I saw this on Youtube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6UbfJYJW8c
While it's not everyone's cup of tea music wise does this kind of thing still happen in the UK ?
I remember in the late 80's/early90's doing a Christmas concert with Nigel Kennedy at Newcastle City Hall with the New Tyneside Orchestra.
I met Nigel a few years later in O'Reillys bar in Frankfurt when he was driving from Poland back to the UK (or vice versa can't remember exactly). Nice bloke contrary to what others may say. Bought him and his mates a pint while he watched his beloved Aston Villa play. After a brief chat we took the pee something rotten about his football team, but he's a football fan, he took it on the chin with the fun intended. Top man !!!
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Brilliant gig...not my cuppa...but hey ! See the toddler bashing away on his tin drum !
I agree about Kennedy....first class guy and musician.
Gonna watch the footy now...see y'all later.
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Not sure we had that kind of master class but here in Northants music in schools still matters:
www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/music/Pages/default.aspx
My two and so many of their friends were inducted into music via NMPAT. Neither passed auditions for County bands themselves but continue to play in Uni orchestras and, in The Lad's case as a self taught guitarist as well. He'll be back at school next week helping the Campion Steel Pans prepare to perform at Hollowell Steam and Heavy Horse Festival.
Both have close friends who performed at venues including School Proms at Royal Albert Hall and toured with County Orchestras in Europe. The Ding sisters, murdered with their parents by Anxiang Du were, amongst their other achievements, County musicians.
Doing all that is massively developmental and provides experience in their CVs that goes way beyond the basics of the GCSE or A level music listed as 'qualifications'.
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Do you know if counties still have the orchestras and wind bands?
I have fond memories of the weeks at Ford castle with both and the summer concerts. The day off school every month for rehearsal was a bonus.
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>> Do you know if counties still have the orchestras and wind bands?
>> I have fond memories of the weeks at Ford castle with both and the summer
>> concerts. The day off school every month for rehearsal was a bonus.
Northants certainly does. There are several Saturday music/drama centres each with their various bands and ensembles. At least for now there is still music teaching to GCSE or A level in most schools and a network of peripatetic teachers providing instruction in a wide range of instruments.
AS mentioned above the best players graduate to County Orchestras etc and have opportunity to tour in Europe and to participate in annual school prom at the Royal Albert Hall. Neither The Lad nor Miss B made grade but both their best friends did. What they got out of school music though in terms of commitment, enjoyment and rounding of personality is a convincing argument as to why such subjects still have a place. A level music is academically demanding and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Unfortunately the enthusiasm is, in the face of SATS and league tables etc, waning in the primaries. Compared to when my two were in yr6/7 transition a decade or so ago very few new entrants to the comp are players and the school bands are declining in number.
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Son is off to Slovenia/Hungary next month with Berks youth orchestra, which is run by an organisation called Maestros who do most of the music in the county. He started in one of their pre-school groups IIRC, or it might have been a bit later.
It all costs money of course, which I don't think the clarinet lessons I used to get through school did.
EDIT: obviously I don't expect the trip to be free (pity), I was thinking of the lessons he used to have
Last edited by: Focusless on Sun 8 Jun 14 at 20:08
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>> It all costs money of course, which I don't think the clarinet lessons I used
>> to get through school did.
>>
>> EDIT: obviously I don't expect the trip to be free (pity), I was thinking of
>> the lessons he used to have
I'm pretty sure music tuition was free in the West Riding too, at least at junior age, though it varied enormously from school to school. At my first Primary, from age 4 to 9, the orchestra and choir led the hymns in assembly every day. At the second there were some low key groups, e.g. Mr Souter and recorders, but very little else.
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>> It all costs money of course, which I don't think the clarinet lessons I used
>> to get through school did.
>>
>> EDIT: obviously I don't expect the trip to be free (pity), I was thinking of
>> the lessons he used to have
>>
No hobby is free and has been mentioned is a fantastic way to learn a valuable life skill being part of a team with a common goal where you have responsibility for your part.
As I mentioned I loved my time at school because I was barely there between music and football school just got in the way.
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>>What they got out of school music though in terms of commitment, enjoyment and
>>rounding of personality is a convincing argument as to why such subjects still have a
>>place.
I could not agree more. No. 2 is still very young at the game (she's 9), but I love the way that the school orchestra children behave towards each other and to their teachers. I absolutely love the way that No. 2 will ask to be taken to a concert instead of the local amusement arcade.
It seems an entire subject area neglected far too often these days.
In a couple of months the whole school orchestra is off to perform in the Easter Islands for some competition or other. Costs an arm and a leg, of course, but what a great opportunity for them.
Not so much because of its location, but because its an opportunity to go and do something which is her interest, not ours, and to do it in a social group without us.
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>> I could not agree more. No. 2 is still very young at the game (she's
>> 9), but I love the way that the school orchestra children behave towards each other
>> and to their teachers.
And it goes on. Both mine, now at Uni, still keep in social contact with their music teachers from the comp. The Lad, I think, happily meets his in the pub.
Both still go back to the Saturday school partly to help out and partly to meet the other veterans.
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Haven't things changed.......my boys only grammar school had a music teacher. I forget his name, but it's somewhere in the criminal records system.
He was a ' toucher-up ' of boys who got captured by the Dibble and went to HMP, presumably to share a cell with Big Ron, for some years.
Never tried it on with me, though..........don't know whether that says more about him or me !
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Music and encourageing the next gen... - Ted
