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Sibelius Student Composer Competition

Josie Newton on 'Take it Away'

As mentioned in June 2007, the Arts Council set up an initiative called 'Take it Away' in 2006.  Since then it has grown and expanded and now includes our very own South West Music School student, Josie Newton.

You can see her at: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/takeitaway/index.php?video=4

Take it away is an Arts Council initiative designed to help more people get involved in learning and playing music. The scheme allows individuals to apply for a loan of up to £2,000 for the purchase of any kind of musical instrument, and pay it back in nine monthly instalments, completely interest free.

Take it away is open to everyone (over the age of 18), but primarily designed to help those who might otherwise be unable to afford an instrument appropriate for their needs.

Our priorities are:

• to encourage children and young people to develop their interests and skills in music making
• to inspire new players of all ages to begin learning an instrument
• to enable those on lower incomes to acquire an instrument appropriate to their needs (or the needs of their children)

Take it away is only available through registered outlets. For details please see participating stores.

Sanders Society Competition

The John Sanders Memorial Competition for Young Composers

Entries are invited from young composers under the age of 28 years on 27th March 2009 of a choral composition suitable for performance at CathdralEvensong, and lasting no longer than 8 minutes.

A prize of £1000 will be awarded to the winning composer, together with guaranteed performance of the winning composition in at least 8 British cathedrals and University Colleges during the year 2009/10.

Competition judges Sir Philip Ledger, Bob Chilcott, Adrian Partington

Closing date: 12noon Friday 27th March 2009

Entry form, conditions of entry and further details can be obtained by downloading from the website www.sandersociety.org.uk after 30th June 2008 or from:

William Armiger, 
Sanders Society,
144 Tuffley Avenue, 
Gloucester 
GL1 5NS

(saeA4enveloperequired)
 

Baring-Gould Folk Song School now open for booking

Baring-Gould Folk Song School
Monday 27th to Friday 31st October 2008

Take a week out in beautiful rural West Devon working on your voice and song development for an experience you will never forget!

Devon’s folk arts development organisation Wren Music offers all who love singing the opportunity to explore a unique treasury of songs at the Baring-Gould Folk Song School, set in the picturesque village of Bridestowe, ten miles west of Okehampton. You will never forget the experience of being part of a passionate singing community and meeting like-minded people from across the country.

Baring-Gould Festival
Friday 24 to Sunday 26 October 2008
Participation in the Baring-Gould Folk Song School also offers you a half price Weekend pass for the Baring-Gould Folk Festival, 24 - 26th October 2008, featuring over 25 events in a range of comfortable venues in the centre of the delightful Devon town of Okehampton, nestling under Dartmoor’s northern hills. Alongside Wren's home team of the best of Devon artists, including Marilyn Tucker & Paul Wilson, piping wizard David Faulkner, mandolin ace Matt Norman, delightful young vocalists Jackie Oates and Sarah Owen, and the fiery fiddles of Nick Wyke & Becki Driscoll, this year's headliners include Sandra Kerr, ceilidh monsters Tickled Pink, melodeon maestro Simon Care, Alison McMorland & Geordie McIntyre, Oristal (from Brittany), Moor Music, Roger Watson, Martin & Shan Graebe, Bill Murray, Brian Holland, Malcolm Woods, and Mike Bond.
 
Alongside the programme of concerts, the popular Saturday Festival Feast at the Pickled Walnut (and of course the conker competition), there will be a ceilidh (folk dance), morris dancing, sessions, Festival Orchestra, Festival Choir, Young Folks Choir, a visit from the Minehead Traditional Sailors Horse, and dance and morris workshops for all ages, and more.
 
Full details of the Baring-Gould Folk Festival will be posted on www.wrenmusic.co.uk <http://www.wrenmusic.co.uk>  as the programme develops.
 
Weekend Ticket standard £45 (if purchased before 1 September 2008) £50 afterwards
     “             “     concession  £30     “            “              “             £35 afterwards
Saturday Festival Feast      £18 (no discounts or concessions)

National Youth Music Theatre - call for musicians

NEW YEAR, NEW BAND

There's a new band in Torbay and appropriately enough they're calling themselves The Newcomers. Samantha Chalk, the spokeswoman for The Newcomers, contacted me earlier this week to tell me how the band came about.

Samantha said: "Fifteen year old Leila Jones and Matt Chalk, aged 14, met up at Totnes School of Rock.

"At first, Leila was singing to some backing tracks, but later she asked Matt if he would like to back her on guitar. Their session together worked so well, they decided to form a duo.
www.thenewcomers.org.uk

Similarly, a recording of the band's latest original composition can be heard on www.myspace.com/thenewcomersuk

 "Soon afterwards, they entered the Torbay's Got Talent competition and eventually made it through to the final six acts.

"Mr Matthews, who was one of the judges, remarked that Leila and Matt should form a band, but suggested it wouldn't be an easy task because they would need to find other musicians who were not only as talented as them, but of a similar age too.

"Leila and Matt took Mr Matthews' advice and started their search for other musicians. A few days later Matt overheard a bass player rehearsing in his school's practice rooms. His name was Dan Huggins, who promptly accepted Matt's invitation to join the new band.

!At the same time, 17 year old Dan recommended drummer Declan Vaughan, aged 14, who he'd worked with in another band. The rest is history.

"As for their respective musical backgrounds, Leila is a classically trained singer. She has an amazing voice and a passion for rock music.

"Matt has secured one of only 15 places available to South West students at the South West Music School.

"Bass guitarist Dan has been playing for more than two years and has a love of classic rock, especially U2.

"Declan has been playing drums for well over three years and he loves to play anything from blues to heavy metal.

"The Newcomers have been together now for two months, and in that time they've built a repertoire of classic rock numbers from the likes of Led Zeppelin; Foo Fighters and AC/DC, plus several of their own songs. So far, they've played a number of support slots to the local rock band Catch 23 and on Christmas Eve they supported Livin' in a Valvestate at The Dolphin in St Marychurch."

The Newcomers perform their first headline engagement at The Pier Inn in Paignton this coming Saturday evening.

Any venue proprietors, bookers or event organisers who would like more information on the wider availability of The Newcomers can contact the band on-line at www.thenewcomers.org.uk   www.myspace.com/thenewcomersuk

2008 applications NOW open

South West Music School is now open for applications for our next learning year. The closing date is Friday 9th May. Please see APPLY section of this website for details and application forms.

Benjamin Larham composition on Sounds of Brass

SOUNDS OF BRASS

BROADCAST ON BBC RADIO BRISTOL , CORNWALL , DEVON , GLOUCESTERSHIRE, GUERNSEY , JERSEY , SOMERSET SOUND, SWINDON & WILTSHIRE EVERY SUNDAY EVENING @ 5 PAST 7

PRODUCED AND PRESENTED BY PHILLIP HUNT

FM Frequencies, BRISTOL 94.9,CORNWALL 95.2, DEVON 103.4, GLOUCESTERSHIRE 104.7, GUERNSEY 93.2, JERSEY 88.8, SWINDON 103.6, WILTSHIRE 104.3. Repeated on BBC Radio Jersey only at 6pm every Wednesday.

AVAILABLE LIVE ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB at 19-05 British Time at www.bbc.co.uk/devon or at any time for 7 DAYS after the Broadcast. To hear this weeks programme instantly, click on this direct link NOW, www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/networks/devon/aod.shtml?devon/sounds_of_brass   

Requests and Comments welcome at,

E mail. brassmanpgh@uwclub.net     Telephone 01752 843919.

Listing for Sunday 27^th January 2008.

THE CALL OF THE RIGHTEOUS  Leslie Congdon

MID ALL THE TRAFFIC   Leonard Ballantine

JUBILANCE   William Himes   Cornet Soloist Philip Cobb

 DON’T DOUBT HIM NOW   Leonard Ballantine arr. Craig Woodland

Cornet Soloist Philip Cobb

 SCENES OF A BATTLEFIELD   Benjamin Larham

Cornwall Youth Brass Band Conductor Dr Stephen Cobb

 ALLOWAY TALES   Peter Graham

CARAVAN   Duke Ellington arr. Stephen Sykes

European Youth Brass Band Conductor Ian Porthouse

FOLK FESTIVAL   Dimitri Shostakovich arr. Howard Snell

European Youth Brass Band Conductor Peter Parkes

Jazz Composition Prize

Jazzorg (at www.jazzorg.com), in association with the Worshipful Company of Musicians, are offering 2 music prizes for original jazz compositions in original arrangements by the composer.

The values of the prizes are:

For a composition and arrangement for:

·         Big band (notation for 16 players) - £500

·         Small band (notation for 7-9 players) - £500

The competition is open to all individuals, resident in the UK, who are below the age of 26 years on the date of their submission.  The competition is governed by specific rules, copies of which, together with entry forms, may be downloaded  from www.jazzorg.com.  The closing date for submissions is 28th February 2008.

A submission is required to be fully notated for the intended number of players, together with a control score, preferably in publishable form using Sibelius or Finale software.   An audio rendition of the piece (as a file, CD, audio cassette or midi) is required.  The duration of the piece should be 6-10 minutes.

The Organisers are offering these prizes as part of their general policy to stimulate young people's interest in jazz as an art form.     We believe that competitors will benefit from the competition in the following ways:

·         A chance to win the prize.

·         Measuring their standard against their peers

·         Increased exposure of their music to others of similar interest

·         Subsequent publicity

For further information or hard copies the publicity flier, rules or entry forms please contact Arthur Mead, admin@jazzorg.com

Awards for Young Musicians

Arts Council England - Take It Away

Take it away is a new Arts Council initiative designed to help more people get involved in learning and playing music. The scheme allows individuals to apply for a loan of up to £2,000 for the purchase of any kind of musical instrument, and pay it back in nine monthly instalments, completely interest free. Following the success of a six month pilot in the South East region during 2006, the scheme is now being rolled out nationally through a network of 100 outlets across England. Take it away is open to everyone (over the age of 18), but primarily designed to help those who might otherwise be unable to afford an instrument appropriate for their needs. Our priorities are: to encourage children and young people to develop their interests and skills in music making to inspire new players of all ages to begin learning an instrument to enable those on lower incomes to acquire an instrument appropriate to their needs (or the needs of their children) Customers using the scheme to buy a new instrument may include peripheral items such as amplifiers, music stands, sheet music and sometime tuition as part of their loan to help manage these costs too. Take it away is only available through registered outlets. Please go to www.takeitaway.org.uk for a list of participating stores. For further information please contact takeitaway@artscouncil.org.uk or telephone Lucy Jamieson on 020 7973 6452

We're in The Independent

Published: The Independent - 22 March 2007 Music in Schools:

Making sure talent doesn't slip Regional music centres are making sure talent is spotted nationwide. Michael Church reports on the South West. Music tuition in the state system is mostly discussed in terms of paucity or plenty: while teachers with long memories hark back to the good old days when peripatetic instrumental tutors were available on tap from every local authority, optimists like Howard Goodall make films to prove that things have never been better. But this argument relates to the generality of children: less attention is paid to what happens to children at the top end of the ability-range, despite the regular excitement over who becomes BBC Young Musician of the Year.

A scheme which has been steadily growing since its inception in 1973 has recently taken a great leap forward: news of its latest manifestation comes from a bright-eyed young woman named Lisa Tregale. But first some history. Before 1973, local authorities gave talented young musicians means-tested help; a sympathetic Gulbenkian report proposed that specialist music schools such as Chetham's, Purcell, Wells Cathedral School and the Yehudi Menuhin should form part of a state supported Music and Ballet Schools Scheme.

In 2003, Charles Clarke - then Education Secretary - announced a Music and Dance Scheme to support national organisations including the National Youth Orchestra plus its jazz counterpart, as well as the National Children's Orchestra, the National Youth Choir, and the South Asian Music Youth Orchestra. Enter arts consultant John Myerscough, with a report proposing a radical intervention on behalf of those talented children who were still falling through the net. Observing that large parts of the country were not covered by the requisite institutions, that there was a glaring imbalance between public and private provision, and that not all parents understood how to get their talented offspring launched, he suggested that a new infrastructure be created to remedy all this. The result is the creation of Centres for Advanced Training (CATs) in those parts of the country in greatest need: in the North-east, Yorkshire and the Humber, the East, the West Midlands, London (yes, deprivation there too), and the South-west, which is where Tregale hails from. And as director of the newly-created South West Music School, she's inviting applications for student places from this week onwards. "At last we are branded, we have an identity," she beams. And a building? "We will never have one - we are a virtual organisation." This is the big difference from the other three existing CATs, one attached to Yorkshire's youth college of music, one to Sheffield University, and one to the Sage, Gateshead - all of which take place at weekends, with the young musicians visiting then going back home. "But we in the South-west cover such a large area that it would defeat the object of the exercise to base it in one building," says Tregale. "If we set up in Exeter one day a week, it might as well be in London for people who live in Penzance or north Gloucester. We are going to offer flying support to musicians in their own area, on a one-to-one basis. Then two or three times a year we will bring them all together, to break down their isolation, and let them work as a cohort." Each student will get a mentor - but she won't choose those till she has chosen the students. "It's got to be a bit like a dating agency - matching teachers to pupils."

When I suggest this sounds impressively elitist, she bridles: "Not at all!" But surely it fits the definition of the word. "People have different interpretations of that word, some positive and some negative, so I hate to use it." What word would she use instead? "I don't use one. I'd say we're looking for exceptional talent. As our programme is individually tailored, I wouldn't put any labels on it." OK, let's say you're fostering an aristocracy of talent, as in sport. "Right. That is a positive thing. We are completely multi-genre, open to anybody from any background, of any age between eight and 16." And when she starts talking about the kind of students she's looking for, it does sound open. "They don't necessarily have to have had loads of formal teaching - or indeed any teaching. If they have outstanding talent, that will be enough. It could be somebody who's only been playing for six months. We're certainly not saying you must have grade eight violin to apply. It's all down to whether you've got that spark, that gleam of potential." And the nature of the region does underline the need for this virtual institution. The nearest conservatoire is in Birmingham, whereas students in the North have one in Manchester. "We have huge geographical and transport problems," adds Tregale. "Not enough trains and buses, and there's a general difficulty for young people to find out what's going on." Then there's the economic angle, in a region where salaries are low. Specialist music tuition can cost up to £100 an hour, but at £10-£20 the average lesson still represents a challenge for low-income families.

Tregale stresses that they are not going to barge in and support things which are already working. "We will simply give additional support - maybe topping up the hours, sending the student to master-classes, giving them performance opportunities, or getting them professional exposure. Talented players might want to start composing, or conducting. We could get them shadowing players in a symphony orchestra. With our help, a young musician who is already doing well could soon be flying." The local bodies which will feed in mentors and performance opportunities include Dartington Plus, The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Wells Cathedral School and Wiltshire Music Centre. Tregale, who grew up in Exeter, started out as a classical saxophone player, and believes that if she had had the benefit of her scheme she would have got much further as a performer. "By the time I was 16, my local teachers said they couldn't teach me any more. For a student like I was then, we would bring a teacher down, maybe from London, once every few weeks. And they would sit down with the student and talk about the profession, and how the student wanted to develop. I would love to have had that sort of help." Not that she's now dissatisfied with her lot. So - stand up the new Chloë Hanslip, the new Alison Farr, the new Alicia Keyes, and the new Jamie Cullum: the support is there. For more information, visit: www.swms.org.uk