OutreachOver the past fifteen years Chetham's has gained a reputation for its impressive array of events dedicated to providing opportunities for young musicians, teachers and amateur musicians of all ages from across the country!
We run an annual series of days focusing on single instruments, instrumental families or specific ensembles. These bring together instrumental teachers and young players for workshops, lectures, a chance to meet and connect through open sessions and all important dialogue. The sessions for young players have been enormously successful and are designed for beginners, intermediate and advanced students. They very often incorporate free masterclasses by acclaimed musicians and teachers from across the world. Events already lined up for 2010 include:
Guitar Weekend (20-21st March 2010) - Following the link for further information and a booking form.
To View all forthcoming Outreach Events click here.
N.B.We are sorry to announce that the Electronic Keyboard Day that was due to be held on 6th March has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, however do watch this space as we will hopefully try to organise this event for another date in the future.
Other events have been designed for group music-making and have recently included 'Your Creation' and 'Your Elijah' - special days when local singers and players came together to work at extracts from Mendelssohn's Elijah and Haydn's Creation, lead by Paul McCreesh and members of his Gabrieli Consort, and a String Orchestra Day on music from Norway directed by Henning Kraggerud virtuoso violinist from Norway.
Above - 'The Creation' by Haydn - performed by Chetham's Symphony Orchestra and Chorus with Paul McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort
Our students regularly lead workshops for schools, societies and charities throughout the UK, often including working side-by-side music therapists. Our work with organisations that support visually and aurally impaired and disabled children has been particularly strong and enriching for everyone involved. Allied to this we raise funds for many charities notably Music in Hospitals, Francis House Children's and St Ann's Hospices. In 2007 Chets also received a national award for our continued support of the Royal Naval Lifeboat Institution.
In November 2008 Chetham's launched its Early Year's Music Scheme hosting its first national conference with in addition eight further training sessions for existing and would be Early Years specialists. This embryonic programme will eventually be given a permanent residence in the Outreach Centre which will have a permanent home in the new music school due to open in autumn 2011.
As if this were not enough, Chetham's has organised five themed projects. The first of these was the award winning Antarctica Project of 2001 which incorporated performances, lectures on climate conditions, vitamins and endurance, workshops on music for silent films ( based on the film SOUTH - the cinematographic record of Scott's last Expedition), landscape painting and composition,( with Sir Peter Maxwell Davies).The project was given in collaboration with the British Antarctic Survey.
In 2004, the award nominated Brundibár Project involved over twenty performances plus lectures, film screenings, discussions and workshops focussing on the Holocaust during which the children's opera Brundibár found its special significance in the concentration camp of Terezin. Our performances of the opera involved over 200 primary school children - some of whom had never been involved in music making before- and was introduced by Holocaust survivor and Terezin internee Paul Sandfort.
2005's A Child of Our Time project took as its focal point the oratorio of that name by Sir Michael Tippett marking the centenary of the composer birth. The project included performances of startling choral work, sensory and photography workshops, poetry and song writing competitions, choral and gospel workshops in a project that reached upwards of 4000 children across the North of England.
2007's Spirit of Norway project included over 50 events over a four month period with a number of public master classes for young musicians, and collaborations with musicians and organisations from Norway. Given in collaboration with the Norwegian Embassy and Hurtigruten, the climax of the Festival was the complete performances of the Grieg’s Peer Gynt with music soloists and musicians from Bergen, Oslo and Trondheim.
In autumn 2008 Chets presented Leonard Bernstein - A Celebration which examined the impact of this charismatic composer and conductor through a variety of performances including all of his rarely performed chamber works. With lectures and film presentations the project included a special free concert for local school children entitled The Bernstein Beat narrated by Bernstein's youngest daughter Nina Bernstein Simmons.
