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’s 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 musicians and singers in Hampshire a rare chance to be coached by the Ensemble and has proved popular with both young performers and our audiences. The structure is very informal; each ensemble or singers’ group receives approximately 45 minutes’ professional, supportive coaching, working on a piece of their own choosing. 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 of the last festival 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 Winchester schools for 2010 and warmly invite you to the free sharing which will result. We hope also to involve young people in stage management for some of the performances.

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.

Specifics of school workshops subject to funding; more details nearer the time.

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