Shropshire Music Service

The Shropshire Youth Wind Orchestra and the Shropshire Girls Choir left Shrewsbury on  Monday 24th July for a short performing tour in Belgium.

They will be playing concerts in Sint Salvator Cathedral in Bruge; St Michael’s Church in Ghent and St Paul’s in Antwerp.

The Shropshire Youth Brass Band  leave on July 27th for a short tour taking in concerts at Ypres (Menin Gate) and Wapenplein, Ostend.

The Shropshire Youth Orchestra will be representing us at the Edinburgh Festival this year from Aug 20th to 24th.

The Pops orchestra is one of the Shropshire Music Service’s most experienced and leading ensembles.  The orchestra works largely on film scores and so offers a much wider repertoire than is usual for an enlarged symphony orchestra, as it is augmented with larger brass and woodwind sections and a full percussion section and keyboards. 

The Pops Orchestra had a great first rehearsal at

Longmeadow
School. The next rehearsals are on 20th Jan and 17th Feb   Concerts on 14th &16th March. Repertoire includes Thunderbirds, West Side Story `Symphonic Suite’ and Theme from `Narnia’. More players are very welcome to join us.  Contact Alan Atkin via the office for more details.

A new area ensemble called ‘PONTSEMBLE’ aimed mainly at new players, will meet during term time 4.00-5.00 on Mondays starting on 12 November in the Performing Arts Studio at Mary Webb School. Registration forms are available from Glenn Pollard via the Music Service Office.

Details of the calendar and background information for the Shropshire Music Service for 2007-8 can be found here.

The Shropshire Youth Orchestra returned from Italy yesterday having performing during the week to appreciative crowds and packed venues.  Full report to follow.   Hear the SYO at the Parents Association (SYMPHO) meeting on September 15th at 1pm at The Priory School, Shrewsbury.

The following posting gives a list of events for the summer term - in some cases further details will be added shortly.

Saturday 28 April at 2pm – Woodwind Platform (including music by Shropshire Youth Training Woodwind Ensemble, the Training Clarinet Choir, Edgetone (Flute ensemble) Double Reed trio, Saxophone ensemble and Senior Clarinet Choir) at Belvidere School, Shrewsbury at 2pm.

Tuesday 22 May at 6pm - North West Shropshire Schools String Orchestra at the Marches School, Oswestry at 6.00pm

Friday 22 June A concert given by whole school classes of violin pupils showing the progress made by this initiative now in its third year. Shrewsbury Music Hall - further details to be added.

Saturday 7 July 10am -12 noon. Shropshire Youth Brass Band playing in the Shrewsbury Market.

Saturday 7 July Shropshire Training Youth Orchestra and Shropshire Training Youth Wind Orchestra at Crowmoor Baptist Church - further details to be added.

Saturday 7 July Shropshire Girls Choir at Crowmoor Baptist Church - evening - further details to be added.

Saturday 7 July at 7:15pm Strings Gala at Meole Brace School (changed from 14 July)

Sunday 8 July Church Stretton Food Fair featuring the  Shropshire Youth Brass Band, Shropshire Youth Wind Orchestra, Shropshire Girls Choir and  Shropshire Percussion Ensemble.

Monday 9 July – Cellobration 3 (A celebration of cellos) at Christchurch, Bayston Hill - further details to be added.

Tuesday 10 July 7.00pm Meole Brace School – Shrewsbury String Festival - further details to be added.

Wednesday 11 July Brass Extravaganza - further details to be added.

This summer the Shropshire Youth Brass Band will visit and perform in Reims and Lausanne.  The tour leaves on July 22nd and returns on the 29th.

The Shropshire Youth Orchestra visits the Lake Garda area from August 26th to 2nd September.

As a joint venture between Shropshire Music Service and the North West Shropshire Excellence Cluster, a new band for wind, brass and percussion players is being created.

It will meet weekly from 4:00pm - 5:00pm with the first rehearsal on April 17th 2007.

There will be a ‘taster’ session at Gobowen Primary School on Friday March 9th at 1:30pm with parents welcome to hear the results of the workshop at 3:30pm.

Today saw an excellent rehearsal for a major pair of concerts later this year.  This seasons repertoire include music from Mission Impossible, Dances with Wolves, West Side Story, Miss Saigon, Les Miserable, The Big Country and Gladiators.  The next rehearsal is on Sunday February 18th from 10:00am -3:00pm with concerts as follows:

Albrighton hall Hotel (Shropshire County Council Charity concert for Hope House) - Friday evening March 16th (time to be confirmed via this posting - probably 7:30pm - Tickets available from Shirehall - details of this special fund-raising event to be posted here.
Church Stretton School - Sunday March 18th at 2pm - tickets available on the door. Tickets £4.

A new woodwind ensemble is being created for young people who have been learning a woodwind instrument for at least 1 term up to Pre-grade 1 on flute, oboe, clarinet, alto and tenor saxophone and bassoon.

The ensemble will rehearse throughout the year on School of Music weekends (roughly fortnightly) at the Herbert Centre at Belvidere Secondary School, Crowmere Road, Shrewsbury beginning on Saturday 13th January 2007 from 9:30am to 12:30pm.

Transport is available from pick-up points around Shropshire.

For further details please contact Music Service Manager Alfie Raggatt via the ‘contact’ button at the top of the page.

The rehearsal of The Shropshire Music Service Pops Orchestra on 29th October was most successful with some very impressive orchestrations from Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, West Side Story, Mission Impossible and Dances with Wolves rehearsed. There are still places for all instruments especially woodwind and violins. Remaining rehearsals are on 21st January 2007 & 18th February 2007 (10.00am -3.00pm) and concerts are on 16th & 18th March 2007.

If you enjoy film music come & enjoy a different experience.

Christmas concerts ‘Passport tickets’ are available for the following concerts at £8 adult, £4 concession £20 family which entitles you to entry to as many of the following concerts as you wish. Individually these concerts are priced at £4, £2 & £10.

Look out for further details which will be posted closer to the event.

Saturday 2 December - 6.00pm Shropshire Girls Choir & Shropshire Junior Choir at Crowmoor Baptist Church

Saturday 9 December – 2.00pm Shropshire Training Youth Orchestra, Shropshire Training Youth Wind Orchestra, Shropshire Senior Clarinet Choir & Shropshire Senior Percussion Ensemble at Christchurch, Bayston Hill

Saturday 9 December – 2.30 pm Shropshire Youth Wind Orchestra & Shropshire Youth Brass Band at St. Mary’s Church, Shrewsbury

Monday 18 December 8.00pm Shropshire Youth Orchestra & New College Chorale at Shrewsbury Abbey

The following items from the diary are here to give some advance notice – further details will be posted closer to the event.

Tuesday 5 December North West Shropshire Schools String Orchestra at The Marches School, Oswestry 6.00pm

January 5-7 – Strings Residential Weekend at Pioneer Centre. This very popular course is now full.

February 24th – Woodwind Platform

March 2 to 4 – Residential Chamber Music Course at Pioneer Centre. Please return forms asap even if you are not a member of a chamber group.

March 3^rd Shropshire Youth Brass Band performing in Condover

March 9 and 10 – School of Music Open days – take an opportunity to hear our bands, choirs and orchestras in rehearsal, especially if you would like to join.

March 17 (10.00 -16.00) Music for Youth, Meole Brace School – the regional round of the National event.

March 30^th at 7.30– Shropshire Youth Brass Band at Wrekin College

April 28th– Woodwind Platform

June 22^nd Whole class violin concert, Shrewsbury, The Music Hall

July 9^th – Cellobration 3 – our third annual event to celebrate the cello at Christchurch

July 10^th 7.00pm Meole Brace School – Shrewsbury String Festival

July 11^th Brass Extravaganza

July 14th 7.15pm Strings Gala Concert, Meole Brace School

The Shropshire Youth Big Band, which rehearses on Friday evenings of School of Music weekends at Belvidere School from 5.30 to 8.00pm, has vacancies for alto, tenor & baritone saxes, trombones & percussionists. The contact is Jenny Couch at our email address – see ‘contact’ above.

The Shropshire Youth Percussion Ensemble, conducted by Andy Richards, boasts some of the finest young percussionists in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin. Previous members have included Adrian Spillett (Winner BBC Young Musician of The Year 1998) and Toby Kearney (Finalist BBC Young Musician Of The Year 2006). SYPE performs an eclectic and exciting repertoire of music written and arranged especially for percussion ensembles. The instrumentation includes marimba, xylophone, vibraphone, glockenspiel, orchestral chimes, bass drum, drum kit, timpani, congas, bongos, Afro-Cuban and Latin hand-held percussion instruments.

Players are required to have advanced experience on drum kit, tuned and unpitched percussion instruments. The minimum requirement is grade 6 or similar on their first study instrument and grade 5 on second study instrument (one of which must be a tuned percussion instrument).

Shropshire Training Youth Percussion Ensemble conducted by Jerome Auxant, provides an introduction to the percussion ensemble environment. Players are encouraged to have some tuned and unpiched percussion experienced to a minimum grade 3 standard.

SYPE rehearse on alternate Monday evenings 7-9pm STYPE rehearse on the same evening 6-7pm (both following the School of Music weekends as detailed in The Music Service Calendar).

If you are interested in joining Shropshire Youth Percussion Ensemble or Shropshire Training Youth Percussion Ensembleplease contact Andy Richards at The Music Service telephone 01743 874145 mobile 07790 775249 home 01952 510334

For all Edgetone members and flautists of Grade 4 and above, rehearsals began on 19 September at Longmeadow (7.30 -9.00pm)

The contact is Jan Lumley via the Shropshire Music Service Office – 01743 874145

Shropshire Youth Wind Orchestra & Shropshire Girls Choir Visit to Belgium 21-25 July.

This was a most successful tour. Concerts included performances at the Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels, St. Michael’s Church in Gent as part of the Gent International Music Festival, and Ypres Town Square. The ensembles received many very favourable comments on their performances & professionalism and were invited to make a return visit to the festival. Hopefully this will take place in July 2008.

The Pops Orchestra

Rehearsals; 29 October, 21 January, 18 February (10.00 -15.00).

Concerts;  16 & 18 March

This is available to members of SYO, SYWO, SYBB, SYBigBand, SYPE & staff. We also have some parents as playing  members. String players specially welcome. If you enjoy film  music come & enjoy a different experience.

There was an impressive array of musical talent on display when the combined forces of the Shropshire Youth Brass Band, the Shropshire Training Youth Brass Ensemble and 70 beginner brass players performed the grand finale to this year’s Brass Extravaganza. Castaway Cove was a thrilling conclusion to an inspirational evening of brass music performed by Shropshire and Telford players of all abilities The beginner brass very ably performed two ‘world premieres’ of specially composed suites for brass by Glenn Pollard as well as versions of well known tunes.

The Training Youth Brass Ensemble demonstrated just how far the group has progressed since it was formed just 3 years ago and played a variety of solo and ensemble music under the direction of Wendy Jones and Andrienna Straw.
The Shropshire Youth Brass Band were having a final run through of the programme they were to play at the National Festival of Music for Youth at Symphony Hall, Birmingham the following day. No-one could fail to have been impressed by the power, precision and musicality of their performance conducted by Dave Heywood.

The performers were rightly given a standing ovation at the end of the concert by an enthusiastic and appreciative audience.

Next year’s event has already been booked for 11 July 2007.

Saturday 11 November-Flute & Double Reed day

Saturday 2 December-6.00pm SGC, SJC & Edgetone at Crowmoor Baptist Church

Saturday 9 December –2.00pm STYO, STYWO & Senior Clarinet Choir at Christchurch, Bayston Hill

Monday 18 December 8.00pm SYO & New College Chorale at Shrewsbury Abbey

5-7 January – Strings Residential Weekend at Pioneer Centre

Saturday 24 February – Woodwind Platform

2-4 March – Chamber Music Course at Pioneer Centre

Saturday 3 March SYBB Condover

9/10 March – School of Music Open days

Saturday 17 March (10.00 -16.00) Music for Youth, Meole Brace School

Friday 30 March at 7.30– SYBB at Wrekin College

Saturday 28 April – Woodwind Platform

Friday 22 June Whole class violin concert, Music Hall

Monday 9 July – Cellobration 3 at Christchurch

Tuesday 10 July 7.00pm Meole Brace School – Shrewsbury String Festival

Wednesday 11 July Brass Extravaganza

Saturday 14 July 7.15pm Strings Gala Concert, Meole Brace School