Finding music for performance

Being the musical director (MD) of a group is a diverse role with a lot to think about from conducting, arranging music and developing the group to leading, inspiring and encouraging cohesive working.

Hal Leonard Europe, a proud Premium Corporate Member of Making Music, are offering a range of initiatives to support people with their music making during these challenging times via their online store musicroom.com.

Making Music member discount

A committee is a group of enthusiastic people who care about their group or organisation, want to see it thrive and are willing to take responsibility for making that happen. A committee position requires good organisational skills, a willingness to give up some spare time and the ability to co-operate with others. 

Discovering new music, deciding what to perform and actually sourcing the sheet music can be both the most fun and frustrating parts of running a music group.

Whether you’re looking for new repertoire, thinking of commissioning or just trying to find the cheapest option for the sheet music you need, we have resources to help.

Over the years, the Adopt a Music Creator project has inspired fantastic musical creations that are worth sharing, so we've created a library of these compositions. The composers have re-scored their pieces to make them more accessible to other kinds of groups. These new versions are free for Making Music member groups to download and perform.

Danyal Dhondy's Still the Sirens was commissioned by Making Music specifically for leisure-time groups as a companion piece to Fauré’s Requiem

Still the Sirens is approximately 28-30 minutes long, and is written for SATB choir plus organ or orchestral forces as detailed below. Music groups can purchase the parts and score by contacting composer Danyal Dhondy directly. PRS performing fees will apply as usual.

Making Music volunteer Martin Jones – an experienced composer and arranger of music for leisure-time ensembles – gives us his top tips for success.

The Kirby Collection of printed music sets is available for use by groups in Surrey and the rest of the UK thanks to a generous legacy from Alan and Ethel Kirby.

In this guide, composers and performers will find a wonderful treasury of sound advice from a wide variety of composers with experience in writing for amateur groups.

This guidance provides a step-by-step guide on how to commission new music. The guidelines are designed to help you choose a suitable composer for your group’s needs, negotiate the commissioning process, raise funds, market your piece successfully, and ensure future performances of your commission.