Essex Youth Symphonic Wind Orchestra and Essex Youth Brass perform in Colchester (Friday 5 April 2024)

Hear our Symphonic Wind Orchestra and Brass Ensemble in concert in Colchester

  • Friday 5 April 2024 at 7.00pm
  • St Botolph’s Church, Colchester CO2 7EE (click here for location)
  • No booking required for this free concert

For further details on this concert, please contact Beverley Heard, Music Ensembles Lead Officer, telephone 0333 013 8953 or email: musichub@essex.gov.uk

 

County Ensembles

We are proud to have a number of leading and high-achieving top-level ensembles offering opportunities for young musicians in Essex including:

Essex Youth Orchestra
Essex Youth Choir
Essex Youth Jazz Orchestra
Essex Youth Symphonic Wind Orchestra
Essex Youth Brass Ensemble

This doesn’t happen by accident – we also run a number of starter ensembles in our community music venues as well as intermediate ensembles including our Essex Young People’s Orchestra to bring together young people together in making music with each other.

If you have a young person in your setting who would benefit from joining such an ensemble, please contact Beverley Heard, Music Ensembles Lead Officer, telephone 0333 013 8953 or email: musichub@essex.gov.uk

 

Essex Youth Jazz Orchestra perform in Harlow (Saturday 16 March 2024)

Hear our award-winning Youth Jazz Orchestra in concert!

Led by resident director, Martin Hathaway, the young musicians are excited to share new music with an audience and show that live music has well and truly returned to Essex.

Formed in 1991, the Essex Youth Jazz Orchestra (EYJO) will perform under the direction of Martin Hathaway, one of the country’s leading jazz musicians.

  • Saturday 16 March at 7.30pm
  • St John’s Arts and Recreation Centre (ARC), St John’s Walk, Old Harlow, CM17 0AJ (click here for location)
  • No booking required for this free concert

For further details on this concert, please contact Beverley Heard, Music Ensembles Lead Officer, telephone 0333 013 8953 or email: musichub@essex.gov.uk

 

County Ensembles

We are proud to have a number of leading and high-achieving top-level ensembles offering opportunities for young musicians in Essex including:

Essex Youth Orchestra
Essex Youth Choir
Essex Youth Jazz Orchestra
Essex Youth Symphonic Wind Orchestra
Essex Youth Brass Ensemble

This doesn’t happen by accident – we also run a number of starter ensembles in our community music venues as well as intermediate ensembles including our Essex Young People’s Orchestra to bring together young people together in making music with each other.

If you have a young person in your setting who would benefit from joining such an ensemble, please contact Beverley Heard, Music Ensembles Lead Officer, telephone 0333 013 8953 or email: musichub@essex.gov.uk

Orchestral Inspiration Day with Britten Sinfonia (Orchestras Live) (April 2024)

Join East Anglia’s premier professional chamber orchestra for a day of strings, woodwind, brass and percussio n!

Supported by Orchestras Live and Essex Music Service, young musicians from Essex are invited to join a day of workshops focusing on ensemble playing and instrumental technique led by our regional professional chamber orchestra, Britten Sinfonia.

This Inspiration Day is for all strings, woodwind, brass and orchestral percussion students who have achieved Grade 4 and above, who wish to learn with real industry professionals, learn to perform in groups and perform in front of a live audience at the end of the day.

Places are limited to a maximum of 110 students (50 of strings, 50 mixed of woodwind and brass, 10 of percussion), and thus will allocate places on a first come first serve basis. Music will be sent out in advance to those who register in order to prepare for the day, with additional support from musicians through the Inspiration Day.

Timings for the day

  • 10.15am Registration opens
  • 10.30am Rehearsal / Sectionals
  • 12.45pm Bring Your Own Lunch
  • 1.45pm Rehearsal / Sectionals
  • 5.00pm Showcase for parents (arrive from 4.45pm), after which students can leave

For those in the south of the county (Southend, Basildon, Brentwood, Harlow) we may be able to offer a coach service to and from the event – please indicate on the form if this would be of interest.

To register for the Inspiration Day, please complete the form below by Friday 1 March 2024:

https://forms.office.com/e/tbqnH3fpRR

There is a second form that appears at the end of the form which is an anonymous participant demographics collecting form. We’d be grateful if you’d complete that short form as part of our monitoring the activities we support and collecting essential information required by Arts Council England.

We are proud to have a number of leading and high-achieving top-level ensembles offering opportunities for young musicians in Essex including:

Essex Youth Orchestra
Essex Youth Choir
Essex Youth Jazz Orchestra
Essex Youth Symphonic Wind Orchestra
Essex Youth Brass Ensemble

This doesn’t happen by accident – we also run a number of starter ensembles in our community music venues as well as intermediate ensembles including our Essex Young People’s Orchestra to bring together young people together in making music with each other.

If you have a young person in your setting who would benefit from joining such an ensemble, please contact Beverley Heard, Music Ensembles Lead Officer, telephone 0333 013 8953 or email: musichub@essex.gov.uk

Vocal Workshop with Randolph Matthews and Emma Sweeney (November 2023)

Join one of the UK’s leading vocalists and performers for a day of vocal exploration!

Come and join us for an open workshop focusing on a range of popular genres, as well as vocal technique, singing in parts with others, and meeting other young singers! The workshop is aimed at anyone from Year 3 to 13 (we will split into age appropriate groups).

  • When?
  • Timings?
    • 10.00am to 4.00pm
  • Where?
    • Chelmsford 
  • How much?
    • £25.00 per session

Who is Randolph?

Randolph will be familiar to many students in Essex from the engaging workshops he’s run with students of all ages, and we’re thrilled to be welcoming him back to Essex to work with our young people. Randolph is an acclaimed British jazz vocalist, and over his 25 year career has garnered high praise from respected music critics and industry experts. Songlines lauded him as a “stunning, McFerrin-esque talent,” while The Guardian described his sound as “cinematic vocal jazz.” Jazz FM praised Randolph’s “dazzling improvisational skills” and deemed him “flawless and world-class. He has established himself as one of the UK’s leading contemporary vocalists and performers, with his compositions reflecting a range of musical styles, from classical to African/Caribbean rhythms, to jazz and choral.

Timings for the day

  • 9.45am Registration opens
  • 10.00am Workshop begins
  • 3.45pm Performance to parents
  • 4.00pmWorkshop ends

 

We are proud to have a number of leading and high-achieving top-level ensembles offering opportunities for young musicians in Essex including:

Essex Youth Orchestra
Essex Youth Choir
Essex Youth Jazz Orchestra
Essex Youth Symphonic Wind Orchestra
Essex Youth Brass Ensemble

This doesn’t happen by accident – we also run a number of starter ensembles in our community music venues as well as intermediate ensembles including our Essex Young People’s Orchestra to bring together young people together in making music with each other.

If you have a young person in your setting who would benefit from joining such an ensemble, please contact Beverley Heard, Music Ensembles Lead Officer, telephone 0333 013 8953 or email: musichub@essex.gov.uk

Essex Youth Orchestra and Essex Youth Brass perform in Chelmsford (Saturday 6 January 2024)

Essex Youth Orchestra will be joined by Essex Youth Brass for a New Year Charity Concert

  • Saturday 6 January 2024 at 7.30pm
  • Chelmsford Cathedral, New Street, Chelmsford CM1 1TY (click here for location)
  • Ticket prices and how to order to follow

EYO will be performing an uplifting programme, under the direction of its conductor Robin Browning, including Ravel’s iconic Bolero, Marquez’s popular Danzon No 2 and Panufnik’s astounding Sinfonia Sacra, full of elaborate brass melodies and fanfares. Funds raised from ticket sales will be donated to the Chelmer Bridge Rotary Club and its associated charities. Essex Youth Orchestras have performed at the New Year Concerts for over 20 years and enjoy participating in this magical start to the year

For further details on this concert, please contact Beverley Heard, Music Ensembles Lead Officer, telephone 0333 013 8953 or email: musichub@essex.gov.uk

County Ensembles

We are proud to have a number of leading and high-achieving top-level ensembles offering opportunities for young musicians in Essex including:

Essex Youth Orchestra
Essex Youth Choir
Essex Youth Jazz Orchestra
Essex Youth Symphonic Wind Orchestra
Essex Youth Brass Ensemble

This doesn’t happen by accident – we also run a number of starter ensembles in our community music venues as well as intermediate ensembles including our Essex Young People’s Orchestra to bring together young people together in making music with each other.

If you have a young person in your setting who would benefit from joining such an ensemble, please contact Beverley Heard, Music Ensembles Lead Officer, telephone 0333 013 8953 or email: musichub@essex.gov.uk

 

Essex Youth Jazz Orchestra perform in Witham (Friday 15 December 2023)

Hear our award-winning Youth Jazz Orchestra in concert!

Led by resident director, Martin Hathaway, the young musicians are excited to share new music with an audience and show that live music has well and truly returned to Essex.

Formed in 1991, the Essex Youth Jazz Orchestra (EYJO) will perform under the direction of Martin Hathaway, one of the country’s leading jazz musicians.

  • Friday 15 December at 7.30pm
  • New Rickstones Academy, Conrad Road, Witham CM8 2SD (click here for location)
  • No booking required for this free concert

For further details on this concert, please contact Beverley Heard, Music Ensembles Lead Officer, telephone 0333 013 8953 or email: musichub@essex.gov.uk

 

County Ensembles

We are proud to have a number of leading and high-achieving top-level ensembles offering opportunities for young musicians in Essex including:

Essex Youth Orchestra
Essex Youth Choir
Essex Youth Jazz Orchestra
Essex Youth Symphonic Wind Orchestra
Essex Youth Brass Ensemble

This doesn’t happen by accident – we also run a number of starter ensembles in our community music venues as well as intermediate ensembles including our Essex Young People’s Orchestra to bring together young people together in making music with each other.

If you have a young person in your setting who would benefit from joining such an ensemble, please contact Beverley Heard, Music Ensembles Lead Officer, telephone 0333 013 8953 or email: musichub@essex.gov.uk

Aicha DiJidjelli drum workshop and masterclass ( Saturday 23 September 2023 – Braintree)

Aicha currently performs with Hans Zimmer’s live touring band and has also appeared alongside Johnny Marr, Pharell Williams and Craig David. Aicha’s extensive work includes TV session drummer for the X Factor and musical curator for Powder Room.

Sign up for the afternoon session (1.30pm – 4pm) where you will be able to both participate in a drum workshop and perform with the group as part of Aicha DiJidjelli’s masterclass presentation. You will have the opportunity to enhance your drum skills from a master of the drum kit with the sessions focusing on stick technique. Equipment will be provided.

The drum workshop and masterclass is free to attend subject to availability. Suitable for drum kit/percussion students ages 8 – 18, beginner to advanced. Please email musichub@essex.gov.uk to register your interest. 

The presentation is open to all to attend, parents, siblings and friends. The presentation will be at 3pm – 4pm where Aicha will discuss her career and perform Hans Zimmer live tour material from blockbuster movies including Man Of Steel and The Lion King. There is no cost for the session but you must email musichub@essex.gov.uk to register your interest prior to arrival.

Open Rehearsals – Brass, Symphonic Wind, and Young People’s Orchestra in Witham and Chelmsford (October 2023)

Join us for open rehearsal of one of our youth ensembles!

Come and join the students of our wonderful Youth Ensembles and their directors for a free open rehearsal in October in Witham and Chelmsford. Attendees will get to know our conductor, other music students, and play music together!

“This is such a great opportunity for our young people to learn how our ensembles work, play alongside others and get to know our conductors. These sorts of experiences are crucial for any budding musician – we’re better when we make music together!” John Hutchings, Music Strategic Lead Officer

Any young person who plays an orchestral string, woodwind, brass or orchestral percussion instrument and is Grade 4 or above can sample the groups for free – click the links below!

For brass players, join our Youth Brass Ensemble in Witham

For woodwind and brass players, join our Youth Symphonic Wind Orchestra in Chelmsford

For budding orchestral players, join our Young People’s Orchestra in Chelmsford

We are proud to have a number of leading and high-achieving top-level ensembles offering opportunities for young musicians in Essex including:

Essex Youth Orchestra
Essex Youth Choir
Essex Youth Jazz Orchestra
Essex Youth Symphonic Wind Orchestra
Essex Youth Brass Ensemble

This doesn’t happen by accident – we also run a number of starter ensembles in our community music venues as well as intermediate ensembles including our Essex Young People’s Orchestra to bring together young people together in making music with each other.

If you have a young person in your setting who would benefit from joining such an ensemble, please contact Beverley Heard, Music Ensembles Lead Officer, telephone 0333 013 8953 or email: musichub@essex.gov.uk

Vocal Workshop with Charles MacDougall (Sunday 8 October 2023)

Join one of the UK’s leading vocal specialists for a day of vocal exploration!

  • When? Sunday 8 October 2023, 10.00am to 4.00pm

Come and join us for an open workshop aimed at students in Year 6 and above who can read music and can hold a tune.

In conjunction with our partners Gabrieli ROAR, we’re thrilled to welcome vocal specialist Charles MacDougall for a workshop focusing on vocal health, vocal technique, singing in parts with others, and meeting other young singers!

Who is Charles?

Charles is formerly a member of internationally-acclaimed vocal ensemble VOCES8 (2005-12), and alongside his impressive singing career he is the Choral Director of The Voices Foundation, Chorus Director for Gabrieli ROAR and directs two choirs in London. He is extremely active as a workshop leader, presenting sessions for the BBC Singers, UK Choir Festival, Association of British Choral Directors, LSO, Philharmonia and Stay at Home Choir. In 2018 he was part of the team that received the Music Teacher Award for Excellence in Primary/Early Years (for creation and delivery of the VF/DRET Singing Schools pilot programme), while in 2020 he helped devise and deliver the daily VF Virtual Sing for children on lockdown, and in 2021 he wrote the first volume of Inside Singing, a choral resource for primary school choir leaders. He is an Ambassador for Britten-Pears Arts, a Trustee of IntoOpera, and a Director and Trustee of the Choral Foundation, Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace.

 

Timings for the day

  • 9.45am Registration opens
  • 10.00am Workshop begins
  • 4.00pmWorkshop ends

 

We are proud to have a number of leading and high-achieving top-level ensembles offering opportunities for young musicians in Essex including:

Essex Youth Orchestra
Essex Youth Choir
Essex Youth Jazz Orchestra
Essex Youth Symphonic Wind Orchestra
Essex Youth Brass Ensemble

This doesn’t happen by accident – we also run a number of starter ensembles in our community music venues as well as intermediate ensembles including our Essex Young People’s Orchestra to bring together young people together in making music with each other.

If you have a young person in your setting who would benefit from joining such an ensemble, please contact Beverley Heard, Music Ensembles Lead Officer, telephone 0333 013 8953 or email: musichub@essex.gov.uk

Britten Sinfonia – Inspiration Day (Monday 2 October 2023)

Join East Anglia’s premier professional chamber orchestra for a day of strings, woodwind and brass workshops!

  • Monday 2 October 2023, 1.00pm to 5.15pm
  • Price – Free

Supported by Orchestras Live and Essex Music Service, young musicians from Essex are invited to join a day of workshops focusing on ensemble playing and instrumental technique led by our regional professional chamber orchestra, Britten Sinfonia.

This is based on the workshop in Colchester earlier this year which brought together 50 string students from across the county, so we’re glad to repeat this, and to also open a separate workshop for woodwind and brass players.

This Inspiration Day is for all strings, woodwind and brass students who have achieved Grade 4 and above, who wish to learn with real industry professionals, learn to perform in groups and perform in front of a live audience at the end of the day.

Places are limited to a maximum of 100 students (50 of strings, and 50 mixed of woodwind and brass), and thus will allocate places on a first come first serve basis. Music will be sent out in advance to those who register in order to prepare for the day, with additional support from musicians through the Inspiration Day.

Timings for the day

  • 12.45pm Registration opens
  • 1.00pm Workshop begins
  • 5.15pm Workshop ends
  • 5.30pm Showcase for parents, after which students can leave

Register your school/child by 22 September

  • Schools: to register for the Inspiration Day, please click here to complete the form.
  • Parents: to register as an individual, please click here, and please contact your school in case they already have plans to bring your child or others.

 

We are proud to have a number of leading and high-achieving top-level ensembles offering opportunities for young musicians in Essex including:

Essex Youth Orchestra
Essex Youth Choir
Essex Youth Jazz Orchestra
Essex Youth Symphonic Wind Orchestra
Essex Youth Brass Ensemble

This doesn’t happen by accident – we also run a number of starter ensembles in our community music venues as well as intermediate ensembles including our Essex Young People’s Orchestra to bring together young people together in making music with each other.

If you have a young person in your setting who would benefit from joining such an ensemble, please contact Beverley Heard, Music Ensembles Lead Officer, telephone 0333 013 8953 or email: musichub@essex.gov.uk