Outreach

“This festival is rapidly becoming a magnet which draws the finest artists to Hampshire and it’s great that education clearly also plays an important part. This has opened up a rich variety of opportunities for young people here, which we’re delighted to support”.
Tom Seligman, Director of Hampshire County Youth Orchestra

Pupils from Stanmore School sing their hearts out, April 2009. Photo: Bruce Edwards

All the musicians appearing in the festival owe at least part of their early passion for music and their initial training to some inspirational teaching. Our co-director, Kate Gould, started to play the cello solely due to encouragement from her headmaster at St. Bede C of E Primary School; likewise, the music activities at Westgate School were a vital part of her early development. The support she received from Peter Symonds Sixth Form College, the Hampshire County Music Service and Hampshire County Youth Orchestra were fundamental in providing Kate with the top quality training which helped launch her career. Hampshire continues to provide very fine music teaching, which the festival aims to complement with its modest but growing outreach programme.

Masterclass Saturday 24 April, 2.00 – 4.30pm

This gives budding young performers a rare chance to be coached by the Ensemble and has proved popular with both young musicians and our audiences. The structure is very informal; two ensembles will receive approximately 75 minutes of  supportive coaching, focusing on a piece of their own choosing (this year, featured works include Brahms’s Violin Sonata in D minor). Audiences can drop in and out as they like at any point during the masterclass.

Schools workshops

2009 masterclass coached by Kate Gould. Photo: Bruce Edwards

A highlight last year was the informal public sharing of two songs which Stanmore Primary school children gave in the Discovery Centre’s café. These were inspired by some of the vocal music featured in the 2009 festival but the children’s contribution was all their own, guided by our outreach leaders Sam Glazer and Jack Ross. We are delighted to be working with Stanmore again for 2010, as well as with St Bede (where our Co-director and cellist, Kate Gould, began her love affair with the cello) and warmly invite you to the free informal performance at lunchtime on Friday 23 April, which acts as a curtain raiser to the Festival.

Young people’s tickets

For masterclass and workshop participants and for any other young person aged 8- 22 years, take advantage of our free tickets scheme!

Stanmore’s Deputy Head reports back on the 2009 outreach: click here.

The masterclass and outreach work will be documented in the Festival exhibition

Daniel Tong coaches at the 2009 masterclass. Photo: Bruce Edwards