3,000 young musicians from across the UK take to the stage of the Royal Albert Hall
26 October, 2012
Schools Proms – Monday 12, Tuesday 13 & Wednesday 14 November 2012
This November, 3,000 young musicians, aged 7- 21, have been given the opportunity of a lifetime - to perform on stage at one of the world’s most iconic venues at the Music for Youth Schools Prom concerts.
The forty one groups from across the UK will take to the Royal Albert Hall’s stage to perform a huge range of different types of music including orchestral, rock and pop, choral, samba, jazz, folk and more. Each night will also host a different large scale ensemble beginning with 650 young people from Bradford on Monday, followed by massed ensembles from Huddersfield on Tuesday and Gloucestershire on Wednesday. Further special collaborations will also feature during the three evenings, including an exchange project between young musicians from Rochdale, Greater Manchester and Gorron, France on Monday.
Music For Youth and the Royal Albert Hall are long-standing partners who together champion youth music and develop musical talent by supporting young performers. As a charity, the Hall looks to support and contribute to the cultural life of the country and ensure its legacy for future generations through its on-going education and outreach work and providing opportunities to those who may never have the chance to visit or perform at the venue.
Judith Webster, Chief Executive of Music for Youth, said “The Schools Prom concerts aim to represent the excellence and innovation taking place in young people’s music-making across the whole of the UK, with groups from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. With their customary wide range of repertoire and musical styles, new commissions and large scale collaborations, these concerts provide a unique showcase of exemplary music education in this country.”
Chris Cotton, Chief Executive at the Royal Albert Hall, said “We are proud to be one of the major sponsors of Music For Youth and look forward to once again welcoming these talented young musicians to the Royal Albert Hall’s stage. One of our key aims as a charity is to inspire, influence and champion the future of music in the UK and we see our partnership with Music for Youth as a great responsibility in creating more musical opportunities and education for young people and showcasing the range of musical talent throughout the country."
Tickets, priced from £5, are available from the Royal Albert Hall Box Office on 020 7589 8212 or at www.royalalberthall.com
Notes to editor
For more information please contact:
Emma Lee 020 7759 1839 / emma@mfy.org.uk
For the Royal Albert Hall please contact:
Hannah Hayes 020 7861 3176/ hhayes@goodrelations.co.uk
Khaled Khawaja 020 7861 3162 / KKhawaja@goodrelations.co.uk
Sean Carrigan 020 7959 0531/ seanc@royalalberthall.com
Music for Youth
Founded in 1970, Music for Youth is a national music education charity providing free performance opportunities for young people aged 21 and under through an annual season of nationwide festivals and concerts.
MFY offers young people the opportunity to perform live in a supportive environment in festivals across the UK, celebrating and supporting the breadth of music-making by young people both in and out of school. In addition MFY stages a series of free concerts, performed by young people for young people, providing first-hand experience of live music-making.
Major Sponsors National Union of Teachers, Times Educational Supplement, Royal Albert Hall
Sponsors ABRSM, Vivendi
Rock, Pop & Urban Sponsor Rockschool
With funding from Department for Education, Youth Music, Creative Scotland
Supporters PRS for Music Foundation, The Garfield Weston Foundation, Tower Leasing Ltd, Department of Education for Northern Ireland
Media Partner Classic FM
For more information, please visit www.mfy.org.uk/schoolsprom
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is the world’s most famous stage. Its breathtaking auditorium hosts over 370 shows a year by the world’s greatest artists. The magical atmosphere combined with inspired artists creates legendary events.
Opened in 1871 as part of Prince Albert’s vision for a centre for the Arts and Sciences, the Hall is a registered charity which operates without public funding, remaining true to his founding ambitions within a modern context. Extending the brand with 200 events outside the auditorium, the Hall has broadened its appeal to younger, diverse audiences whilst still engaging its existing customers.
The Hall also offers the Elgar Room, a state-of-the-art small-scale performance space which hosts performances of classical music, jazz and world music, comedy, dance and hush, a series of gigs for just signed bands throughout the year. In the main auditorium, it offers the Albert Sessions, an initiative that encourages up and coming acts to play at the Hall by offering reduced rental fees to promoters and lower ticket prices to encourage younger audiences to visit the Hall. It also works extensively with schools, young people, disadvantaged groups and partners such as Music For Youth through its Education programme, reaching over 100,000 participants each year as part of its extensive public benefit remit. It has also been appointed by the Arts Council as one of the country’s regional music education hubs.
For more information, please visit www.royalalberthall.com/ www.facebook.com/royalalberthall/ http://life.royalalberthall.com
GROUP INFORMATION
KEY
GROUP NAME / AREA / NO. IN GROUP/ AGE RANGE
MONDAY 12 NOVEMBER 2012
19:00-21:45
Ben & Alfie / Taunton, Somerset / 2 / 17-18
Blue in Green / Boston, Lincolnshire / 6 / 15-18
Carnoustie & District Youth Brass Band / Carnoustie, Angus / 46 / 12-21
Double Helix / Burton on Trent, Staffordshire / 4 / 16-17
Hampshire String Quartet / Winchester / 4 / 15-17
Jazz Vehicle / North Hykeham, Lincoln / 38 / 14-19
Kirklees Youth Symphony Orchestra / Kirklees / 77 / 10-18
Maria Fidelis Convent School Gospel Choir / Camden, London / 62 / 11-18
Marshfield Primary Taiko / Newport, Gwent / 56 / 8-10
Portchester Marimba Ensemble / Portchester, Hampshire / 8 / 11-15
Singers Limited / High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire / 22 / 16-18
The Dream / Gorron, France & Rochdale, Greater Manchester / 61 / 11-16
Vivendi Sounds Bradford Massed Ensemble / Bradford Area / 611 / 7-18
Vivendi Youth Orchestra / West Yorkshire / 125 / 12-21
TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2012
19:00-21:45
Bells Angels / Wallington, Surrey / 7 / 13-15
Denbighshire Youth County Choir / Denbighshire / 59 / 9-14
Egglescliffe School Brass Band / Egglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees / 36 / 11-18
Flats & Sharps / Penzance, Cornwall / 4 / 18-19
Fourtissimo / Huddersfield, West Yorkshire / 4 / 14-18
Greater Gwent Youth Jazz Orchestra / Newport, Gwent / 20 / 14-21
Henrietta Barnett School Carnatic Ensemble / Hampstead, London / 3 / 16-18
Huddersfield Fusion / Huddersfield / 528 / 7-18
Jazz In My Pants / Durham, County Durham / 9 / 14-18
Mammoth Sound / London / 6 / 16-19
Milton Keynes Music Service Piano Trio / Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire / 3 / 15-18
Northamptonshire County Youth Orchestra / Northamptonshire / 108 / 13-18
Ripple Escola de Samba / Barking, Essex / 40 / 7-14
WEDNESDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2012
19:00-21:45
Birmingham Schools' Brass Band / Birmingham, West Midlands / 46 / 13-18
City of Belfast Youth Orchestra / Belfast, Northern Ireland / 92 / 15-20
Gloucestershire Massed Ensemble / Gloucestershire / 663 / 7-18
Llantarnam School Deaf Choir / Cwmbran, Torfaen / 13 / 13-18
Northamptonshire County Youth Concert Band / Northamptonshire / 70 / 14-18
Penzance Youth String Orchestra / Penzance, Cornwall / 22 / 11-18
Pond:Life / Andover, Hampshire / 8 / 10-13
Room 5 / Isle of Benbecula, Scotland / 6 / 17-19
Silkstone Common Junior and Infant School Orchestra / Barnsley, South Yorkshire / 28 / 8-12
Star / Redditch, Worcestershire / 2 / 17-19
The Kingsmead Dynamix / Hackney, London / 25 / 8-11
The Jocelyn Trio / Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire / 3 / 16-18
Thomas Telford School Senior Choir / Telford, Shropshire / 65 / 16-18
Zodiac / Lewisham, London / 8 / 15-18