Recent Events & News
Recorder Revolution
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
After months of careful planning and preparation more than 80 delegates from all over the South of England (and even further afield) descended on Hove Town Hall for a unique event. The 'Recorder Revolution' conference had been planned by Brighton Early Music Festival to build on very successful educational projects they have been organising in our city over several years.
The main task of running demonstrations and workshops fell to members of the acclaimed Fontanella recorder consort: Louise Bradbury, Annabel Knight, Katrina Boosey, Rebecca Austin Brown and Sarah Humphrys. They gave an inspiring recital on recorders from the tiny Garklein-Flotlein to the towering Great Bass, ending with their now legendary rendering of The Simpsons theme tune.
Members of the ensemble have been working in local primary schools, building on the Viva recorder festival of last year and we were priviledged that children from these schools, with their recorder teachers were able to perform for us. Westdene Primary School demonstrated innovative ways to learn pitch, Elm Grove Primary School showed some original ways to encourage improvisation and unusual sound effects to a poem about Brighton Pier and Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School showed how they were developing their music reading skills. There were then a series of group seminars led by Fontanella for delegates on various aspects of recorder teaching as well as one to one recorder surgeries.
Evelyn Nallen, the renowned recorder virtuoso and teacher gave an inspirational talk on how chidlren learn and then joined Fontanella and Peter Walker to answer delegates questions in an open forum.
As if all that was not enough Piers Adams, the world renowned recorder soloist and the pianist Howard Beach arrived to rehearse children from St Margaret's CE Primary School and Balfour Junior School together with more advanced players from our Music Centre and delegates from the conference in the piece 'Roaring 20's' by Beverley Ragg. This was then included in his stunning concert of almost unbelievable virtuosity of music from Medieval times to the present day.
This was an extraordinary day, fantastically well organised, very well attended and stunning in its results to inspire and challenge. I know that many delegates (and more besides) will be back the next time an event like this can be held! But special thanks must go to Clare Norburn of the Brighton Early Music Festival for finding the financial support for such a huge FREE event and then sorting out all the awesome details!
Momma Cherri's Soundmakers Performance
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
On Tuesday 18 September Momma Cherri hosted a Soundmakers fundraising dinner at her American Soul Food Restaurant on Little East Street. Open air Soundmakers style entertainment welcomed the dinners as they arrived between 6.30pm and 7pm.
Due to the timing of the event at the beginning of the academic year, we were not able to involve pupils currently involved in the Soundmakers projects, however these more experienced students created a piece that was representative of concert performances that are achieved by KS2 pupils after a 15 week project.
The ensemble was made up of brass and keyborad players, guitarists and percussionists from both Music Centre East and West in a collaborative project brought together for this event.
Rhythmix on BBC Southern Counties
Monday, August 27, 2007
On bank holiday Monday 27 August BBC Southern Counties listed the Big A-Z of arts activities in Brighton and Hove, Surrey and Sussex. Rhythmix were on air live with members of Safe 13, a Bexhill- based band who got together through a Rhythmix project called Live in the Valley.
Find out more about the Big A-Z at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/southerncounties/content/articles/2007/08/22/y_is_for_youth_arts_feature.shtml
New Regional Co-ordinator for Rhythmix in Brighton & Hove
Rhythmix have appointed Lucy Stone as Regional Co-ordinator for Brighton & Hove, she will be based here at Brighton & Hove Music and Performing Arts.
Rhythmix is the Youth Music Action Zone for the South East and was created through partnership between Brighton & Hove, East Sussex, Medway and Surrey Music Services. Rhythmix aims to reach out to children and young people not currently interacting with music-making opportunities.
As well as managing the Rhythmix programme Lucy will be identifying potential new projects and partnerships. If you would like to arrange a meeting with Lucy to talk about your organisation or ideas you have for engaging children and young people with music-making please email lucy.rhythmix@gmail.com
New Road Celebrations
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Brighton & Hove Big Band and Brighton & Hove Youth String Ensemble performed in Brighton & Hove's culture centre on Wednesday 27 June. This formed part of an afternoon of tours, music, performance, dancing and a street party in New Road and the surrounding cultural venues: Theatre Royal Brighton, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, Brighton Dome, the Royal Pavilion and Pavilion Gardens, the Unitarian Church and Jubilee Library.
The events began at 2pm and were being held to celebrate the Theatre Royal Brighton's 200th birthday and the completion of New Road.
Brighton & Hove Youth String Ensemble performed between 3pm and 4pm in the Pavilion Gardens.
Brighton & Hove Big Band performed between 4.15pm and 5.30pm at the bandstand in New Road.
Youth Dance Platform
Friday, March 16, 2007
Brighton & Hove's sixth Youth Dance Platform took place on Friday 16 March at the Gardner Arts Centre. The evening celebrated the rich diversity of dance work young people are making across the city. It presented a collection of the creative ideas and experiences of over 100 young performers from local schools and youth groups.
The programme consisted of twelve exciting dance pieces showing a fusion of dance forms and styles. The young dancers developed their ideas alongside teachers, dance practitioners and professional dance artists to create the evenings performance. The broad range of work was created as part of GCSE/AS course work as well as out of school dance classes.
Brighton & Hove's Youth Dance Platform is part of an on-going programme of dance development work taking part in the city. This work focuses on developing dance in primary and secondary schools across the community.
Children's Concert
Thursday, March 8, 2007
The Children's Concert took place at the Theatre Royal Brighton in the presence of HM The Queen and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh. This was to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Theatre Royal Brighton and featured young musicians from Brighton & Hove Music and Performing Arts.
The programme involved the Brass Ensemble, String Ensemble, Wind Quintet, Junior Choir and Brighton & Hove Big Band. The renowned soul singer Carleen Anderson joined us to sing with the Sting Ensemble and Brighton & Hove Big Band.
During the Children's Concert a major fundraising campaign was launched to purchase instruments for Soundmakers - a unique programme that has been developed by Brighton & Hove Music and Performing Arts in partnership with Rhythmix, the Youth For Music Action Zone for the South East, and twelve primary and special schools that have been involved in pilot projects.
Celebrating Connecting
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
This is the finale event of a two year arts initiative that has involved more than 500 local young people. Connecting is about young people, professional artists, arts teachers and youth leaders having the opportunity to create something genuinely new and exciting together: from choreographed skateboarding to classical/indie compositions; jazz cabaret to eco-fashion comtemporary dance; beatbox choir to a grafjam orchestra!
Celebrating Connecting was held at the Concert Hall, Brighton Dome and featured a packed programme of dynamic experimental live performance and film.