I met them for the first time at their annual Open Rehearsal on 20 September.
