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Glenthorne High School are launching an exciting addition to their Saturday performing arts school. From September 2010 ArtsOne Rocks! will cater for rock and pop musicians by offering lessons in how to play in a band. A team of talented performing musicians will teach pupils the skills needed to perform in this exhilarating musical style.

ArtsOne Rocks! is open to young musicians who are 11 to 18 years old and play one of the following - vocals, electric guitar, keyboard, bass guitar, drum kit.

Students attending ArtsOne Rocks! will develop their ability on their instrument, extend their knowledge of music and learn to work together within a band situation. Each term the students will look at a selection of songs from all popular musical genres. There will be a blend of classic songs that every musician should know and songs that are current at present.

Lessons will be held at Glenthorne High School and will run from 10.00am to 12.00pm each Saturday.

If you would like more information or would like to reserve your son/daughter a place please contact Mrs D. Puddy, Arts Administrator Assistant, on 0208 644 6307 ext. 240 or email dpu@glenthorne.sutton.sch.uk. Alternatively, you can visit the ArtsOne Rocks! website www.glenthorne-high.org/artsonerocks

In March 2009, The Engine Room, a research unit based at the University of the Arts London (UAL), was commissioned by the Federation of Music Services to provide objective evidence about the impact of the Wider Opportunities Programme at Key Stage 2 (WO). This initiative, funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) through its Standards Fund Music Grant, aimed to provide a year of free instrumental tuition for children in primary schools and widen opportunities through large group/whole class tuition.

In Sutton, the Wider Opportunities initiative is known as WCIT (Whole Class Instrumental Tuition). We deliver a range of programmes in fourteen Sutton primary schools, providing integrated general musicianship and instrumental tuition at KS2 to more than 1000 children a week. The schools in which WCIT is currently offered are: Abbey Primary, Avenue Primary, Barrow Hedges Primary, Brookfield Primary, Cheam Common Junior, Dorchester Primary, High View Primary, Nonsuch Primary, Robin Hood Junior, Stanley Park Junior, St Elphege's RC Junior, St Mary's RC Junior School, Tweedale Primary and Westbourne Primary.

The findings of the report are very positive and make interesting reading. Please click here for a summary.

Following the success of last year's performance, Sutton Youth Brass Ensemble once again entertained large crowds of enthusiastic shoppers in Sutton town centres with festive music over the Christmas period.

A smaller group of brass players from the Music Service were also invited to perform in a Carol service at Carshalton Methodist Church.

A big thank you to all of the players and tutors involved in these events which raised a record £1400 for Sutton Youth Music Supporters' Associaiton (SYMSA).

The 2009 winner of the Cheryl Jenkins Award is horn player Derryck Nasib. Derryck is a pupil at Greenshaw High School and a senior member of both SYSO and SYWO. He has horn lessons with Kathryn Allnutt at Saturday Music School. Derryck was a featured soloist in the Autumn Concerts and has recently gained Grade 8 with Distinction.

This award is presented in memory of Cheryl Jenkins who was a member of SYSO and SYWO in recognition of an outstanding contibution by a member of SYSO. The previous winners of the Cheryl Jenkins Award are 2005 Carol Moon, 2006 Rosie Rumsey, 2007 David Larkin, 2008 Hayden Smith.

Sutton Music Service is celebrating ten successful years of Saturday Music School. Launched in December 1999, Saturday Music School opened it's doors to students in January 2000.

The rationale behind Saturday Music School was to encourage children to take up instruments which are not commonly learnt in schools. Over 80 young musicians now attend every Saturday morning during term time for lessons with specialist teachers on viola, double bass, oboe, bassoon, horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba and percussion. Lessons are highly subsidised and the cost of just £35 per term also incorporates theory and aural tuition as well as the loan of an instrument if necessary.

Building on the success of Saturday Music School, Wednesday Music School was launched in September 2009. Lessons take place on Wednesday evenings with tuition currently offered on flute, clarinet, violin and cello.

Both Saturday and Wednesday Music School take place at Wandle Valley School in Carshalton. There are currently vacancies at Saturday Music School on bassoon, trombone and double bass while Wednesday Music School has vacancies on cello, clarinet and flute.

In June 2009 we were visited by a Music Service Evaluation Partner as part of the Federation of Music Services' evaluation programme, funded by the DCSF. The overall effectiveness of the Music Service was judged to be good with outstanding features:

Sutton Music Service is an effective organisation that supports the partnership of schools and other London music services. Leadership is strong and management is well informed and equipped to meet the needs of all stakeholders. The provision of ensembles is strong and meets the needs of all levels of playing. Students have access to regular performance opportunities.

Nearly fifty members of the bands and orchestras in Years 7-10 spent the weekend of 6-8 November 2009 at Lodge Hill Centre near Pulborough in West Sussex.

The young musicians, which included representatives of most secondary schools in the borough, performed as an orchestra and had the opportunity to take part in a wide range of activities, including archery, tunneling, a sledge run and climbing wall.

This is the first time that we have used Lodge Hill and only the second time we have had a course of this sort for this age group. The feedback from all who took part was very positive and we are looking forward to another weekend at Lodge Hill next year.

Concerns have been raised about the congestion in Welbeck Road and Wandle Valley School car park on Monday evenings. There are now three ensembles as well as two other organisations on the school premises and, as numbers increase, so has the volume of traffic.

In order to manage the traffic flow more effectively, we are planning to start Sutton Youth Training Band rehearsals 15 minutes earlier at 4.45pm, finishing at 5.45pm, from after half term, Monday 2 November.

For 2010 we are planning a concert tour to the Czech Republic. Provisional dates for the tour are 19 to 26 July 2010. The tour is for ensemble members in Year 9 and above who are Grade 5 or equivalent standard on their instrument. Please click here for further details.

The Mahler Orchestra was previously known as the Surrey Mahler Orchestra under which title it has performed the first six Mahler symphonies with great success since its formation in 1999. Previous performances have taken place at St John's Smith Square, Fairfield Halls, Croydon and The Anvil, Basingstoke.

2007 saw the start of a partnership between The Mahler Orchestra and Sutton Music Service with a performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 5 and Respighi's 'Fountains of Rome'. This was followed in 2008 by Mahler's Sixth Symphony together with Respighi's 'Pines of Rome' at The Farnham Maltings. The orchestra is made up of pupils, students, young profesionals, teachers and experienced orchestral musicians.

This year they tackled Mahler's Symphony No. 7, conducted by Keith Willis, and Wagner's 'Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg' Overture, conducted by Nigel Hiscock. A weekend of rehearsals at Wandle Valley School, Carshalton culminated in a rousing performance at St John's Church, Waterloo on the Sunday evening. The performance was a great success and Nigel and Keith would like to thank all those involved.

Nearly 80 young musicians from Sutton Music Service ensembles went on this Summer's concert tour to Rome and Florence in Italy. After a very long coach trip we performed our first concert at Piazza Navona, Rome, appearing as Sutton Youth Concert Band, conducted by Neil Thomas, and Sutton Youth Concert Orchestra, conducted by Nigel Hiscock.

Having moved on to a hotel in Florence, we spent a day realxing both in and out of the swimming pool at Norcenni Girasole, a holiday camp in Tuscanny, where we performed our second concert to a very large and appreciative audience. Our final concert took place in the beautiful Piazza Santa Croce in the heart of Florence. We performed a wide variety of music, ranging from original compositions to arrangements of popular movie soundtracks for both symphony orchestra and wind orchestra.

Dorking Halls was the venue for the end of term concerts for all Music Service ensembles on Sunday 5 July. The first concert of the day started at 4pm and featured the junior and intermediate level ensembles. Young Musicians String Group, Young Musicians Training Orchestra, Young Musicians Orchestra, Sutton Youth Training Band and Sutton Youth Symphonic Band all performed brilliantly and were well received by a capacity audience.

At 8pm it was the turn of the senior ensembles with Sutton Youth Symphony Orchestra and Sutton Youth Wind Orchestra taking to the stage. SYWO performed a variety of original compositions for wind orchestra and film music. SYSO performed Britten's 'Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra' and Bernstein's 'Symphonic Dances from West Side Story'.

Keep up to date with news and events in Sutton Music Service. You can now find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Croydon's Fairfield Halls came to life on Thursday 25 June for Sutton Music Service's KS2 Instrumental Music Festival. Over 400 young musicians performed, with the majority drawn from schools participating in Sutton Music Service Whole Class Instrumental Tuition (WCIT) projects.

Sutton Music Service deliver a range of WCIT projects in twelve Sutton primary schools, providing integrated general musicianship and instrumental tuition at KS2 to more than 900 children a week. Each project is delivered by instrumental tutors from Sutton Music Service, working alongside the classroom teachers, and features woodwind, brass, strings or world music instruments. Each of the schools currently participating in WCIT were invited to send a representative group of pupils to perform in the festival.

The schools that participated in the festival were Abbery Primary, Barrow Hedges Primary, Brookfield Primary, Cheam Common Junior, Dorchester Primary, Federation of St Elphege's, Nonsuch Primary, Robin Hood Junior and Stanley Park Junior.

The concert also featured guest choirs from All Saints CofE Primary School, Carshalton and Federation of St Elphege's, as well as Sutton Youth Brass Ensemble, conducted by Nigel Hiscock.

Sutton Music Service now offers lessons on most instruments through our Saturday Music School and Wednesday Music School, both based at Wandle Valley School, Carshalton.

Saturday Music School takes place on Saturday mornings during term time and offers lessons on viola, double bass, oboe, bassoon, French horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba & percussion. Pupils benefit from instrumental, theory and aural tuition, as well as the loan of an instrument - all for just £35 per term. We would particularly like to hear from anyone who like to learn double bass, trombone or bassoon.

From September 2009, Wednesday Music School will offer lessons on violin, cello, flute and clarinet on Wednesday evenings during term time. Pupils will receive shared lessons at a cost of £50 per term and there are currently vacancies on all instruments.

For further information or to apply for a place please go to the Music Schools page of this website.

Over forty members of the bands and orchestras in Years 3-6 spent a fun packed weekend at Halls Green Activity Centre near Sevenoaks in Kent. The children performed a variety of music as an orchestra. Some pupils learnt jazz improvisation skills and everyone joined together to sing and dance to songs from High School Musical, accompanined by a staff band.

The main purpose of the weekend is to allow time for the orchestra and band members to make friends through making music together and just having fun. Aside from music, other activities included swimming, arts and crafts, a camp fire and the ever popular assault course. We asked the children to tell us what they thought of their weekend at Halls Green:

'It was fun, creative and overall brilliant. I loved making new friends'

Daniel Langridge, Barrow Hedges Primary School

'It was really fun at Halls Green. I have come here before but this time it was even better. All the staff are very nice - they always look out for you. The food is lovely as well.'

Olivia Dilley, Stanley Park Junior School

'I have really enjoyed my time at Halls Green. I loved the assault course because there are loads of obstacles and I have enjoyed making music with my friends'

Lucy Wells, Barrow Hedges Primary School

On Monday 9 March, over 400 excited 5 and 6 year old pupils took to the stage of Fairfield Halls, Croydon for this year's London Borough of Sutton Key Stage 1 Music Festival. The theme for the evening was 'Enchanted' and each school had prepared an individual item to perform to the packed auditorium, as well as several massed choir items conducted by Nigel Hiscock, Head of Music Service.

The concert also featured Sutton Youth Jazz Orchestra, under the leadership of jazz trombonist, Jon Stokes. SYJO prepared for the performance on a one day course at Wandle Valley School, the day before the event.

The schools that participated in the festival were Stanley Park Infants, Robin Hood Infants, Foresters Primary, Beddington Infants, All Saints Carshalton Primary, Bandon Hill Primary, Culvers House Primary, St Elphege's Federated Schools, Barrow Hedges Primary, All Saints Benhilton Primary and St Mary's Infants. The event, now in its third year, is organised by a committee headed by Rachel Jacob, Head Teacher of Stanley Park Infants School.

Sutton Music Service have been offered the opportunity to provide all of our ensemble rehearsals at Wandle Valley School, Carshalton. As of the summer term, the band rehearsals currently held at Wallington High School for Girls will move to this new location.

• Rehearsals for Sutton Youth Training Band will move to Mondays from 5.00-6.00pm. The first rehearsal will take place on Monday, 20 April 2009.
• Rehearsals for Sutton Youth Symphonic Band will be on Tuesdays from 5.00-6.00pm. The first rehearsal will take place on Tuesday, 21 April 2009.
• Rehearsals for Sutton Youth Wind Orchestra will be on Tuesdays from 6.15-8.15pm. The first rehearsal will take place on Tuesday, 21 April 2009.

Click here for a map and directions.

Rehearsals will continue to be held at Wallington High School for Girls until the end of the spring term.

We believe that moving all of our ensembles to one location will be a positive change but, if this does cause you any particular problems, please talk to Ann Capps, Ensembles Coordinator, as we may be able to help.

We now have more children attending our ensembles and this is causing traffic problems at Wandle Valley School.

Please follow a one-way system when dropping and picking up your child.

• Drive up Welbeck Road from Green Wrythe Lane and turn into the first gate of the car park.
• Please don't drop your child at the front door unless they are disabled. Drive through into the main car park, park the car and bring your child to the front door, if they are of an age when they need to be escorted. The area outside the front door is very small and it causes a lot of problems if people stop there.
• Leave the car park by the other entrance, turn right into Welbeck Road, left at the end of Welbeck Road into Shrewsbury Road. At the junction of Shrewsbury Road with Middleton Road, turn left and follow the road until the roundabout. This will bring you back onto Green Wrythe Lane.

This is a very short detour but will make an enormous difference to the time it takes to get in and out of Wandle Valley School. Thank you for your help with this problem.

Following a request by the Student Council, we have recently launched a new range of hooded sweatshirts for players in our ensembles. The hoodies have been part sponsored by John Packer Musical Instruments, a major supplier of instruments to Sutton Music Service. They are available in a range of colours and sizes and can be ordered at rehearsals at a cost of £18.

A brass ensemble formed of players and tutors from our senior bands and orchestras were invited to perform festive music in Sutton town centre over the Christmas period. The performance attracted large crowds of enthusiastic shoppers who gave generously towards Sutton Youth Music Supporters Association (SYMSA). This is the third occasion that the brass players have given up their time over the Christmas holiday to raise money for SYMSA and this year they surpassed their previous record by raising nearly £1200.

Evelyn Druce, Treasurer of SYMSA, said 'On behalf of all the SYMSA committee members, I would like to thank you for the donation which was a result of the collection at Christmas. Please convey our thanks to all the brass players involved in this project'.

The votes have been counted and the results are in. The following young musicians have been elected to represent their ensembles on the Student Council:

YMTO - Mimosa Rouhard-Percy and Patrick Burke
YMO - Alice de Brunner and Robert Reed
SYSO - Laura Hair and Dominic Quinton
SYSB - Megan Davies and Kyle McKiernan
SYWO - Charlotte Meakin and Joe Kenway

The Student Council is a chance for members of the bands and orchestras to get their voices heard. We want your ideas and opinions on the Music Service so please speak to your Student Council Representatives at rehearsals.

Over thirty members of the bands and orchestras in Years 7-9 spent the weekend of 3-5 October 2008 at Halls Green Activity Centre near Sevenoaks in Kent.

The young musicians, which included at least one representative from every secondary school in the borough, performed as an orchestra and had the opportunity to take part in a wide range of activities, including a low ropes assault course, canoeing and raft building. We asked the player to tell us what they thought of their weekend at Halls Green:

'This has been my first trip to Sevenoaks with Sutton Music Service and I have really enjoyed it. I had fun on the assault course and had a great time canoeing. I have made some great new friends and have really enjoyed the music. Thank you.'

Philippa Matthews, Nonsuch High School for Girls

'I made a lot of new friends and really enjoyed the activities. I would love to come again.'

Joseph Le Gendre, Glenthorne High School

'This has been my second visit to Sevenoaks. I thought it was really fun and I enjoyed all of the activities. It was a bit cold though!'

Jennifer Weeks, Nonsuch High School for Girls

This is the first time that we have had a course of this sort purely for Years 7-9 and it is hoped that many of the players involved will be joining us on our European concert tours in the next couple of years.

On Saturday 6 September, members of Sutton Youth Training Band performed at a Gala Dinner to celebrate 40 years of the town twinning agreement between Sutton and the Berlin borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf.

The event, held at Wallington County Grammar School, was attended by guests from all of Sutton's linked towns of Gagny (France), Gladsaxe (Denmark), Minden (Germany), Tavarnelle Val di Pesa (Italy) and of course from Wilmersdorf. There were also guests from Apeldoorn (Netherlands) who were twinned with Sutton up to 1991 and now wish to re-establish that link. Also present were not only the Mayor and Mayoress, but also Deputy Lieutenant for the London Borough of Sutton, Air-Vice Marshall Clive Evans, the council leader, Councillor Sean Brennan and many other councillors together with Sutton Town Twinning Association members.

SYTB's performance was very well received by all of the guests and Graham Reed, Chairman of the Sutton Town Twinning Association commented '...what a tremendous performance they gave. I think it was very important to demonstrate to our European friends that Sutton has this musical talent in our schools'.

In July this year, over 60 young musicians from Sutton Music Service participated a hugely succesful tour to Switzerland. We stayed in an excellent hotel in the moutainous region of Villars sur Ollon, with brilliant facilities, including a swimming pool and games room.

Our first concert took place in the picteresque village of Villars. We enjoyed a relaxing boat trip on Lake Geneva to Montreaux for our second, very hot, outdoor concert. The third was a lovely evening concert in the town square in Evian which attracted a huge audience.

For the last two nights we returned to Oberkirch in Germany, where we stayed last year, and played our final concert in nearby Kehl. We performed a wide variety of music, ranging from original compositions to arrangments of popular movie soundtracks for both symphony orchestra and wind orchestra.

Following the Government's pledge in 2000 that, '...over time, all pupils in primary schools who wish to, will have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument...', Sutton Music Service launched Whole Class Instrumental Tuition pilot programmes in two schools in 2003, expanding to four schools in 2005. We now deliver a range of WCIT programmes in twelve Sutton primary schools, providing integrated general musicianship and instrumental tuition to more than 900 children a week.

The schools in which WCIT is currently offered are: Abbey Primary, Barrow Hedges Primary, Brookfield Primary, Cheam Common Junior, Dorchester Primary, High View Primary, Nonsuch Primary, Robin Hood Junior, Stanley Park Junior, St Elphege's RC Junior, Tweedale Primary and Westbourne Primary. All programmes are pitched at years four and five and feature woodwind, brass, strings or world music instruments.

WCIT is delivered by highly specialist instrumental tutors from Sutton Music Service, working alongside classroom teachers. Each programme lasts for one academic year with ten sessions being delivered each term. The sessions are planned, organised and delivered in line with the requirements of the National Curriculum.

At the end of the programme children should be able to make an informed choice as to how they want to develop their new musical skills.

We are currently planning a special event to take place at Fairfield Halls, Croydon in June 2009 to celebrate the achievements of those children involved in the scheme.

The feedback from schools has been universally enthusiastic. Comments from Head Teachers have included:

'The project is fantastic!'
'We are delighted...the children are thoroughly enjoying learning to play an instrument.....it is a great opportunity.'
'The children love it and are making great progress.'

On Monday 23 June, forty members of the Young Musicians Training Orchestra spent the day performing to appreciative pupils at Barrow Hedges Primary School, Stanley Park Infants School and Stanley Park Junior School.

YMTO, along with their conductor David Brooker and tutor Philip Aslangul, introduced the children to pop music through the ages; from Shakespearian, Vicotrian and modern times. They were also shown how each instrument works and what the role of a conductor is. Some pupils who have been learning an instrument at school through the Whole Class Instrumental Tuition programme had the opportunity to play with the orchestra while others had a go at conducting.

A big thank you to senior players Catherine Doerr, Flik Myerscough, Danielle Saunders and Hayden Smith who helped out on the day.

Over forty members of the bands and orchestras in Years 3-6 spent the weekend of 16-18 May 2008 at Halls Green Activity Centre near Sevenoaks in Kent. The children, who represented many different schools from across the borough, performed as an orchestra and had the opportunity to take part in a wide range of activities, including football, swimming, arts and crafts and an assault course.

The main purpose of the weekends at Halls Green is to allow time for the orchestra and band members to make friends through making music together and just having fun. We asked the children to tell us what they thought of their weekend at Halls Green:

'My time at Halls Green has been really great. The greatest thing was making new friends. I have learned a lot and not just on drumming. I will be really upset when I have to go.'

Daniel Large, Stanley Park Junior School

'I think my time at Halls Green has been great because I got to make new friends and more importantly got to try new things. Me and my room mates had lots of fun laughing and playing. My favourite parts of the holiday was the assault course, making new friends and being lead violinist. This has been a wonderful experience.'

Daniel Foran, Cuddington Croft Primary School

'My favourite part of Halls Green was making cool new friends and playing great pieces. I would love to come back next year.'

Henry Ludlam, Holy Trinity CE Primary School