The South Glos Post

Children attending special schools in South Gloucestershire and Bristol enjoyed a day of music-making thanks to South Gloucestershire Council’s Music and Arts Service and the support of the Bristol Aztec Rotary Club.

The ‘Music Rules OK’ event was held at Little Stoke Primary School on Thursday 6th October and brought together children aged 10-15 years old with a range of learning needs.

Students took part in activities included DJ mixing, Chinese dragon music, drumming, exploring the Apple Mac music software ‘GarageBand’ and moving and creating music with a ‘skoog’, a new type of instrument designed specifically for special needs music and music education.

South Gloucestershire Council teaching and learning adviser for music Christine Wright said:

“This was a very special day for students and staff. There is a great sense of camaraderie in making music and learning new skills. The whole place was abuzz with a cacophony of music and happy faces and the disco after lunch provided opportunities to sing and dance along to the latest pop music and recharge batteries for the afternoon session. We are very grateful to Rotary for sponsoring the workshops and the gift of a hat and balloon as a reminder of this wonderful day.”

The event was sponsored by Bristol Aztec Rotary Club, whose President Sue Bamber-Powell said:

“The Club is delighted to support this special music day. This is the fifth year we have sponsored the event and fundraising for it is our main activity for the year. It is a privilege to see and hear so many young people achieving so much musically in such a short time. For us music really rules OK!”

More: Local school students helped out at the event »

Up to 100 young flautists from South Gloucestershire will take part in a workshop at Kingsfield School in Kingswood on Thursday 24th March, with the celebrated flautist and composer Ian Clarke.

Organised by South Gloucestershire Music Service (SGMS), with support from B&NES Music Service and sponsored by John Packer of Taunton,the workshop enables young flautists to have the opportunity to work with an inspirational player, teacher and composer.

Ian Clarke is acknowledged as one of the leading player/composers in the flute world. His compositions have been performed across five continents on stages ranging from London’s South Bank to Glastonbury and have featured in the last four BBC Young Musician’s woodwind finals.

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Source: South Gloucestershire Council

A wind band from Yate has won a coveted award at the West of England and South Wales Regional Concert Band Festival in Monmouth.

Earlier this month Yate Music Centre’s Senior Wind Band performed a 20 minute programme of music for woodwind, brass and percussion under the experienced baton of musical director David Pagett, to scoop the prestigious Platinum Award.

As a result, the band, which receives support from South Gloucestershire Council, will now be invited to perform again at the 2010 National Concert Band Festival (NCBF) which is to be held on the 10 and 11 April at the Birmingham Conservatoire.

The band will now be concentrating their rehearsal time on preparations for both the National Concert Band Festival Finals in April and their annual Christmas concert at Brimsham GreenSchool on 12 December.

Yate Music Centre is one of three area music centres run by South Gloucestershire Council Music Service. It consists of a senior wind band, intermediate wind band, senior string ensemble, intermediate string ensemble and training string ensemble, all of which meet and rehearse at BrimshamGreenSchool on Saturday mornings.

Cllr Sheila Cook, executive member for children and young people, said: “The Yate senior wind band should be very proud of their excellent achievement. I very much look forward to following their exploits at the national level next April.”

The band are keen to attract both sponsorship and performance opportunities that would allow them to showcase their new concert programme before the national finals in April.

Laura Daykin, one of the band’s tutors, said: “A Platinum Award from the NCBF is a really fantastic achievement for these talented young musicians. It is a testament to their hard work and dedication that they have been given the highest possible award in recognition of the weeks of hard work and practice that contributed to their performance.”

If you can help the band or if you are interested in supporting the work of Yate Music Centre, please get in touch via South Gloucestershire Music Service who can be contacted by email at musicservice@southglos.gov.uk.

Full details of all the young musicians groups and the work of the Music Service is available online www.southglos.gov.uk/musicservice.

Source: South Gloucestershire Council