News
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*Please note that subsequent terms will be charged at our usual rate (see tuition fees). If you have lessons with Maestros, and continue with the ensemble after your first term, you will be eligible for a 25% discount on membership of the same ensemble. Offer only applies to the beginner ensembles. Standard terms and conditions apply.
Further to our earlier news item on the Kampala Music School, pilot Jim Trott has provided an update on how the project is going. Read the report here (opens as pdf file).
Newbury Music Centre pupils were recently privileged to be invited to collaborate with the Central Ballet School, London to perform a piece specially commissioned by the Newbury Spring Festival.
Violin pupils Freja Daws and Emma Exton and saxophonist Lucy Kane were joined by Maestros staff Ana Borzone and Victoria Stapleton as well as the composer Phillip Feeney (directing from the piano) to form the ensemble for this piece.
‘The Knot Garden’ by Philip Feeney (resident composer / musical director at the Central Ballet School) comprises of eight movements all rhythmically complex and challenging for the players. The pupils worked exceedingly hard and after a few weeks of intensive rehearsal the ensemble was visited one Saturday morning by Philip Feeney to conduct a workshop session with them.
Three weeks later the ensemble travelled up to the Central Ballet School in the quiet district of Islington. Firstly they watched the dancers perform the piece to the mini disc that they had been rehearsing to. This allowed the pupils to understand the context of their music and enjoy the amazing choreography that accompanied it. They then rehearsed with the dancers for a couple of hours which allowed the ensemble to achieve the exact tempi for each movement which is so crucial when playing with dancers.
The following week was the big performance at the Corn Exchange in Newbury. It was attended by HRH the Countess of Wessex as well as a full house of local supporters. The performance of ‘The Knot Garden’ went very well and the effort that the pupils put in was a credit to them. This was a fantastic opportunity and an experience that I’m sure they’ll remember for many years to come.
After a long wait, the winner of Berkshire Maestros’ Guitar Composition Competition has been announced. Congratulations go to Paul Moore (Ranelagh School, Bracknell) who has been awarded first place with his composition for four guitars entitled “Final Calling” which is by military rhythms, Spanish folk songs, flamenco dancing and string quartet writing. A special commendation also goes to Sophie Jackson (St. Bart’s School, Newbury) for her composition, “Suite No. 1 for Guitar Orchestra.” Both pieces will be performed by the Berkshire Youth Guitar Orchestra during the next academic year.
The competition was adjudicated by Gary Ryan, an international concert guitarist, composer and Assistant Head of Strings at the Royal College of Music, London.
Many congratulations to Paul & Sophie and thank you to all those student composers who took part in the event.
On Friday 28 May, over 900 children from 35 schools across West Berkshire gathered at Newbury Racecourse to take part in a very special event organised by West Berkshire Council.
Over the past year, the children have all been learning to play a musical instrument as part of the Government's Wider Opportunities scheme, in which they learn music as a whole class. Berkshire Maestros has been successfully delivering many of these projects (known as In2Music projects) in schools throughout the county. Find out more about this area of our provision here.