#robin browning

The Young People’s Concert conducted by Robin Browning was an incredible success.  I have had so much positive feedback, from both performers and audience members. It has been quite overwhelming!  People are now asking when the next one is going to be so I am busy, beavering away, securing the arts funding to make sure that we CAN repeat it next year.

We have numerous other, crazy yet exciting plans that are currently being formed, all of which are equally exciting.  I have set up a Facebook page for our department so that we can easily publicise each of our events - nothing innovative, but new and exciting for us!

www.facebook.com/stpetersmusicdept

The next 2 projects currently being worked on are a concert involving key stage 3 students, performing the South African Protest Music of Hugh Masekela (with arrangements by saxophonist (Jason Yarde) and a project with the British Council and e-Twinning, linking us with schools in Ukraine and Armenia. More on both of these shortly.

My department have been incredibly fortunate to receive some funding from our local Music Hub, Soundstorm, to use for project work this year. One of the projects is an orchestral concert aimed at our primary school, feeder primary schools, as well as out year 7 and 8 students.   The idea behind it is to use students, staff and parents who are instrumentalists to form an orchestra which will perform short pieces and movements from larger works.  This will give the youngsters in the audience a taste of orchestral instruments and of a Symphony orchestra.  I remember attending something very similar as a 7 year old and the experience has stuck firmly in my mind, no doubt contributing to my love of orchestral playing, which I have done plenty of over the years.