Adopt a Music Creator 2023 pairings announced

Making Music is thrilled to announce the selected 2023 pairings for Adopt a Music Creator, the long-running new music creation project

The flagship project pairs emerging music creators with leisure-time music groups for a year to create new and inspiring pieces, leading up to a premiere performance, recording and radio broadcast.

Since its beginning in 2000, the project has offered artistic development to music creators and groups, and celebrated music of all genres – showcasing the creative vitality of the UK’s leisure-time music scene. The seven 2023 pairings were selected by Making Music and the national organisation for new music, Sound and Music, and include choirs, concert bands and brass bands. 

As well as pairings between one music creator and one music group, two pairings match one with two collaborating music groups. All pairings are mentored by experienced professional music creators. Additionally, this year, one pairing was created by the group holding an open competition for a music creator (Blackheath Choir).

The Adopt a Music Creator 2023 pairings are as follows:

• Peter Falconer and Band of the Surrey Yeomanry (mentored by Fraser Trainer)
• Joshua Kaye and Orchestra of the City (mentored by Fraser Trainer)
• Anselm McDonnell and Northern Ireland Concert Band mentored by (Seán Doherty)
• Robin Fiedler - Camden Brass Band and Regent Brass Band (mentored by Jenni Pinnock)
• Georgina MacDonell Finlayson - Shenstone Roses and Shenstone Singers (mentored by Lynne Plowman)
• Fraz Ireland and Blackheath Choir (mentored by Colin Riley)

Adopt a Music Creator is run by Making Music in partnership with Sound and Music, the national organisation for new music, and funded by the PRS Foundation and Philip and Dorothy Green Trust as well as Creative Scotland.

Barbara Eifler, Chief Executive of Making Music, said:

"I look forward once again to some inspiring, surprising and innovative projects from these pairings. The projects are incredibly collaborative and thus often a new experience for the music creators and empowering for the members of the music group, to become part of the creative process. Here’s to some amazing new pieces in 2023!"

Will Dutta, Co-Head of Artist Development at Sound and Music, said:  

"This wonderful programme has a significant track record of supporting composers and music creators in facilitating community work and collaboration. It also provides a hugely valuable opportunity to build a sustained relationship with a music group and this inevitably leads to inventive and joyful new music making. I wish the cohort every success!"

Read about the 2022 project pairings and their creative journeys at the Adopt a Music Creator opportunities page. 

For more information, contact Sally Palmer, Making Music Projects Manager, at sally@makingmusic.org.uk 

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Notes to editors

Partner organisations:

Since 1935, Making Music has championed leisure-time music groups across the UK with practical services, artistic development opportunities and by providing a collective voice for its members. We now represent over 4,000 groups made up of around 228,000 musicians of all types, genres and abilities. We help them run their groups so they can get on with making music! makingmusic.org.uk

Sound and Music is the national organisation for new music. Their vision is to create a world where new music and sound prospers, transforming lives, challenging expectations and celebrating the work of its creators. Sound and Music supports a diverse range of talented composers to develop their work; helps audiences to discover and experience new music; and enables children and young people to explore their musical creativity. They strive for a world in which more people of all ages and from all backgrounds have more opportunities to access, create and enjoy new music. soundandmusic.org

PRS Foundationis the UK’s leading charitable funder of new music and talent development. Since 2000, PRS Foundation has given more than £35 million to over 7,300 new music initiatives by awarding grants and leading partnership programmes that support music sector development. Widely respected as an adventurous and proactive funding body, PRS Foundation supports an exceptional range of new music activity – from composer residencies and commissions to a network of talent development partners and showcases in the UK and overseas. prsfoundation.com

The Philip and Dorothy Green Trust was established by film and television composer and conductor Philip Green (1911-1982) and his wife, Dorothy, to help young musicians and composers. The Trust has co-funded the Adopt a Music Creator project (previously Adopt a Composer) since 2015.  

2023 participants:

– Peter Falconer and Band of the Surrey Yeomanry (mentored by Fraser Trainer)

Dr Peter Falconer is a sound artist, composer and parafictionalist. His work frequently combines music, sound design, narration, historical research and sonic journalism to tell stories about both our own and possible alternative realities. He is also a voiceover artist and plays the Northumbrian smallpipes. peterfalconer.co.uk

Band of the Surrey Yeomanry is a 30 to 40 piece concert band (also known as a wind band, or military band). The range of a concert band is very broad and can include music from all periods from the classical to the modern popular. Typically, programmes include selections from shows (anything from Rodgers & Hart to Andrew Lloyd Webber), dance band music (Glenn Miller to Jerry Herman), waltzes (a bit of Strauss, perhaps) and modern pieces written specifically for concert bands.surreyyeomanry.com
 

– Joshua Kaye and Orchestra of the City (mentored by Fraser Trainer)

Joshua Kaye’s work centres around the voice and for the stage. He completed an MA in composition at Trinity Laban under Edward Jessen, Deirdre Gribbin, Errollyn Wallen and Laura Bowler. At Trinity, he received the silver medal and worked with the Hermes Experiment, the Smith Quartet, the Riot Ensemble and the Trinity Symphony Orchestra. He also attended the Dartington Advanced Composition course under Nico Muhly. joshkayecomposer.co.uk

The Orchestra of the City aims to break down barriers between the orchestra and audience as well as innovative programming. The regularly perform in London and further afield, recently working with soloists ranging from established international figures such as Alexandra Dariescu, Guy Johnston, Josef Spacek, Benjamin Grosvenor to some of the most exciting young musicians of today at the beginning of their careers. orchestraofthecity.com
 

– Anselm McDonnell and Northern Ireland Concert Band (mentored by Seán Doherty)

Anselm McDonell has written over eighty works for a variety of ensembles and regularly works with artists from other disciplines. His music has been performed in Estonia, Hungary, Thailand, North America, Canada, Finland, Japan, Russia and across Europe. He also performs on the classical and electric guitar. anselmguitar.co.uk

Northern Ireland Concert Band’s players come from all walks of life and is made up of over 40 musicians in wind, brass and percussion. The band took part in its first tour at a music festival in Torrevieja, Spain, in 2015. NICB has won the Northern Ireland Bands’ Association Championship contest in 2017 and 2019. The band enjoys playing all musical genres to give audiences a concert experience they won’t forget. nicb.org.uk
 

– Collaborate Pathway – Robin Fiedler, Camden Brass Band and Regent Brass Band (mentored by Jenni Pinnock)

Robin Fiedler, a graduate of Middlesex University London, can look back on performances with the acclaimed London Firebird Orchestra and Allegri String Quartet. Other highlights include her Junior Residency with the London Bel Canto Festival 2018 and Cheltenham Composer Academy 2022. Robin studies composition with James Francis Brown and her music has been performed in the UK, US and Europe. robinclaremusic.com

Camden Brass Band was launched by the Camden Music Service as part of a partnership project with Brass Bands England. The band meet weekly to rehearse their programme of popular music and can be seen performing regularly in the local community. With players in Years 6 to 9, it bridges the transition between primary and secondary school, building on instrumental learning in WCET (whole class ensemble tuition). bbe.org.uk/band/camden-brass-band

Regent Brass Band was founded in 1985 by a collective of young brass musicians in Brent. Since then, the band has gone from strength to strength, and formed sister band Regent Community Band in 2012. The band has recently relocated and currently rehearses in the Chalk Farm Salvation Army Hall. Regent Brass recently performed in the World Music Contest in Kerkrade, Netherlands. Regularly performing contemporary music including several world premieres, the band also plays from the traditional brass band repertoire. facebook.com/regentbrasslondon

– Collaborate Pathway – Georgina MacDonell Finlayson, Shenstone Roses and Shenstone Singers (mentored by Lynne Plowman)

Georgina MacDonell Finlayson, a violinist, fiddle player, composer and community arts practitioner with an interest in collaborative, cross-genre and multidisciplinary performances. Often inspired by folk music, nature, landscape and the climate crisis, her work explores everything from contemporary classical and electroacoustic music to original folk composition and arrangement, and creating and performing music and sound design for live theatre. georginamacdonellfinlayson.com

Shenstone Roses were formed in 2018 and are a small upper voices ensemble of 12 singers. They perform a wide repertoire, including popular and show tunes, gospel and folk, jazz and classical. shenstonemusic.mymusicstaff.com

Shenstone Singers is a small group for those who want to sing without worrying about harmonies and learning songs for performances. While they have provided entertainment in the community on occasion, the main purpose is to make the singers feel good at the end of a meeting, while also looking after their voices. They sing folk, gospel, popular and show songs. shenstonemusic.mymusicstaff.com/Shenstone-Singers

– Fraz Ireland and Blackheath Choir (mentored by Colin Riley)

Fraz Ireland is a composer, performer and conceptual artist whose work explores a provocative and playful relationship with its audience. Often incorporating text, graphic and video elements, their work can sometimes be found lurking in the corridors between liminal spaces. Fraz engages with well-established traditions, including—but not limited to—dining, digging and destroying…  frazdotcom.com

The Blackheath Choir aims to do exciting repertoire while fostering a friendly and inclusive experience for members. Alongside established choral favourites, they explore lesser-known works, contemporary composers, and premiere new commissions. They also participate in workshops and competitions, sings carols for charity at Christmas, and hold social events. blackheathchoir.org.uk