Lancashire Music Service. Serving You Right
TUNE IN
♫ MUSICAL FUTURES AT BROOKFIELD
♫ CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS
♫ LYCB FOCUS
Volume 10, Issue 3
4 June 2007
Directorate for Children and Young People
TUNE IN SUMMER 2007
WELCOME
TO
TUNE IN
W
ell the school year is
nearly over and I am
sure we are all thinking about
lying in the sultry sun on some
white sandy beach with the
warm water lapping at our feet
in some exotic part of the world
far, far away from good old
Lancashire. Speaking of foreign
trips, although quite far removed
from a restful holiday our County
Ensembles namely the Youth
Orchestra, Youth Concert Band,
Youth Jazz Orchestra and
Schools’ Jazz Orchestra are all
preparing for their summer tours;
can’t see any beach visiting
will be taking place more like
humping equipment on and off
coaches at some ungodly hour!
As well as trips abroad the
LMS lorry has been making
trips all over Lancashire and
will continue to the end of term
delivering oodles and oodles
of instruments to over 70 new
Primary Schools starting Wider
Opportunities from September.
This makes a total of more than
£560,000 spent on instruments
in 115 Primary Schools in our
Wider Opportunities scheme.
Of course Wider
Opportunities caters for pupils
at KS2 so what about pupils
at KS3, Musical Futures
is designed for these very
pupils. Here in Lancashire we
have been piloting Musical
Futures in 3 schools over
the last twelve months that
have proved very successful
(see p14); another 2 schools
are coming on stream in
September. As with our Wider
Opportunities scheme we
are pumping over £5000 of
equipment per school.
Edward Hoyle Musical
Director of the Lancashire
Youth Concert Band (see p12)
has steered them to the finals of
this year’s Music for Youth. They
will travel down to Birmingham
on the 13 July for the finals, we
wish them all the very best of
luck.
As usual there are a large
number of concerts taking place
towards the end of the term, if
you have any time why not go
along and have a listen I can
guarantee there will be some fine
performances (see p18).
It is an extremely busy time
for the Music Service at present;
there are a great many new
initiatives coming on stream, far
too numerous to include here so
we will be reporting on these in
future editions. For now have a
wonderful summer, don’t get too
burnt and I’ll see you next term.
CONTENTS
NEWS IN BRIEF
LYCB At NMFY
Many congratulations to the
Lancashire Youth Concert Band
who have won through to the final
of the National Music For Youth
Festival. So on Friday the 13 July
they travel down to Birmingham
where I am sure they will give
the other finalists a run for their
money, we wish them all the very
best of luck.
Wider Opps Grows
You have read about Wider
Opportunities at KS2 many
times in this journal. There are
Music Services that only have a
small number of primary schools
numbering no more than 30 to 40
at the most. Here in Lancashire we
have well over 400 does that deter
us, not a bit of it. From September
another 70 primary schools will
come on stream and more will
commence later in the year. Wider
Opportunities just grows and
grows!
Musical Futures
What Wider Opps does for
pupils at KS2 Musical Futures
does for pupils at KS3. This is
a brand new initiative where we
provide on loan up to £6000
worth of equipment to be used
by Y8 & Y9 pupils. There has
been 3 schools taken part over
the last year and from September
another 2 are commencing. If you
think your High School might be
interested contact Jim Grisdale on
01257 234450.
2.
News In Brief.
Various bits and pieces
4.
Music Educators Conference.
LMS annual conference
6.
Developing Creativity Through Sound.
Pupils of St. John’s RC Primary report on their sound week
8.
Teacher Focus.
We speak to John Doyle (LSSO Musical Director)
11.
Carnival Of The Animals.
Initiative by Lancashire Music Service & Cumbria Music Service
12.
LYCB.
A look at the Youth Concert Band
14.
Musical Futures.
New initiative at Brookfield High
17.
Primary Advanced Skills Teachers.
Thoughts by our AST’s
18.
Next Issue.
A taster of our next issue
18.
Concert Corner.
Information on up and coming concerts
19.
And Finally.
Some light hearted snippets
20.
Born In Preston.
Benefactor Mr. Cyril Hill
Musical Futures p14.
Italy Here We Come
This summer the Youth
Orchestra, Youth Concert Band,
Youth Jazz Orchestra and the
Schools’ Jazz Orchestra are all off
to Italy for their annual tour. The
groups are touring different areas
of the country and at different
times but it looks like Lancashire’s
invasion of Italy this summer will
be complete. So its arrivederci to
the LYSO, LYCB, LYJO and the
LSJO. Italy here we come!
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All correspondence to:
Lancashire Youth Concert
Band p12.
Mr. S. Grills (Editor)
Lancashire Music Service
The Woodlands Centre
Southport Road
Chorley
Lancs.
PR7 1QR
Tel. (01257) 234450
email: [email protected]
www.lancsngfl.ac.uk/curriculum/music
TUNE IN SUMMER 2007
MUSIC EDUCATORS
CONFERENCE 2007
by Mike Thomason
T
his year’ s Conference
was well attended and the
feedback was very positive which is
particularly encouraging as this event
comes at a time of unprecedented
development within music education.
I was particularly pleased to hear
speakers encouraging us to focus on
More and more young people
are benefiting socially and
personally by being involved in
relevant and sustainable music
education programmes.
the needs of all would be learners.
The range of workshops presented
at this and previous conferences
demonstrates the wide variety of
approaches that are available to us
through which we can engage new
Jim Grisdale talks to Katherine Zeserson after her key note speech.
Two singers from Lathom High School show the delegates how
Musical Futures has transformed their music in school.
groups of young people.
The success of creative and
innovative schemes such as the
Wider Opportunities initiative at key
stage 2, Musical Futures at key stage
3 and the continuing development
of ICT within the music curriculum
are engaging the enthusiasm of
young musicians who may not have
previously had access to music
making. More and more young
people are benefiting socially and
personally by being involved in
relevant and sustainable music
education programmes.
The increasing acceptance
that musical learning takes place
in a number of different contexts
(referred to in the Music Manifesto
as formal, in-formal and non-formal),
is another development highlighted
during the conference that is having
a considerable impact on the way
that musical learning is facilitated.
New working partnerships are being
TUNE IN SUMMER 2007
Jane Seddon Head of Music at Lathom High
School.
developed and many teachers are
gaining increased confidence and
enthusiasm through involvement in a
wider variety of settings.
Our annual Music Educators
Conference has grown steadily
over the years since the first one
some seven years ago; one of the
most important aspects of these
conferences is that they allow and
encourage teachers from both the
Music Service and the classroom to
come together to discuss all the new
initiatives for pupils at all key stages.
I have never known a time when
the opportunities for young people
to become actively involved in music
making have had such a high profile
or have been developed so quickly.
With the ‘learner in the centre’ the
challenge for us all is to remain openminded and respond creatively to
their musical needs.
Top Left: Francis Ajiteru one of our Musical Futures teachers.
Above: Richard Duckett, talking about instrumental group tuition.
Bottom: Ted Hoyle in one of the many seminars. Any suggestions
on what he’s thinking send them into the editor!
(Next years Music Educators
Conference will be on Thursday 3
April 2008. Information for schools
will be available on the LSES website
and will be distributed internally to
LMS staff.)
TUNE IN SUMMER 2007
DEVELOPING CREATIVITY
AT
ST. JOHN’S RC PRIMARY
been highly motivated and involved
in the learning activities while staff
have been inspired and learned
new skills. Using sound and the
music curriculum in this way has
encouraged pupils to think creatively
and experiment. Asking questions
such as “what will happen if…” and
“I wonder how…” has challenged
our children to think of what might
be possible and experience a sense
of success and ownership of their
ideas.
Above and far left: Youngsters work hard on their musical sculpture.
by Mrs Chisnall
successful bid to use the creative arts
and partnerships with other agencies
to develop creative thinking. Through
discussion with staff, a whole school
focus on ‘music’ was identified and
the search for the right partners
began.
We found an organisation
that shared our enthusiasm and
philosophy for creative exploration
in the ‘Sonic Arts Network’. Based
in London, they have a wealth of
S
ound Week was upon us
and at 8.15am on Monday
morning, 6 Community Music
students from York University along
with Duncan Chapman arrived at
the school door with plastic tubes,
hammers, nails, bamboo and
mysterious large cases filled with
wires and gadgets. What had we let
ourselves in for!
Duncan introduced himself to my
class as someone who “gets paid for
making noise”. In actual fact he is a
successful
musician, Year 6 pupils designed and help
composer, make a musical sculpture, which
artist and
will be permanently installed in
lecturer
who
our garden area.
travels
the world and has done prestigious
work with the Philharmonia and BBC.
This week, he was also the workshop
leader of activities exploring the
nature of sound in our school
environment.
Our project is a result of a
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experience in working directly with
schools and provided us with a link to
experts who could help. Many emails
and phone calls later our project
began to take shape.
INSET training took place and
staff learned new skills of recording
digital sound and manipulating them
using ICT. Individual workshops
for each class were planned and
timetables formulated. Throughout
the whole process a focus on
developing children’s questioning
and thinking skills was paramount.
Activities were chosen on the
grounds of active investigation and
enjoyment of the curriculum where
problem solving and teamwork
approaches could be explored.
During ‘Sound week’, pupils
made musical instruments and
used them to compose, practice
and perform musical and rhythmical
pieces. Cross-curricular activities
included playing listening games,
‘sound scavenger hunts’, making
sound maps, art activities and poetry
writing. Year 5 children created a
‘Sonic Postcard’ of our area that
involved a sound walk around the
school locality to collect and record
the unique sounds of where we live.
This is available to download from
the ‘Sonic Postcards Website’ and
is a way of sharing our experiences
with the wider community. Year 6
pupils designed and help make a
musical sculpture, which will be
permanently installed in our garden
area.
Our project has given us all an
opportunity to explore the creative
aspects of sound. Children have
Middle: Duncan Chapman shows how to attach the metal
tubes.
Year 6 think their finished sculpture is just great.
TUNE IN SUMMER 2007
TEACHER FOCUS
WITH
JOHN DOYLE
J
ohn Doyle has in a short time
made a quite a name for himself
as a very fine player in the brass
band field; he is now carving a career
out as one of Lancashire’s young
dynamic Heads of Music.
John has come through the Music
Service from his early days at school
in Preston to his time at Music
College. He was a member of the
Fulwood Music Centre Concert Band
as well as playing with the County
Youth Brass Band.
After college he worked for the
Service as section tutor for the
County Band. He now is Musical
Director for the Lancashire Schools’
Symphony Orchestra. I recently
caught up with John to have a chat
and see what makes this young man
tick.
Left: John working with youngsters at
school.
Below: Conducting the LSSO.
TUNE IN: Where did you go
to school?
I am a Preston lad so I started off
at Our Lady and St Gerard’s Catholic
Primary then I went to All Hallows
Catholic High School. After All
Hallows I did my A-Levels at Cardinal
Newman College, I then decided
that I wanted to pursue music as a
career so did my degree at the Royal
Northern College of Music finishing at
Manchester Metropolitan University
for my PGCE.
What’s your instrumental
specialism?
I am a brass player. I say brass
player because I don’t just play
on one instrument. I am a regular
performer on Trumpet, Cornet,
Piccolo Trumpet, Eb/D Trumpet,
Soprano Cornet and Flugel Horn.
John Doyle: Head of Perfroming Arts &
Music at Lostock Hall High, also Musical
Director of the Lancashire Schools’
Symphony Orchestra.
What made want to play a
brass instrument and where
did you have lessons?
I played the piano from the age of
8, and really fancied trying another
instrument. My neighbour had an
old cornet lying around, so I asked
for lessons. My first teacher was an
inspiration to me. His enthusiasm and
skills as a brass trainer are second to
none. You might have heard of him.
His name is Stuart Grills!!!!!!
What is your role with the
Music Service?
Currently, I am Musical Director of
the Lancashire Schools Symphony
Orchestra.
As well as this, my day job is
Head of Performing Arts and Music at
Lostock Hall Community High School
and Arts College.
Dyke Band. It might sound a little
big headed to say that they are the
world’s most famous brass band
but it is very true. We are currently
no.1 in the world, and have been for
a couple of years. This year alone,
we will have been to Switzerland,
Belgium, France, Germany and
performed in venues such as the
Bridgewater Hall, Royal Albert
Hall and the Symphony Hall in
Birmingham. Personally, whilst I have
been with the band, I have performed
with Jools Holland, Billy Bragg,
Tori Amos, Elton John, The Eels,
Moby, Gabrielle, and Peter GabrieI.
I have recorded for ‘Groundforce’,
‘Dinnerladies’, ‘Jools Holland Live’,
‘Dimbleby round Britain’ and ‘Songs
of Praise’. I just love playing with a
continued on p10
What is your favourite
aspect of the job?
The amazing people that I work
with. Seriously, the young people in
both my school and the Orchestra
are spectacular. Their commitment to
hard work, new ideas and interesting
music is brilliant. Not only this, but
making music for a living is great.
Imagine getting paid to do something
you thoroughly enjoy, and of course
the HOLIDAYS!
You’re a big brass band
man; tell us a bit about that
area of music and what is it
that you enjoy so much?
I play flugel horn in the World’s
most famous Brass Band, the Black
TUNE IN SUMMER 2007
TUNE IN SUMMER 2007
Carnival Of The Animals
by Kevin Hamel
Right: Backing singers enjoying
themselves.
C
Below right: Guitarists, I think they are
enjoying themselves?
continued from p
team of fantastic musicians, who are
basically unpaid. Like Olympians,
Brass Bandsmen/women are
amateurs. We all work full time,
have families, but play a gig most
weekends in the year. For nothing!
It’s great! For me, it is what music is
all about. Some of the playing I hear
is just ridiculous. This is why I play
with a brass band.
So do you still get a kick out
of playing?
The band does approximately
50 concerts, 4 tours, 8 CD’s, 3
competitions and 100 rehearsals
a year. Oh, and they rehearse in
Bradford. Put it this way, I live 3 miles
from my school, and I did 20,000
miles in the car last year. I also have
a flourishing solo career, playing
solos all over the world. In the last
year, I have travelled to Belgium,
Holland, Switzerland and various
venues in the UK playing solos.
career has developed since
leaving college?
I attended the RNCM and
achieved a 2:1. After completing my
PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in
Education), I naturally wanted to go
into teaching and thought of joining
the Music Service, but the classroom
is where I ended up. I was appointed
as Head of Music at my first attempt.
How lucky was that?
After a tough couple of years,
which included writing a bid for Arts
College Status, I was promoted
to Head of Music and second in
Creative Arts. In my third year, I
was accepted onto the Fast Track
teaching Scheme, and in my fourth
year, promoted again to Head of
Performing Arts and Music. Just this
week, I have also been appointed
as Assistant Head of Year 7 with the
emphasis on Transition Management
for 2007/8. Obviously I am very
ambitious, but I also feel that I am
consolidating my experiences along
the way. Reflecting on your teaching
style, classroom management and
the way others perceive you is so
important in this job.
I love teaching, and I love working
with the future of this country, and I
really want to help shape them into
decent human beings. Young people
are too easily put down in the press
at the moment, and not enough is
said about the good things that these
young people do in society. I want to
have a direct influence on the Arts
at a management level, as I feel
this is such an important part of our
Children’s lives.
I would only leave teaching if
I made the PGA tour in America.
However, I am only a 12 handicap so
I do not see that happening any time
soon.
hildren and adults alike
approach to this grand animal
take great delight in
fantasy. Working with www.tunedCamille Saint Saens’ Carnival of
in.org through CLEO, Cumbria
the Animals.
and Lancashire schools will have
Described as ‘a grand
access to videos of musicians
zoological fantasy’, the carnival is
discussing each musical episode,
a series of musical sketches not
and demonstrating how Saint
just about the occasionally curious Saens explores the capabilities of
behaviour of animals, but also
individual instruments to the full.
about the invariably odd behaviour
Saint Saens composed his
of musicians!
musical sketches through closely
Artists, musicians and dancers
observing the ways animals
are all fair game for Saint Saens’
moved and communicated. On
musical wit and humour. But
an accompanying CD Rom,
the Carnival of the Animals is
children can watch video clips of
also about problem solving. The
animal movement. They go on
Tortoise wants to dance
the Can Can, how does the Using simple music software,
composer offer a solution?
children are able to compose
You’ll need to listen to
and arrange their own music
Tortues to find out. How
does the Elephant manage
to discuss how the music Saint
to dance ballet? Again, the answer Saens composed for each animal
lies in Saint Saens L’Elephant.
reflects this, while accessing a
Lancashire Sinfonietta has
wealth of ideas for composing
teamed up with Cumbria and
and performing their own music.
Lancashire Music Services to
Using simple music software,
develop a unique cross-curricular
Which college did you train
at?
The Royal Northern College of
Music.
What or who was it that
made you want to become a
professional musician?
I just love being in front of an
audience. It is brilliant. When you
can sell out the Royal Albert Hall and
there are 6000 faces looking at you,
it is fantastic. If you can deal with
that, you can deal with anything.
Lancashire Sinfonietta recording Saint Saens’ Carnival of the Animals
Tell us a bit about how your
10
TUNE IN SUMMER 2007
11
Vinata Godbole: South Indian Classical Dancer.
children are able to compose and
arrange their own music, and
email it for podcast performances
by orchestral musicians!
Sierra Leone master musician
Zozo Shuaibu offers an African
perspective on The Carnival of
the Animals, while South Indian
Classical and Bollywood dancer,
Vinata Godbole, offers traditional
and contemporary ways of
interpreting animal movement
through dance.
Wildlife conservation issues
are addressed through problem
solving activities related to
habitats and animal movement.
Performance poets offer ways of
interpreting the music in different
ways.
The Carnival of the Animals
addresses QCA’s Animal Magic
unit at KS2. It also links with the
Cumbria and Lancashire KS2/3
ICreaTe project. Connecting
You – addressing ways in which
Robots communicate with humans
and one another.
For information about the
Carnival of the Animals project,
and how to get involved, visit
www.tuned-in.org.
TUNE IN SUMMER 2007
EDWARD HOYLE
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
LANCASHIRE YOUTH CONCERT BAND
by Edward Hoyle
O
n Friday the 13 July 2007,
the 52 members of the
Lancashire Youth Concert Band
will travel the 100 or so miles to
Birmingham, play a15 minute
programme, listen to four other
bands perform then get back on
the coach and travel all the way
back to Lancashire arriving at
approximately 11.30 pm.
You dear reader will probably
think that this is an extremely long
way to travel just to play two pieces!
The event however is the final of
the National Festival of Music for
Youth and the venue is Symphony
Hall, Birmingham, one the finest
concert halls in the country.
We are following in the footsteps
of other ensembles from Lancashire
who have made the same journey
over the last few years. The LSSO
and LYJO have both performed
with distinction in Birmingham and
the LYJO received the ultimate
12
accolade of an ‘Outstanding
Performance Award’ and an
invitation to play at the Schools
Prom at the Albert Hall (London, not
Bolton).
As we step out onto the stage
at Symphony Hall, any thoughts of
the Albert Hall will be banished and
the members of the LYCB will be
enjoying the experience of a once
in a lifetime performance.
If Carl Sidgreaves were alive
to witness this I am sure he
would don a wry smile and give
himself a pat on the back knowing
that he had over 30 years ago,
created an ensemble that would
provide a platform for so many of
Lancashire’s fine young musicians.
It all started in 1976 as a direct
result of Lancashire Education
Committee’s policy for the
expansion of musical opportunities
for young people in Lancashire.
The Lancashire Schools’ Symphony
Orchestra had been
formed in 1970 and
very quickly gained a
reputation both nationally
and internationally as an
orchestra of great repute.
Regular foreign tours and
a number of commercial
recordings put them firmly
on the musical map.
The Lancashire
Schools’ Symphonic Wind
Band under the direction
of Carl Sidgreaves,
offered further musical
opportunities at county
level for woodwind, brass
and percussion players.
They made their first record early
in 1980 and toured the South of
England that summer. In 1981
after 3 concerts at the Harrogate
International Music Festival they
travelled to West Germany on
the first of many foreign tours. In
fact since 1981 the LYCB have
undertaken a concert tour every
year up to the present time!
Carl Sidgreaves left Lancashire
and moved to Avon in 1983 as
Senior Music Adviser and handed
the baton over to Geoff Balson,
another Lancashire Music Adviser.
Geoff very quickly built on the
success of the previous 7 years
and for the next 20 years over
400 young Lancashire musicians
enjoyed an extremely high level of
music making.
As well as the regular foreign
tours, residential courses were
held during the Easter holidays
at Borwick Hall, then Myerscough
College and latterly at Soneyhurst
College where students and
tutors worked hard on some of
the most demanding concert
band repertoire. Guest tutors and
conductors were also invited from
time to time and their input from the
world of professional music was
enlightening and very beneficial.
Notable guests on the residential
courses have been Stuart Roebuck
and Eric Wooliscroft from the Halle
Orchestra along with conductors
David James and Clark Rundell.
Both Carl Sidgreaves and Geoff
Balson realised the importance
of having a regular team of
instrumental tutors working at each
TUNE IN SUMMER 2007
rehearsal. Not only has their input
been vital in the development of
the young musicians, but they have
also acted as house tutors when
the band has been away on tour,
thus becoming an integral part in
the life of the LYCB. Soon after
joining the instrumental teaching
service in Lancashire, I was
fortunate enough to work with both
Carl and Geoff and found tutoring
with the LYCB both satisfying and
extremely rewarding.
I now find myself in charge
of an ensemble I have worked
with for most of my teaching
career and it will be for others to
decide whether or not I can live
up to the achievements of my
predecessors. I know that I can
count on the continued support and
encouragement of colleagues in
the Music Service, especially Peter
Read who as Central Ensembles
Manager works tirelessly for all the
ensembles under his wing.
13
The initial aim of the Central
Units has not changed much over
the years, i.e. to provide young
Lancashire musicians with the
opportunity to perform to the best
of their ability. My role as Musical
Director is to help them achieve
this and I feel privileged to be in a
position to do so.
I know that the LYCB will
perform to the best of their ability
on July 13th and I hope that they
will enjoy and savour every
minute of their remarkable
achievement – it is richly
deserved.
For more
information on
the LYCB contact
Edward Hoyle on
07887 830995.
TUNE IN SUMMER 2007
MUSICAL FUTURES
AT
BROOKFIELD HIGH
by Ian Gray
M
rs Sue
Sanderson, Headteacher of
Brookfield High School has
been so impressed with how our
Musical Futures scheme has
impacted on the pupils of her
school.
The boys have enjoyed the
musical futures project. They
come into school on a Monday
and ask about it. We feel
attendance has improved partly
14
because of it.
They have found
it challenging as
they all have low
self-esteem and
trying anything new
is difficult for them. The majority
of them however now attend the
lesson regularly, they participate
and they are working better with
each other. They are used to
working on their own, so this is
an important development for
them to work with partners and
bigger groups, even choosing a
song involved a large amount of
negotiation.
It has been particularly
pleasing to see some of our
quieter pupils growing in
confidence, performing and
showing evidence of talent. Older
pupils further up the school have
also benefited in that our music
teacher has developed some work
based on the programme with
them.
continued on p16
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15
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I
Primary
Advanced Skills Teachers
by Stella Jackson
I
continued from p14
I
an Gray is
the Project
Leader for
the Musical
Futures
scheme; at
present he
delivers all
of the projects
with a dedicated
team of Music
Service staff.
This team works
alongside the Head
of Music in the school
and together reawaken
the enthusiasm and
passion for music and
music making amongst
students who may have
concluded that classroom
based music has nothing of
interest for them.
The LMS teachers
involved have all enjoyed
this challenging and
innovative project, they
have
learned a great deal from
16
it about the underlying purpose of
Music Education; it was our hope
at the start that
•
•
•
t has been four years since we
started our role as an AST. The
role of an AST is to support staff within
the classroom and the job description
appealed to us because it keeps
us in direct contact with staff and
pupils, ’the real world’ of education!
Our focus is to enable ‘nonspecialists’ to deliver music in the
curriculum with renewed confidence,
expertise and enthusiasm, (as opposed
to dreading music lessons and leaving
them to Friday afternoon so that with
the shortage of time, and an overloaded
curriculum, they never quite happen!!)
A typical outreach request is to
model a lesson and then help the
teacher to deliver music lessons
over a period of weeks. We have
also assisted in the writing of policy
documents, schemes of work and
with
assessment
procedures.
We are both directly involved
in Wider Opportunities Projects
and have supported both class
teachers and peripatetic staff.
We are a free service and
requests for support can be made via
Stella Jackson at the Music Service.
We are not advisors or experts but
class teachers with a passion for
music in the primary curriculum. We
understand how daunting music can
be to deliver and we look forward
to spreading our passion and
enthusiasm with fellow colleagues.
Brenda Bentley and Susan
Guénault
Carleton Green Community
Primary School
St Mary’s Church of England
Primary School Eccleston
All would be engaged
Some would excel
Some would ‘fly’
I’m glad to say that, thus far
we have some in each category,
certainly their confidence has
grown with regard to their practical
music making.
I would like to add my thanks
to the Lancashire Music Service
staff involved in Musical Futures
at Brookfield, namely Terry
Kennaugh and Francis Ajiteru and
Derek Basterfield who is in charge
of the music there.
Look out for future
developments we are actively
working on extending the
provision and as funding is made
available more school will come
on stream.
TUNE IN SUMMER 2007
continued on p19
t gives me great pleasure
to introduce the primary
music AST’s who have written
about their work in the following
article. They are dedicated,
skilled….and very modest about
their achievements. It seems
that many schools have still not
heard of their work, so this is
an opportunity to publicize what
they do.
They will work alongside the
music coordinator or any other
member of the school staff in
delivery of the primary music
curriculum. They are particularly
skilled at adapting to the
different needs of schools and
their staff.
The AST outreach is free
of charge. This is all made
possible through the support
of their head-teachers and
governors who have recognized
and championed their skills and
who release the AST’s from
their school duties for one day
a week. The schools receive
an annual allowance to pay for
supply cover for those days and
here at the Lancashire Music
Service we are particularly
grateful for their continued
support.
Primary Music AST’s have
contributed to the annual Music
Conference, INSET delivery,
Primary Network meetings and
Curriculum Group meetings.
Since I have been helping to
co-ordinate their outreach I have
found the sharing of expertise
and ideas to be of great help
in my own work. It is a real
privilege to be able to work
with such a dedicated group of
teachers.
Please note that AST’s do
not deliver staff INSET and
consultancies and will not give
any kind of support out of school
hours.
Should you wish an AST to
visit your school, please contact
me Stella Jackson (Teacher
Adviser) on 07792 409713 or at
[email protected]
Stella Jackson with left Sue Guenault and right Brenda Bentley
17
TUNE IN SUMMER 2007
Friday the 13 July sees the
Chorley Music Centre with the
Lancashire Schools Jazz as guest
play Chorley Town Hall starting at
7.30pm. For more information contact
Brendan Cleverley on 07887 830991.
CONCERT
CORNER
The Lancashire Youth Jazz
Orchestra are playing at Bramley
Mead Hall in Whalley on Sunday
the 24 June. For more information
contact Stuart Grills on 07850
025783.
Lancashire School’s Concert
Band are special guests of Fulwood
Music Centre on Thursday the 28
June at Fulwood High starting at
7.30pm. For more information contact
Stuart Grills on 07850 025783.
Fulwood High School are
holding their annual Fulwood
Summer Proms concert at Fulwood
High on Friday the 29 June,
joining them on the evening will be
ensembles from the Fulwood Music
Centre. For more information contact
Marie Louise Lane on 01772 719060.
On Friday the 29 June at The
Platform, Morecambe, Lancaster
Music Centre are holding their
summer concert with the Lancashire
Schools’ Jazz Orchestra as their
guests. For more information contact
Tim Rogers on 07887 830989.
Alston Hall Longridge have their
Open Day on Sunday the 1 July, if
you would like to pop along you will
see and hear the superb Lancashire
Youth Jazz Orchestra playing all
afternoon. For more information
contact Alston Hall on 01772 784661.
The Fulwood Music Centre
Concert Band have their summer
concert at Chorley Town Hall on
Wednesday the 11 July starting at
7.30pm. For more information contact
Stuart Grills on 07850 025783.
TUNE IN
The Lancashire Youth Jazz
Orchestra and the Lancashire
Schools’ Jazz Orchestra will both
be in concert at the Marine Hall
Fleetwood on Thursday the 19
July starting at 7.30pm. For more
information contact Stuart Grills on
07850 025783.
If you would like to publicise
your school concert send the
details into me Stuart Grills
(Editor), address at the front of
the magazine.
Next issue...
In next edition another teacher who
has come through the Music Service
We report on the County Ensemble’s
Summers Tours.
18
continued from p17
Primary
AST’s
I
have been a Primary Music
AST
since
September
2002 and I have enjoyed quite
a variety of involvement in
different projects and initiatives.
I have done a mixture of inreach and outreach work, which
has been both interesting and
rewarding. I have found that it is
most satisfying when the teacher
has requested help for him or
herself rather than a head teacher
making the request. In some
of the schools that I have been
involved with it has been like teamteaching and I have built up good
working relationships with other
colleagues, both in my own school
and outside in the wider community.
What really gives me a buzz
is when a teacher I have been
supporting gives me a high
grading on my evaluation form,
because then I feel that I have
somehow helped that person
and she or he has enjoyed and
welcomed the experience. It is
also interesting to visit different
schools because most class
teachers never really get the
chance to meet other teachers,
except on courses, and you can get
loads of ideas, especially for art!
All in all, it has been
worthwhile going through the
daunting assessment procedures
to obtain AST status and I feel
it has given me the opportunity
to ‘make a difference’. I look
forward to further involvement
in exciting new initiatives and
please do not hesitate to contact
Stella Jackson if you would like
any AST support in your school!
And Finally
S
omething a little different
this term. Below is the
definitive guide to ensemble
playing, stick to these rules and
you won’t go far
wrong.
Now come on hold
your hand up how
many of you think that
some of these have a
grain of truth in them?
I got this little gem
from Keith Sagar, well
I think it’s funny anyway. Address
any complaints to Mr. Keith Sagar
not me!
Golden Rules For Ensemble Playing
1.
Everyone should play the same piece.
2. Stop at every repeat sign and discuss in detail whether to take the
repeat or not. The audience will love this a lot!
3. If you play a wrong note, give a nasty look to
one of your partners.
4. Keep your fingering chart handy. You can
always catch up with the others.
5.
Carefully tune your instrument before playing.
That way you can play out of tune all night
with a clear conscience.
6.
Take your time turning pages.
7.
The right note at the wrong time is a wrong note (and vice versa).
8.
If everyone gets lost except you, follow those who get lost.
9.
Strive to get the maximum NPS (note per second). That way you
gain the admiration of the incompetent.
10. Markings for slurs, dynamics and ornaments should not be
observed. They are only there to embellish the score.
11. If a passage is difficult, slow down. If it’s easy, speed it up.
Everything will work itself out in the end.
12. If you are completely lost, stop everyone and say, “I think we
should tune”
13. Happy are those who have not perfect pitch, for the kingdom of
music is theirs.
14. If the ensemble has to stop because of you, explain in detail why
you got lost. Everyone will be very interested.
15. A true interpretation is realized when there remains not one note of
the original.
16. When everyone else has finished playing, you should not play any
notes you have left.
17. A wrong note played timidly is a wrong note. A wrong note played
with authority is an interpretation.
Veronica Tobin
(Pendle Primary School,
Clitheroe)
TUNE IN SUMMER 2007
19
TUNE IN SUMMER 2007
Born In Preston
by Peter Read
C
yril Hill, who died
recently, was born
in Preston. For much of his
working life he worked as a
Merchant Seaman surviving
many Atlantic attacks from
German U boats during World
War 2.
After retiring from the
Merchant Navy, he moved
back to the Ribbleton/New
Hall Lane area of Preston and
became a watch repairer.
Cyril always had a great
love of music and particularly,
musical instruments. His
mother who achieved
several academic awards
in music performance
encouraged his enthusiasm
for music. Purely as a hobby,
Cyril studied flute, clarinet,
saxophone, violin and in his
later years, guitar.
Following his death, Mrs
Prema Taylor Cyril’s Age
Concern Volunteer, contacted
the Music Cellar in Preston
and Lancashire Music Service
expressing that it would be a
fitting tribute to his memory
if his flute, which is a quality
Top: Mr. Cyril Hill had a natural love for
music all of his life.
Bottom left: Prima Taylor presents
Cyril’s flute to Peter Read.
instrument and in pristine
condition, could be used to
benefit an aspiring young
flautist in the Preston area.
Prema handed the
instrument over to the Music
Service that now bears the
inscription:
‘Donated in Memory of
Mr. Cyril Hill (of Preston)
to the benefit of a Young
Aspiring Musician from
Lancashire’.
The Music Service will
now make arrangements to
identify a suitable recipient
to have use of Cyril’s flute.
20
TUNE IN SUMMER 2007