800 pupils will unite at Snape Maltings for this year’s Big Sing Across the county (and the country!) schools have been learning this year’s collection of Friday Afternoons songs. Each year, Aldeburgh Music commissions new songs for the project, and this year American composer Nico Muhly has written a set of eight songs that can be sung year round, culminating with performances all over the world on Friday 20 November 2015. Inspired by Benjamin Britten, Friday Afternoons is a quality resource for children and young people, enabling them to explore singing as composer, performer and listener. All scores, lyrics, audio tracks and interactive resources from Charanga Music can be downloaded for free from the Friday Afternoons website. Are you singing? On Friday 20 November approximately round 800 school children will gather in Snape Maltings Concert Hall to learn and sing a collection of Friday Afternoons songs for the Big Sing event. This day will also present the premiere performance of the winning composition of this year’s Britten Young Songwriter Competition. Are any of your pupils budding composers? In June, schools across the county participated in the Suffolk County Music Service’s Whole Class Ensemble Teaching Celebration, where they worked on From A Railway Carriage with Tracey Rayner (Suffolk County Music Service), Megan Peel (Aldeburgh Music) and other County Music Service tutors. You can take a look at the Suffolk County Music Service Flickr to see photos from this event. Tracey Rayner, Senior Vocal Tutor for the Suffolk County Music Service said: “The Friday Afternoons project has made available, free of charge, three separate sets of songs with backing tracks, sheet music, lyrics sheets, and, in some cases, interactive whiteboard teaching resources. It is an invaluable and unique resource for teachers and pupils and has been in used all over the world. The latest set of songs, commissioned from Nico Muhly, is designed to be sung throughout the year, something which busy teachers looking for assembly ideas will really appreciate. My favourite, Rain, seems quite appropriate at the moment…” Will you be there? Tweet the Suffolk Music Hub @suffolkmusichub and Friday Afternoons @FridayPMs on the day – we would love to hear from you! Hundreds of events across the UK involve Friday Afternoons. Are you singing? Add your event to the map! .