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 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.

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.

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.

SYMPHO, the Shropshire Youth Music Parents and Helpers Organisation, held its AGM on Saturday and a new chairman, Mr Colin Bates was elected to lead the group for the next year.

Thanks were expressed for the significant work over the past 4 years of the retiring chirman, Mr Paul Beech.  After the formal meeting a short concert was given by the Shropshire Youth Wind Orchestra and the Shropshire Girls Choir who performed from the repertoire they had presented in Belgium during the tour earlier this summer.

Any parents of students in the Music Services bands, orchestras, choirs and other ensembles are welcome to support either as members of the committee or in providing help ‘front of house’ for our many concerts during the year. The SYMPHO cxommittee meetings this year will be held on:

Oct 16th, Nov 15th, Dec 5th, Jan 18th, Feb 5th, Mar 13th, Apr 18th, May 17th, June 11th and July 9th

The venue for the next meeting will be the Graham Berkely Suite at the Music Centre, Long Meadow, Bayston Hill, and other venues will be posted on this blog when confirmed.

If you would like to offer support for our work in music education for young people then please contact us at education.music.service@shropshire-cc.gov.uk

The SYWO and SGQ had a highly successful tour to Belgium during the summer. Three concerts were given over five days. These were at the Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels, St Michael’s Church in Gent and in Ypres Town Square.

The SYWO and SGC will perform at the forthcoming AGM of SYMPHO on Saturday September 16 at The Music Centre , Long Meadow, Bayston Hill at 1.00 pm.
The SYWO and SGQ are currently looking for new members. Applicants for the SYWO should be of Associated Board grade 6. Please contact Alan Atkin for further details. SGC applicants should contact Alison Stevens for further information and audition details
The groups hope to return to Belgium in the summer of 2008.