Young Musicians take centre stage at MAST Mayflower Studios

This month, young musicians from across Southampton have been taking centre stage at MAST Mayflower Studios as part of a month long programme celebrating the creativity of the city’s young people.

On Tuesday 8 March 2022, Pulse8 concert band and FolkActive Youth Ensemble gave their first live performance in over two years. The Folk Active Youth Ensemble is run by Hub partners Folk Active and led by Folk musician Chris Nichols of Threepenny Bit. This ensemble, comprised mainly of string players, has been running since 2019 and continued to thrive online during lockdown.

The audience were captivated by the ensemble, who played tunes taught in the traditional way by ear with plenty of interesting harmonies and variations added in for good measure! The dancing, led by Tom Gregory was a popular, if unplanned addition to the concert, but this music is, after all designed to be danced to.

Joining them on the bill was Pulse8, Southampton Music Hub's intermediate concert band which features percussion, brass and woodwind players of around grade 3-5 standard from across the city and beyond. Led by their Musical Director Kevin Withall, this talented group of young musicians played a wide range of repertoire from western classical musical and concert band classics to film soundtrack and popular music.

Chris Nichols, director of FAYE says:

“The MAST concert was FAYE’s first opportunity to perform together since before the pandemic. They have come such a long way in the last few years and delivered an infectiously joyous performance. They memorized not only all the music, but some complex arrangements which they themselves had put together. I am immensely proud of everything they have achieved so far and am excited to continue developing the ensemble further, with an expended selection of instruments and more participant led creativity.”

The programme continue this month, with the following upcoming shows:

Monday 28 March 2022 at 7pm: Los Twangolitos, Twango, Bella Voce, Soton Voce and Jazz Workshop

Southampton Music Hub is delighted to present a wonderfully eclectic programme which features our initial and senior classical guitar groups Los Twangolitos and Twango alongside our youth and community choirs Soton and Bella Voce and recently re-reformed Jazz Workshop.

Wednesday 30 March 2022 at 7pm: Brassroots and Fusion Brass

Southampton Music Hub is delighted to present our initial brass band Brass Roots and their mid tier contemporaries Fusion Brass showcasing Southampton’s young brass players and a mixture of traditional and popular repertoire. This performance includes the world premier of a piece written by the players from Fusion Brass and their assistant Andy Wareham.

Thursday 31 March 2022, at 7pm: Airplay and Boom

Southampton Music Hub is delighted to present Boom and Airplay Concert. This will be a fantastically wide ranging concert featuring our initial windband ensemble Airplay, alongside our newly formed percussion group Boom! Expect some wide ranging repertoire from world music rhythms to traditional and popular pieces.

Friday 1 April 2022, 7pm: Music Hub Award Holders Concert

Southampton Music Hub is delighted to present an inspiring evening with young gifted and talented musicians from across the city who are in receipt of a music hub award for their outstanding talents. The evening with showcase a variety of instruments and genres from Rock to Rachmaninoff!