Somerset Music Achievements June 2008

Kilve String Weekend

41 KS2-4 students attended the Kilve Residential weekend 6-8 June at Kilve Court. Students enjoyed activities on offer as well as learning new pieces and making new friends. Parents were treated to a performance on Sunday afternoon.

Somerset Count Youth Concert Band Summer Course

Will be held at Millfield School's new concert hall on 19 - 21 July. The course will culminate in a concert on Monday 21^st starting at 7pm.

The managers hope to run a junior course along side for one day and may do a massed band performance which could be exciting (and loud!)

Somerset County Youth Orchestra Tour to Scotland 2008

59 members of SCYO will be going on tour to Scotland this year. Concert venues include - Hawick, Dunblane Cathedral and Central Hall in Edinburgh. All concerts are in aid of charity (Marie Curie, Save the Children and Dunblane Cathedral Trust).

South Somerset Music Spectacular 2008

Was held at Westlands Leisure Complex in Yeovil. Total number of students involved this year was 1459.

The following schools took part over the 4 nights:

Huish Episcopi Science College, Avishayes, Huish Episcopi Primary, Norton Music Club, Kingsdon, Razzmatazz, Curry Mallet, Ash, Curry Rivel, Grass Royal, North Cadbury Eagles, Ilchester Infants, Milford Jnr, Winsham, Birchfield, West Coker, Hinton St George, Haslebury Plucknett, South Petherton, King Arthur's, St Gilda's, Abbas and Templecombe, East Coker, Preston Primary, Kingsbury Episcopi, Fairmead, Bucklers Mead, Stagecoach, Ashill, Lovington, Hambridge, Blackdown Folk Band, High Ham, Milborne Port, Westfield, Martock, Holy Trinity, Yeovil Music Centre, Merriot, Chilthorne Domer and Charlton Mackrell.

Schools Prom - Update

We can now confirm that the 400 students chosen to take part in this project are from the following schools::

Schools confirmed taking part (400 students)

Abbas & Templecombe, Avishayes (Chard), Bishop Henderson (Taunton), Brookside (Street), Butleigh, Castle Cary, Charlton Mackrell, Combe St Nicholas, Curry Mallet, Huish (Yeovil), Long Sutton, Manor Court (Chard), North Cadbury, St George's Catholic (Taunton)

St Joseph's (Burnham), St Louis Catholic (Frome), St Vigor and St John (Chilcompton)

West Monkton, Winsham, Fairlands Middle School, Hugh Sexey Church of England Middle School, Bishop Fox's Community School (Taunton), The Castle School (Taunton), Chilton Trinity Technology College (Bridgwater), Heathfield Community School (Taunton), King Alfred School (Highbridge), King Arthur's Community School (Wincanton), Wadham School (Crewkerne) and Westfield Community School (Yeovil) plus members of SCYC (110 members). We will be auditioning for dancers to take part in the event, in June.

We are currently seeking sponsorship from County Councillors, local and national employers.

Raising Voices: Cheddar Valley project

10 schools (8 First, 1 Middle and the Kings of Wessex) funded by Youth Music and SM - v successful - schools delighted with the weekly sessions as well as the weekend workshops bringing all the schools together - culminating in end-of-project celebratory Festival (including public performance) on 19 July, which also offers the opportunity for Cheddar singers to work with the County Youth Choir, who will also be performing.  Lots of positive feedback from parents, too.

New choir forming in Cheddar for young people directly as a result of the Raising Voices project.

Somerset County Youth Choir

Sat. 28 June: SCYC performing with Black Voices and alongside Mtiebi (Georgian male voice choir) along with about 400 adult performers from 5 different regions / counties, at the amphitheatre in Swanage - culmination of project with Black Voices (sponsored by Arts Council, headed locally by Take Art).  SCYC are the only Youth Choir to have been invited / involved in this project.  Prior to this: they had (in March) a workshop from Black Voices who then gave a public performance in Brent Knoll, and invited SCYC to perform on stage with them - fantastic experience.

SCYC now 110 and still growing - 2 more applicants just today - another last week ... Might have to split the choir in 2008 / 2009 if it begins to feel unmanageably big

Giving Voice

Training of 30 KS1 / KS2 teachers from 16 schools - pilot project - excellent feedback - one teacher has applied for (and been given) the job of Music Coordinator in another school, which she says is entirely attributable to the confidence given to her by doing the course.  Another has started a community choir based at her school.  All in all, successful project which will be rolled out next year if there is enough interest from schools.