Shropshire Music Service

As part of the national focus on young voices, Shropshire Music Service is presenting many hundreds of young voices in three massive choirs at the Shrewsbury West Mid Show Ground on July 2nd 3rd and 4th.

The open-air events, beginning at 7pm, will provide the audiences with an opportunity to hear songs which have been taught in recent weeks across many schools and will allow the children, often singing in small school choirs to be part of a massive vocal ensemble numbering more than 800 on each evening.

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.

In some areas there are opportunities for more players & singers, so please encourage brothers, sisters and friends to join. Even though this year’s auditions have been, we are happy to consider students at other times of the year. Details are available from the Music Service.

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. Contact is Jenny Couch

Shropshire Junior Choir provides an exciting opportunity for children in years 3-6 to sing a wide range of songs together. The choir is currently recruiting new members so interested children & parents are invited to attend one of our weekly rehearsals on Tuesdays in term time from 4.30 to 5.30 at Longmeadow School, Bayston Hill. The cost of membership is £19.50 per term.

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.

12 - 13 December 2006

Entries to be received by 12 noon, 27 September 2006.