Hertfordshire Music Service www.hertsmusicservice.org,uk NORTH HERTS MUSIC SCHOOL AUTUMN Highbury House Highbury Road, NEWSLETTER SG4 9RU, NOVEMBER Tel: 01462 434052 Fax: 01462 442825 hitchinmusicenquiries@.gov.uk 2016

Head of North Herts Music School : Nicky Footer Follow us on Twitter@HMSNorthHerts

Dear Parents, Carers & Students, CONCERTS

Welcome to our autumn newsletter which is full The Priory Picnic provided our annual platform of all kinds of information of events and activities at for many of our Intermediate and Senior groups featuring North Herts Music School. I would especially like to our Intermediate Strings, Wind Bands, North Herts extend a very warm welcome to all our new students Youth Orchestra, Chamber Strings Orchestra, Senior who have started either music lessons or a group activity Wind Band and North Herts Youth Jazz Big Band. The this term; we look forward to working with them - may Priory Picnic is always a real highlight of the year and as their musical journey be full of success! usual the performances were of an exceptionally high At the end of last term, sadly we said goodbye to standard. Its success lies within all the hard work of our Annabel Sanders-Hewett, Gill Miles & Angela Doughty students, staff and the band of “Friends” of North Herts who have all retired & Nick Evans-Pughe who has Music School who put it all together – well done to stepped down from his violin teaching. We welcome everyone who took part! Other concerts during the Fran Austin in the office and congratulate Danny & Iona summer term included performances by North Herts Basford on their marriage in the summer. Youth Orchestra who, once again, performed at the NORTH HERTS MUSIC SCHOOL WILL BE 50 IN 2017 closing concert of the Festival shared with We are getting very excited about our 50th Senior Windband players from the area at the Gordon birthday in 2017! Preparations have already started: Craig Theatre. NHYO’s varied programme included some of our Saturday Morning Music School Students Weber’s Freischütz Overture, some movements from have planted a large amount of Golden “Trumpet” Bizet’s Carmen Suites and harpist Maddie Herbert gave a Narcissi in one of the borders at North Herts Music mesmerizing performance of the stunning “Baroque School: Flamenco” Student Recitals @ Highbury House These give any of our pupils the opportunity to perform in front of a wider audience. We have just had our first two recital evenings this term which were very well attended with some wonderful performances from our young musicians. The dates for the next two terms are set as: Spring Term ~ Tuesday 28th February & Wednesday 1st March and Summer Term ~ Tuesday 13th & Wednesday 14th June at 7pm. Please ask for more information from your teacher or pick up an application form in reception.

North Herts Youth Orchestra will finish the autumn term with an Informal Concert/Open Rehearsal on Monday 28th November at the Stevenage Music Centre at The Nobel School 5.15 – 7.15pm. Do come along and sit in amongst the musicians to get the feeling of what it is really like to sit in an orchestral rehearsal! This term Here are just some of the things we are planning for next NHYO have been learning music from Films and year: Musicals, as well as a piece written by trumpet player o “Strictly North Herts Music School” with Jasper Eaglesfield. NHYO & NHYJBB - 9th July Members of North Herts Youth Jazz Big Band o Gala Concert in November 2017 featuring a (NHYJBB) played as part of the Herts Jazz Festival in commission by Mark Lockheart for NHYO & Garden City in mid-September. NHYJBB’s gig NHYJBB towards the end of term, shared with our two junior jazz o We hope to make a CD of all our ensembles groups Blast Off! & Launch Pad is set for Stevenage (copyright and licensing permitting!) Music Centre on 1st December at 7.30pm. Admission to o Time capsule to be buried in the grounds of this concert is free, with a retiring collection & Friends of Highbury House during Autumn 2017 (To North Herts Music School will be running a bar. If you wish include photos, programmes, recordings etc.) to help out on this event, please contact Nicky Footer. o Please let us know if you know of any past Next term they will look forward to a Session Orchestra students of NHMS – we would like to invite Weekend on the weekend of 4th & 5th March at Stevenage them to our Gala Concert! Music Centre where string players and jazz musicians

SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR FUTURE NEWS, MUSIC SCHOOL CALENDAR AND CONCERT DATES www.hertsmusicservice.org.uk/north-herts-music-school

from North Herts, Stevenage & Music School percussion. Please get in touch with us – it is highly likely will collaborate under the guidance of Andy Stott, that we can lend you an instrument too! eminent director of the Popular Music course at the We are very pleased that we have a new group Royal Northern College. which has started on a Saturday Morning called “String We had our first ever Teacher – Student Stars” which is for 5 – 7 year olds. We have managed to Concert in July over in the Main Hall at the Girls’ School. beg or borrow the little violins and ‘cellos for the children to It was truly wonderful to hear all our teachers and a few learn on and the children are able to take them home to students performing together to an amazingly high practise on! We are now collecting names again for a new standard! We held a collection at the end in aid of a new Music Stars group also for 5 – 7 year olds to have fun Baby Grand Piano that we wish to purchase for the learning music with percussion instruments and singing Music School! games and we hope to start this group in January.

NORTH HERTS MUSIC SCHOOL SATURDAY MORNING CONCERT & PERFORMANCES is at 11am at Hitchin Girls’ School Main School Hall on Saturday 17th December at 11.00am and will feature all our string, woodwind & brass players and choirs!

Please see the orange & green leaflets that have come home with all the details for rehearsal times on those days.

DRESS (SMART) Girls ~ White blouses, black skirts/trousers Boys ~ White shirts, black/dark tie, black/dark trousers Black/dark shoes: No trainers please.

th Chamber Strings Concert is on Thursday 24 November at 7.30pm at NHMS with a rehearsal for We are extremely proud of Megan Reed, piccolo, quartets from 6pm and for the full Chamber Strings (above, left) playing and parading as part of the Trafalgar Orchestra at 7.00pm. Day Parade in London in October. She was taking part in DRESS (SMART) : BLACKS the massed band of the Sea Cadets, marching through

Admiralty Arch, into Trafalgar Square and then back down String Stars & Singing Stars Performances will take th The Mall to Buckingham Palace. By the end of it, she place on Saturday 10 December at the end of their couldn’t feel her lips or her feet! Well done Megan! session and this will be their last session for this term. We would encourage all our String Stars and Singing Stars to come along to the concert the following week (please see details above).

A CONCERT IN MEMORY OF MARY BACON Last May we received the sad news that one of our super young musicians, Mary Bacon, passed away at the age of 15. She was a keen violinist, singer and dancer and had attended North Herts Music School for many years, progressing through the various string groups and choirs. We thought that it would be fitting to hold a concert in Mary’s memory, jointly with Hitchin Girls’ School (where Mary attended school) and the th concert is planned for Wednesday 8 February at 7pm.

Congratulations to Rowan Scourfield who has MUSIC CENTRE NEWS been taking part in the Songwriter projects and appears in On three Saturday afternoons in October we this quarter’s issue of the HCC magazine “Horizons”. He is were able to host Family Ukulele Workshops with Jimi a member of “Blast Off!” and will be performing one of his Day and John Musto. We had 7 families attend and they songs at the jazz bands concert on 1st December. Rowan all learnt to play several chords & strumming patterns plays guitar and drums. which were then used to accompany songs. They have been so well received that we are running the Family Instrumental Day Workshops: We have just had Ukulele Workshops again on November 19th & 26th a very successful Recorder Day at Samuel Lucas School and December 3rd – please ask at reception if you where about 25 children came together to play their recorders. On 16th November we are holding our first would like to sign up – it’s only £10.00 per family for all Beginner String Day at Stevenage Music Centre for three sessions! children in Years 1, 2 & 3 and our annual Wind Day is due Vacancies for Students: We are always looking to to run at Ickleford School on Monday 28th November – get encourage children to take up more unusual your applications in to us by 21st November! We are instruments: oboe, bassoon, ‘cello, double bass, French hoping to run three groups: Beginner, approaching Grade horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba & orchestral 1 & Grade 1+. Please ask your teacher or at reception for an application form. We will only have 80 places, so will deal with applications on a first come, first served basis. receive your copy of future newsletters via e-mail, please We are planning to run instrumental workshop days for send an e-mail to [email protected] singing, brass, percussion, guitar & string players throughout the rest of the year. These are tremendous HEALTH & SAFETY fun for students and staff alike! COMPETITIONS & PRIZES May we take this opportunity to say that although Congratulations to the winners of the Hills we take every care to ensure the health & safety of Prizes for String playing: Rosie Barron, Hannah Dixon, students, parents and staff on the premises, could we Leanne Li and Natasha Anthony; and to Jonathan Taylor remind parents that we are only responsible for students & Charley Gaidoni for the winning woodwind and brass while they are in a lesson or Music School activity. We are prizes sponsored by instrument repairer Graham De unable to provide general supervision at other times and Vere White; and to Lauren Temple for the Highbury Cup therefore students remain in the care of their parents for NHYO. before and after lessons or activities. Children of Key The Rotary Music Awards 2017 (formerly the Stage 1 age should always be taken to and collected from Peter Lambourne Bursary & Sue Cracknell Singing the door of their Music Centre activity. Please note we do Competition): Applications for these Music Awards, not provide a qualified first aider in our Music sponsored by Hitchin Priory Rotary, are invited by 31st Centres. January with auditions at the end of February. This Bad Weather: if we should need to close due to annual event is open to all Year 12 instrumental & the bad weather (or indeed any other closure) please look singing students who live or come to school in the North at our website for details: www.hertsmusicservice.org,uk st Herts or Stevenage area. There will be a 1 prize of £250, a 2nd prize of £150, a 3rd prize of £100 and a 4th MUSIC SCHOOL DIARY AUTUMN 2016 prize of £50 for the instrumental Music Award & £250 1st prize & runner’s up prize of £100 for the Singing Award. NOVEMBER The final Competition Concert where the winners will be Tues 8th Recital Evening - North Herts Music School 7pm decided is at Benslow Music Trust is likely to take place th on 22nd March. Added to these awards will be a brand Wed 9 North Herts Recorder Day, Samuel Lucas School 9.00am – 3.00 pm new Composing Competition, also for Year 12 th students. The deadline for compositions is Friday 24 Recital Evening - North Herts Music School 7pm

February, 2017. Application forms for all three Music th st Wed 16 North Herts & Stevenage Beginner String Day – Awards will be available from reception from 1 Stevenage Music Centre 9.00am – 2.30pm December 2016. Sat 19th 26th Family Ukulele Workshops 1.30 – 3.00pm NHMS FRIENDS OF NORTH HERTS MUSIC SCHOOL Thurs 24th North Herts Saturday Morning Music School Do you have 1 hour to spare every term? As Chamber Strings Concert 7.30pm at North Herts parents of students at NHMS, you automatically qualify Music School as a “Friend”. The committee of the Friends of North Mon 28th North Herts Wind Day, Ickleford School 9am–3 Herts Music School would welcome some new faces pm either to serve with their existing committee or to the regular pool of helpers at concerts and events, especially North Herts Youth Orchestra Open Rehearsal: as we look forward to end of term concerts. If you are Stevenage Music Centre 5.15 – 7.15pm able to offer your support in any way, please contact DECEMBER st Nicky Footer at the Music School.We are very grateful to Thurs 1 North Herts Youth Jazz: Big Band, Blast Off! & the Friends of North Herts Music School who have very Launch Pad Stevenage Music Centre:. 7.30pm generously donated over £1,000 of new equipment and Sat 3rd Family Ukulele Workshop 1.30 – 3.00pm NHMS music for the Music School, as well as agreeing to paying £1,000 towards the commissioning of a new Mon 5th North Herts Guitar Ensembles Concert: North piece as part of our 50th Birthday Celebrations. Herts Music School: 6pm

Wed 7th North Herts Midweek Band Concert INVOICES & ADMIN North Herts Music School 6pm

All payments are dealt with through County Hall. On the th Sat 17 SMMS Concert Hitchin Girls’ School reverse side of your invoice are payment options. Should Main School Hall 11.00am you have any payment queries, please contact us at the Music School. May we remind you that a full half term’s Sat 17th Last teaching day of Autumn Term notice in writing is required to the Music School when Thursday 5th January 2017: Start of Spring Term giving any change in Instrumental/Vocal/Group Tuition. Saturday 7th January 2017: SMMS Resumes Please notify as follows:

FOR CHANGE TO TAKE PLACE NOTIFICATION DEADLINE … AND FINALLY End of Autumn term Fri 21st October 2016 End of Spring term Fri 10th February 2017 … we really value dialogue with parents over any matter. End of Summer term Fri 26th May 2017 We love it when we hear of good results and positive feedback. We are also looking at ways of improving all Newsletter: Thank you to those of you who have that we have to offer and appreciate it if you have time to requested our Newsletter by email. The newsletter will let us know! be available on our website. Paper copies will continue Nicky Footer to be available from our reception, but if you would like to