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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 orchestra while other 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.

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

This year, The Mahler Orchestra will take on Mahler Symphony No. 6 under the baton of founder conductor Keith Willis and Respighi’s Pines of Rome under Nigel Hiscock. Rehearsals will take place at Wandle Valley School, Carshalton on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 September, culminating in an afternoon performance at Farnham Maltings on Sunday 7 September.

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

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 ten Sutton primary schools, providing integrated general musicianship and instrumental tuition to more than 800 children a week.

The schools in which WCIT is currently offered are: Abbey Primary, Barrow Hedges Primary, Brookfield Primary, Cheam Common Junior, Dorchester Primary, Nonsuch Primary, Robin Hood Junior, Stanley Park Junior, St Elphege’s RC Junior and Tweedale 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.

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.’