Shropshire Music Service

The Shropshire Junior Choir provides an exciting opportunity for children in years 3 to 6 in many schools to join together to sing a wide range of songs.  The choir is currently looking for new members and invites anyone interested to a free trial session on any Tuesday in term time, this Autumn.  The choir meets at the Oakmeadow (formerly Longmeadow) School Site at Bayston Hill from 4:30pm to 5:30pm.  Please contact Mrs Atkin at the Music Centre for further information (01743 874145).

Brass Course - Friday 13th November 2009 to Sunday 15th November 2009:  A weekend of music  making with outdoor activities - open to players who have been learning a brass instrument for at least two terms.

Chamber Music Course - Friday 13th November 2009 to Sunday 15th November 2009:  A weekend of music -making for players of orchestral instruments who have achieved a playing standard of approximately grade 3-4 (or above).

Friday 8th January to Sunday 10th January: a course of music making for beginner string players with outdoor activities.  This course is designed for players who have had about one year of tuition.

Friday 8th January to Sunday 10th January: a course of music making for string, woodwind, brass and percussion players with outdoor activities. this is open to players currently working at grade 1 to 4 standard.

All the above courses will take place at the Pioneer Centre at Cleobury Mortimer and are likely to be oversubscribed again so please talk to your Shropshire Music Service instrumental teacher about them without delay.

Do you enjoy film scores?  Some of the most demanding and vibrant commercial music today is music for the cinema and the Shropshire Music Service Pops Orchestra devote themselves to exciting performances of film scores.

Rehearsals take place on Sunday’s; Novemebr 8th, January 17th and February 28th with, this year, a performance at Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury on March 28th.

For further details of how to join this outstanding orchestra of young and ‘not-so-young’ community performers please contact Alan Atkin on 01743 874145.

The preliminary rounds of the Shropshire Concerto Competition 2010 begin in November with Round 1 taking place in Shrewsbury and in Wellington on November 9th and 10th followed by the second round on January 13th in New College Wellington.

The final will see some of the most talented young musicians in Shropshire performing concertos accompanied by the Shropshire Sinfonia.  This will take place on March 31st at Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury.  Last years event was sold out. We recommend that you book tickets early to avoid disappointment via the Theatre Severn box office.

Shropshire Girls Choir, Shropshire Junior Choir, Shropshire Youth Percussion Ensemble and Shropshire Youth Wind Orchestra, four Shropshire Music Service ensembles will be performing in concert in the ‘Carols by Candlelight’ event on December 12th at St Mary’s Church, Shrewsbury at 6:00 pm.

Many of the Shropshire Music Service ensembles will be performing in concerts at the end of this term:

Shropshire Youth Training Wind Orchestra, Shropshire Youth Training Brass Ensemble and Shropshire Youth String Ensemble will all be performing at 12:00 noon in Shrewsbury Abbey on Saturday December 5th 2009.

The Stretton Stompers and Shropshire Youth Brass Band will perform at 2:00 pm in Shrewsbury Abbey on Saturday December 5th 2009.

Shropshire Youth Orchestra will perform with the Shropshire Training Youth Orchestra in concert at Shrewsbury Abbey at 7:00 pm on December 5th 2009.

The Shropshire Youth Brass Band will be performing at Hawstone Hall on Saturday 18th October as part of the ‘Apple Day’ events.

The Shropshire Music Service ‘School of Music’ made a very good start at the weekend of September 18th and 19th with an increase in numbers of young people playing in ensembles.  Dates for the next weekend rehearsals for the Autumn Term are:

October 2nd / 3rd

November 6th / 7th

Novemeber 16th / 17th

December 4th / 5th

Young musicians in Shropshire might well be thinking of auditioning for the National Youth Orchestra.  The details will be useful:

“Any young musicians interested should visit www.nyo.org.uk to find out what’s involved and to begin an application. It’s completely free to apply and audition. The deadline for applications is Wednesday 1^st July!”

The support organisation run by parents and helpers called SYMPHO (Shropshire Young Musicians Parents and Helpers Organisation) will hold their AGM on 19th September 2009 at 1pm at Priory School, Shrewsbury.  Incorporated within this short annual meeting will be a concert performance by the Shropshire Youth Orchestra who will just have returned from their tour in France.