Churchill Music! Youth Project

"Congratulations for changing the climate of understanding and experience for these young people. Churchill Music! is a truly amazing organization."
Mike Brewer OBE - Director of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain"

Through close links with local schools, Churchill Music! has developed an extensive and varied programme of youth and community work, supported by generous donations from our Champions. Please browse this page to find out what we've been doing in Churchill Community School, Churchill Primary School, and in the community.

Churchill Music! @ Churchill Community School

We are proud to support many forms of music making in this 1700-student school which was granted Performing Arts status in 2002. Churchill Music! works with the school to provide:

• Curriculum-based programming
• Workshops
• Churchill Young Musician of the Year Competition

Curriculum-based programming

Each year, Churchill Music! launches its new season with a concert especially arranged to include either the work to be studied by the A-level students or an aspect of music chosen by the Churchill School's Director of Music which will enhance the music GCSE and A-level courses. The 2008/09 season will be launched by the Carducci Quartet performing works by Haydn - in his 200th anniversary year - Ravel and Dvorak. 2007/08 was launched by the Royal College of Music String Band, whose programme enhanced the study of specific composers. It included Elgar's famous 'Serenade for Strings' to celebrate the150th anniversary of this incomparable English composer. The Bochmann Quartet in 2006/07 included in their programme works which gave a perfect example of 'sonata form' and in 2005/06 The London Soloists Ensemble with pianist Frances Angell performed Brahms' Piano Quintet in F minor, Op 34 which was one of the featured A-level works.

Workshops

Churchill Music! sponsors internationally renowned musicians to lead workshops in the schools.The CAVATINA Chamber Music Trust, which takes Chamber Music to young people and young people to Chamber Music, generously helps with our sponsorship programme. Workshop leaders have included violist Richard Crabtree, the Eden:Stell guitar duo, Mike Brewer OBE with Laudibus, the chamber choir of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, the Stenzl Brothers piano duo, and the Carducci String Quartet (winners of no fewer than seven international chamber music competitions). 2008/09 workshops will include the Carducci Quartet and the New London Chamber Ensemble wind quintet.

Churchill Young Musician of the Year

Open to music students of all genres at Churchill Community School, Churchill Music! created this competition in 2006 to encourage and reward not only technical excellence but also performance skills and presentation. Three awards are made, generously supported by an anonymous donor: The Churchill Young Musician of the Year, the Churchill Music! Junior Trophy, and the Churchill Music! Audience Trophy. The Churchill Young Musician of the Year and the Junior Trophy are awarded by our judging panel led by a professional performing musician with representatives from Churchill Music!. In making their recommendations the panel take into account both technical excellence and, just as importantly, presentation and performance skills. Our audience vote for the student whom they feel deserve the specially commissioned Audience Trophy.

The 2009 competition takes place on 26 January at 6pm in St John's Church. Tickets are £6.50 for adults and £3 for under 18s, available from Ursula Dornton (01934 852919) or 'pot luck' at the door. We are delighted that Colin Parr, former Principal Clarinet with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, has kindly agreed ot chair this year's judging panel.

"I think this competion is great and it gave me a newly-found confidence in solo performances."
James Scriven, 2007 Churchill Young Musician of the Year

Churchill Music! @ Churchill Primary School

In close consultation with the Head of Music, Churchill Music! supports these much needed activites:

• Churchill Music! Violin Project
• Magic Music Days

Churchill Music! Violin Project

Having identified an urgent need for greater string provision at Churchill Primary School, Churchill Music! approached local businesses, Churchill Parish Council and private donors to help purchase 10 quarter-size violins for the school. We are now proud to be providing an opportunity for every Year 2 pupil at Churchill Primary School to learn to play the violin under the expert guidance of our Patron, Vivienne Price MBE, founder of the National Children's Orchestra.

"Vivienne Price is giving these groups of enthusiastic children an unforgettable musical experience. The children are always so excited when it is their turn and they return to the classroom full of pride in their achievements. We are so grateful to Churchill Music! for enabling this to happen." (Sarah Joskey, Deputy Head)

"It was fun. I liked helping my friends. I loved violin lessons. Thank you for teaching me."
Sujan

"It was nice. It was hard work. It was fun. It was fantastic and it made me happy and proud."
Brenton

"I love it. I enjoyed it. I liked it and it made me get out of lessons."
Scarlett

"I thought the violin was fun. We should carry on doing the violin. I really liked it when I was playing. I felt really pleased with myself and I think I’ve improved."
Ben

Magic Music Days

Churchill Music! organises and sponsors internationaly renowned musicians to lead workshops in the school. Workshop leaders include the Pavao Quartet, the Thorneloe Trio, violist Richard Crabtree, the Eden:Stell guitar duo, the Carducci String Quartet (winners of no fewer than 7 international chamber music competitions).

Mike Brewer, Director and Founder of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain and renowned for his work on music from other cultures, presented a workshop with a World Music theme in preparation for the choir taking part in Churchill Music's major community event featuring Laudibus with Youth and Community Choirs, Songs on a Summer Afternoon.

"The children were absolutely buzzing with the concert today. It was wonderful to be part of the day and to work with Mike Brewer and the other choirs - something that the children (and staff!) will never forget!"
Sarah Joskey, Deputy Head

Magic Music Days following the themes of music and literacy and music and numeracy are in the pipleine for 2008/09.

Churchill Music! in the Community

As well as supporting music making in Churchill Community School and Churchill Primary School, Churchill Music! encourages the two to come together, along with local choirs such as the Trinity Singers (directed by Jeremy Martin) to make music together, to learn from one another, and to share in the joy of singing as one.

Through Churchill Music! Mike Brewer, musical director of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain and its chamber choir, Laudibus, conducted workshops with Churchill Community School's Chamber Choir and a joint workshop with the chamber choir and the Trinity Singers in January 2007 and again in March prior to a joint performance of Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man - a Mass for Peace. Mike returned with Laudibus this year and will conduct a workshop in Churchill Primary School, Churchill Community School's Gospel Choir and the Trinity Singers prior to all taking part in the Laudibus Songs for a Summer afternoon concert in the grounds of Churchill Court in June. Mike is generally regarded as the father of the youth choir movement In Britain and the wider world and was for twenty years Director of Music at Chethams, Britain's largest music school. As well as his work with the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain he is a conductor of various other award winning choirs worldwide and has won the worldwide competition 'Let the Peoples Sing' twice.

Face to face with a world renowned choir leader, taking part - it’s a pretty special feeling!

Gareth Jones wrote about Songs on a Summer Afternoon in the Cheddar Valley Gazette. Read what he wrote in our news section.