Posts in Ensembles
"In conversation with" Southampton Youth Brass Band (SYBB)
"In conversation with" Southampton Youth Brass Band (SYBB)
A young brass player taking part in the Symphony 125 project in 2019.

A young brass player taking part in the Symphony 125 project in 2019.

For those missing Strictly Come Dancing, Southampton Music Hub has put together a school’s ensemble performance project – Strictly Come Dance.

Southampton Youth Brass Band have been working on creating a virtual performance of Let’s Get Loud by Gloria Estefan and Flavio Santander. This performance will provide the backing track for the primary and secondary schools activity. Southampton Music Services teacher, John Hanchett, has written additional school parts for all instruments, levels and abilities as well creating the final video of SYBB’s performance.  

Southampton Youth Brass Band is directed by Paul Hart and the band’s assistant is Kevin Withell. Here Paul, Kevin and some band members talk about what it has meant to be part of this city-wide project and their experiences and achievements whilst rehearsals have had to be online.  

What has being part of the Let's Get Loud project meant for SYBB?

PH - Let's Get Loud has been an exciting project for the students, giving them something to work towards, with a new positive focus for the rehearsals.

What have the difficulties been preparing for the virtual performance of Let's Get Loud?

Player A - Learning the part, practicing it and following the conductor over the internet.

Is Let's Get Loud a breakaway from the music normally played by the band?

KW - The band is used to playing in a range of styles, and has worked in the past with other bands and choirs.  The idea of learning the parts without being able to play it together, and recording and videoing individually has been a new and challenging experience.

What have SYBB been able to achieve whilst rehearsing online?

PH - The achievements of SYBB Online will be easier to gauge once we're back to normality. The positives are that we still have a functioning band, full of students who have been given opportunities to keep on learning and playing throughout the lockdowns. They've been able to get a headstart on learning the music and their individual parts ahead of coming back together, and we've been able to maintain a sense of continuity with the students, both musically and socially.


What have the challenges been taking part in online rehearsals?

Player A - Internet connections and the loss of the band dynamic that’s present when we are all together.


What has really impressed you about the band whilst they have rehearsed online?

PH - What has impressed us most has been the continuing commitment from the large percentage of the band who have been logging in every week. Rehearsing online has required a lot of patience and open-mindedness from students and staff alike. The fact that these students have so much commitment to the band, that they have not shrunk away from the challenges of embracing an entirely new and often difficult way of rehearsing does them real credit.


What is your proudest moment of being a member of SYBB?

Player A - Playing in the concerts, it’s very rewarding to see all the hard work pay off !!


What are you looking forward to most when SYBB can meet face to face again?

Player B - Seeing my friends

Player A - I am most looking forward to playing in a full band, with the sound and dynamic that it will bring. I am especially looking forward to performing, so we can show off all of the progress we have made, with all of the hard work that we put in.

Ensembles, Music in SchoolsMatt BrombleySouthampton Youth Brass Band (SYBB)
“In Conversation with” Southampton Youth Concert Sinfonia (SYCS)

Southampton Youth Concert Sinfonia (SYCS) is the training orchestra for the Southampton Music Hub’s flagship Southampton Youth Orchestra (SYO). Since September they have been having weekly online rehearsals and during February, they worked with composer Patrick Bailey, from the London Sinfonietta, on a composition project.

For this project, players from SYCS have jointly composed a new piece and have recorded themselves playing their parts. SYCS’s recordings will then form part of a larger composition performed by musicians from the London Sinfonietta in their live streamed school’s concert, “Sound Out 2021”. from the Turner Sims on Tuesday 23 March 2021.

Below is a conversation with joint directors, Anna Robinson and Kevin Withell, and young musicians from SYCS. about online rehearsals and the composition project.

What have been your aims for running SYCS rehearsals online?

AR: The primary aim for running SYCS rehearsals online has been to sustain the SYCS community through this unusual time. In addition to this, we have been wanting to use this time as opportunity to explore new projects and repertoire which we may not have explored if we were rehearsing in person. This has included exploring large scale works through the BBC ten pieces series such as Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, running an introduction to Alexander Technique with trained osteopath and Alexander Technique teacher Ian Traynar and an exciting compositional project with musicians from the London Sinfonietta.

 
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Anna Robinson in rehearsal with SYCS.

What have you enjoyed about online rehearsals?

Player A: We still got to see each other and play pieces, like the video of A Million Dreams that we put together. Having the video altogether made it easier to share with friends and family.

Player B: Not feeling so embarrassed when you make a mistake. When you are online, no one can see or hear you.

What have been the challenges of achieving these aims?

KW: Being online affects ease of communication, and creates a difficulty in 'reading the room' - deciding whether to have a play through rehearsal or a nitty gritty rehearsal, what tone to strike and when to finish or move on from a section are largely down to guesswork. Not being able to help individual players and sections like we normally would makes us worried that certain players may be feeling left out.

What has impressed you the most about SYCS players taking part in online rehearsals?

AR: The continued positive attitude, humour and dedication that all players have bought to rehearsal which makes this orchestra so special! The enthusiasm and resilience of the members in this unusual situation has been amazing. If this situation has reinforced anything for me as a director, it is how incredible the young musicians of Southampton are. Their support for their peers and also their directors has been invaluable and as a result the community feel that SYCS is known is still very much present.

KW: The enthusiasm shown by all members coming along, and their willingness to accept the situation for what it is and help us to make the best of it.

What do you miss most about not being able to rehearse face to face?

Player C: I miss being able to follow a conductor, hearing and staying in time with the other musicians.

Player D: Playing as a group and being in contact with friends.

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SYCS players in rehearsal.

Anna and Kevin why did you put SYCS forward to the Composition Challenge Project with London Sinfonietta?

AR: As a director, I received the information about the project and thought it was such a fantastic opportunity to work with professional musicians and work on a something completely different which ultimately will allow us to perform virtually with the London Sinfonietta at the end of March, an opportunity too exciting to pass up!

What do you think the group has gained from taking part?

KW: This has been an opportunity for SYCS players to access a part of their creativity that they normally wouldn't be encouraged to access in normal rehearsals. It has also been invaluable to GCSE and A-Level music students, and any younger students who are considering higher level music qualifications, who have benefitted from being introduced to new and different ways of approaching composition.

What have you enjoyed about the London Sinfonietta Composition Challenge project?

Player C: I have had a lot of fun contributing ideas into a composition and seeing how they develop.

Player D: We get think of our own tunes. It was tricky to think of it the mathematical way, but it was was interesting.

Have you done much composing before?

Player A: No, but I might try to compose something in the future for a school project (like when you do a video in IT and you need to add music, I can add my own). Making music with numbers was also really fun.

Player B: Yes. It was nice to be faced with new/different opportunities and challenges.

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SYCS concentrating during a SYCS rehearsal.

What are your online plans for the rest of this term.?

AR: We are going to continue to explore a range of repertoire from BBC Ten Pieces including West Side Story’s Mambo. We also have a rehearsal which lands on St Patrick’s day, so we are going to take the opportunity to explore folk music with a folk specialist. We will round off the term celebrating the range of repertoire and styles we have explored and watching our London Sinfonietta performance as an orchestra.

KW: To continue providing varied and exciting musical projects for the students, exploring a range of musical styles, and keeping their passion for the orchestra alive while we wait to come back to normal.

Ensembles, Music in SchoolsMatt BrombleySouthampton Youth Concert Sinfonia (SYCS)
Virtual Premier Tonight: Groove Merchant perform 'Locked Out of Heaven'
Virtual Premier Tonight: Groove Merchant perform 'Locked Out of Heaven'

Join Groove Merchant tonight on YouTube as they premier their performance of Locked Out of Heaven by Bruno Mars.

Groove Merchant’s guitar player Tom says:
”The song is enjoyable to play live and on my own. The changes between clean and distorted settings makes the song challenging when performing. There are fun chords in the main riff, and the lead notes at the chorus making the song more enjoyable to play.”

Aidan, the group’s band leader, says:
”This video is the culmination of a fantastic year for Groove Merchant. They have displayed superb musicality in their live performance at the Mayflower and hard work, resilience and tenacity in their home recordings. Enjoy!”

EnsemblesMatt BrombleyGroove Merchant
Let the music play! A new school year begins
Let the music play! A new school year begins

As a new school year begins, and teachers welcome back pupils once again, Southampton Music Hub is working with schools to keep music at the heart of creative learning communities. Much about the year ahead can feel very uncertain, however, the whole team are dedicated to responding to challenges in the same spirit as they have done before: keeping our focus on bringing the life-changing power of music to every child in the city.

Here are a few of the ways we’re getting ready to do just that:

Empowering and developing teachers

This year, instrumental and vocal teachers are being given extra time to plan and prepare for the year ahead. The team are having training sessions with educational psychologists, to better understand the personal and emotional challenges young musicians are facing, and how music lessons can be part of the response. There will be training on how to recognise and nurture the personal and social development of young musicians, as well as training on how, where it may still be needed, online music lessons can be the best they can be, for all involved.

Additionally, “Music for Wellbeing” guides for schools use music a tool for helping children understand and overcome the emotional challenges faced throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The hub is empowering and developing teachers so that young musicians can reach their fullest potential.

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Special guidance and practices

Working together with school’s, Southampton Music Hub is helping to keep all children, teachers and the community as safe as possible, including guidance around good hygiene, social distancing, engaging with NHS Test and Trace, as well music specific risk assessments. Music can only change lives for the better, when we first keep each other safe, and these new practices will help happen.

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Blended delivery

Not all music can be face-to-face, at least, not yet, and so online and remote music-making will still be a core part of the hub’s offer. But online is not just a second-best option. Digital workshops open up capacity, so that more schools can be inspired by world-class musicians and composers. Ensembles will continue to develop their exciting digital performance programmes which can reach a bigger, broader audience, in the year ahead too. Online music lessons will also continue for some, where needed, enabling musical learning to continue when face-to-face lessons are not possible. By blending online and face-to-face music-making — embracing the best of both — the hub is able to make sure more children than ever can access music.

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Looking ahead

Every new year brings new possibilities, including new challenges, and this year, that is particularly true. But music has a unique role to play, helping bring people together, helping us understand ourselves and each other better, and helping us to imagine a bright future for our schools and communities.

Ensembles, Music in Schools, Music in the CommunityMatt BrombleyInstrumental and Vocal Tuition, Training and Resources
An extraordinary year for Southampton Music Hub 
An extraordinary year for Southampton Music Hub 

As another school year comes to an end, Southampton Music Hub looks back on a year which has been unlike any other.

Mayflower 400

Symphony 400: The Voyage

The year, and our Mayflower 400 journey, began in four primary schools, where composer James Redwood collected musical ideas inspired by the Mayflower story. 

Over the next few months, those ideas inspired a momentous musical voyage for a new orchestra of 100 talented secondary musicians, alongside digital remixes and resources for others to play and create for themselves.

Big Sing: The Journey

Alongside Symphony 400, Southampton Music Hub partnered with Mayflower Theatre to take inspirational songs from their newly commissioned musicals to school children across the city. The songs inspired and motivated hundreds of hours of workshops and rehearsals for young singers.

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Southampton: A Musical Odyssey 

In early March, over 1000 young musicians performed two nights of unforgettable music at the Mayflower Theatre, with a programme of music which included musical performances of all shapes and sizes, including the debuts of Symphony 400: The Voyage and Big Sing: The Journey.

“I was really nervous — I’ve  never done anything like this before — but being with my friends, I was able to get on stage and sing with everybody!” 

— year four pupil from Hollybrook Junior School

Responding to Covid-19

Just a few weeks after the unforgettable events at the Mayflower Theatre — a celebration of the passion, creativity and resilience of the city’s young musicians — the country went into lockdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic, and that same passion, creativity and resilience was shown once again, in the face of unprecedented circumstances. 

In the past few months...

At every stage, young musicians and all those that support them — from their families to music teachers, to hub partners and beyond — have shown incredible resilience, creativity and passion for keeping music playing.

Looking Ahead

There are so many uncertainties ahead, and as Southampton Music Hub charts out a plan for returning in September, the challenges ahead feel huge. Not least of all because we know of the huge emotional burden that has been placed on the city’s young musicians over these past months, being separated from the friends and musical communities they love. 

Nights like Mayflower Theatre in March, and the incredible response of the past few months, serve as a reminder of what can be achieved when people come together and unlock the passion, creativity and resilience of the city’s young people and communities. 

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Ensembles, Family Music, Music in Schools, Music in the CommunityMatt Brombley
Hub choirs, Bella Voce and Soton Voce, perform virtually

Southampton Music Hub Find out more about our Hub Choirs at: Bella Voce - Senior Chamber Choir Soton Voce - All ages Community Choir https://www.southamptonm...

Southampton Music Hub choirs; senior youth choir Bella Voce and community choir Soton Voce, have worked together this term to contribute to a recording of a All Is Found from Frozen 2. Weekly virtual rehearsals have been running since lockdown started and this song has been learned entirely remotely by members in three part harmony!

Music in the Community, Ensembles, Family MusicNia CollinsSoton Voce, Bella Voce
We need you! Be part of the community video for 'The Greatest Friend'
We need you! Be part of the community video for 'The Greatest Friend'

Coronavirus has has a huge impact on all our lives. For families up and down the country, the past half term has been unlike any other: learning at home, and keeping a social distance from others. With schools looking to start welcoming more pupils on site, starting with some of the youngest first, this is a challenging time for everybody.

For children, as this half term ends, and they look ahead to the big changes coming soon, there are lots of confusing thoughts and feelings to try and make sense of. That is why Southampton Music Hub has created a brand new song called, ‘The Greatest Friend’.

We Need You!

With some very silly lyrics, fun actions, and sign language translation too, the song is fun for all ages. So there really is no excuse not to sing, dance or sign along.

The song also has a very important message hidden inside: it’s ok to feel sad and confused sometimes; everybody feels that way, but, it’s not forever.

What better way to show that we’re all in this together, than a video of everybody joining in? That’s why we need YOU!

Send us your videos and video clips either through the music hub website, or on Twitter, and you could be part of a huge, exciting, community video version of the song.

Music in the Community, Music in Schools, Family Music, EnsemblesMatt BrombleyEverybody Sing
City's young musicians challenged to perform "virtually" for friends and family through Challenge-19
City's young musicians challenged to perform "virtually" for friends and family through Challenge-19
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Southampton Music Hub is launching Challenge-19: a challenge to the city’s young musicians to perform for friends and family, sharing their musical talents through digital video and over the phone.

For those who meet the challenge of performing 19 times, they can send a record of their achievement to the music hub office to get a digital certificate.

Young musicians interested in taking part should get in touch with the music hub office.

Ensembles, Music in Schools, Music in the CommunityMatt BrombleyInstrumental and Vocal Tuition
Recordings from the Synthesis Project

The Synthesis Project has been working with young electronic musicians across Southampton and the Isle of Wight this year, and, as we all approach the end of the Spring Term, it is a great time to share some recordings and reflect on their achievements.

Mayflower 400 Pieces

The first two pieces were inspired by the Mayflower 400 commemorations. The first is an original composition by Callum, and the second, a remix of ‘Symphony 400’ by Keiran. Both pieces were played at the Mayflower Theatre in March.

Hunnyhill Band

The next piece comes from a new iPad band based at Hunnyhill. The group is a Friday afternoon activity in the ‘Rainbow Room’: a teaching space to meet the needs of children and young people with social emotional and mental health needs (SEMH).

In January, the band set themselves the target of getting 100 new fans before Easter. To meet this ambitious goal, they worked together to create a brand new piece of music together that they would play to the whole school in assembly.

Sadly, school was closed before they had a chance to play their music for their friends and classmates — but their recording is here for you all to listen to, and perhaps they can count you as a new fan?

The Synthesis Project has been funded by Youth Music.

Music in Schools, Music in the Community, EnsemblesMatt BrombleySynthesis
Symphony 400: The Voyage — an unexpected twist in a musical journey which began in the classroom, and led all the way to the Mayflower stage
Symphony 400: The Voyage — an unexpected twist in a musical journey which began in the classroom, and led all the way to the Mayflower stage

In September 2019, composer James Redwood visited four Southampton Primary Schools: collecting musical ideas from 100 school children, inspired by the Mayflower 400 story.

Now, those ideas have become a brand new piece of music: “Symphony 400: The Voyage” — debuted by 60 talented secondary and sixth form musicians at the Mayflower Theatre on Friday 6 March 2020

Watch the video of the story of “Symphony 400: The Voyage”.

Where Now? An Unexpected Twist

When the Symphony 400 journey began back in September, no one could have predicted the circumstances that would be to follow in March 2020. With social distancing and isolation set to be a part of life for the weeks, and possibly months, to come, there is a twist in the next stage of our journey.

One Start — Many Different Journeys

Southampton Music Hub is making all the music available — to anyone — for free — including…

  • PDF scores

  • Sibelius Files

  • MIDI Files and more

You can use these to…

  • Remix

  • Reimagine

  • Rearrange

  • Transform

  • Play

  • Perform and more

This can be done…

  • At home

  • At school

  • On video chat with friends or relatives

  • Using apps on your smartphone or tablet

  • Using apps on your PC or Mac

  • With an instrument

  • With your voice

  • Any way you can imagine — the possibilities are endless

Why not try…

  • Printing out the score, and chopping it up — move the pieces around and then stick them down again

  • Adding the MIDI parts to GarageBand or Logic and changing the instruments — explore the world of digital sound

  • Create loops — either by playing or recording — layer them up and remix the parts

If you have recordings, photos or scores you’d like to share, send us links on Twitter or via the contact page, and we’ll try to share some with everybody.

Where next? It’s up to you!

Where our journey goes next is in your hands. Symphony 400: The Voyage launched its journey in the classroom, and led us all the way to the Mayflower stage. Now, let many more journeys begin.

Ensembles, Family Music, Music in Schools, Music in the CommunityMatt BrombleySymphony 400, Mayflower 400
Five exciting ways to make music at home
Five exciting ways to make music at home
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Over the coming weeks, you may find yourself missing out on music lessons, or playing with your ensemble. Here are some things you could do instead.

  1. Perform at home

    Pick pieces of music you know. Try new pieces of music. Come up with an exciting programme of music to share with those around you. Practice hard. Then invite the people you live with to watch the show. Make tickets and a programme with fun facts about the music and your instrument. Don’t forget to invite your pets.

  2. Perform for older relatives with video chat

    We know many older people might be feeling lonely over the next few weeks or months. Why not perform a concert for your older relatives over Skype, or FaceTime, or Video Chat?

  3. Write a song

    Composing your own music is a great way to understand your feelings, particularly in difficult times. It can also be a great way to forget your worries for a while, and focus on something more positive. You could write music inspired by our recent Mayflower 400 project. You could be inspired by your favourite songwriters and composers. You could write parts for any instruments you play. You could write lyrics to sing or rap. Anything is possible when you’re writing your own songs.

  4. Download music apps and create music on your phone/tablet

    If you don’t have an instrument, or can’t play one, or just fancy trying something new, why not download free apps like GarageBand or Walk Band and make music on your smartphone or tablet? Why not get inspired with the free Synthesis eBook?

  5. Create and share playlists of music you like

    Listening to music is a great way to change the way you feel. You could make a playlist of happy songs to pick you up when you feel down. You could also playlist of sad songs that you can listen to when you just want to feel sad for a while, that’s ok too. You can then make a playlist of songs that inspire you to sing, dance and jump around when you’re feeling in more of a party mood. Share your playlists with your friends, or even make one together.

However you do it, remember, making music is great!

Family Music, Music in Schools, Music in the Community, EnsemblesMatt BrombleyInstrumental and Vocal Tuition, Training and Resources, Extra-Curricular Music
Southampton: A Musical Odyssey (in pictures)
Southampton: A Musical Odyssey (in pictures)

On Thursday 5 and Friday 6 March 2020, Mayflower Theatre hosted 1,000 young performers, brought together by Southampton Music Hub, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower. The Mayflower’s pioneering voyage 400 years ago created connections that changed the world. In response, these two show stopping performances saw young people at the heart of the start of a year of cultural programming for the city.

Thursday 5 March — Photo Gallery

Friday 6 March 2020 — Photo Gallery

Ensembles, Music in Schools, Music in the CommunityMatt BrombleyMayflower 400, Symphony 400, Big Sing, Southampton Youth Orchestra (SYO), Southampton Youth Concert Sinfonia (SYCS), Southampton Wind Band (SWB), Pulse8, Southampton Youth Brass Band (SYBB), Brassroots, Fusion Brass, Photo Gallery, Southampton
Mayflower Cruise Terminal hosts 1,000 performers ahead of two nights of music at Mayflower Theatre
Mayflower Cruise Terminal hosts 1,000 performers ahead of two nights of music at Mayflower Theatre

On Saturday 29 February 2020, Associated British Ports’ (ABP) Mayflower Cruise Terminal hosted a rehearsal for 1,000 performers ahead of two nights of music at Mayflower Theatre on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 March 2020.

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The two events will commemorate the 400th Anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower: a pioneering voyage 400 years ago created connections that changed the world. In response, Southampton Music Hub, will use these two momentous evenings to celebrate the incredible power of music to take people and communities on life-changing journeys. 

Kath Page, Manager at Southampton Music Hub, says:
“Everybody is so excited to be part of these incredible musical celebrations. These two nights will be an opportunity for the whole community to come together and enjoy the power of music to connect people, to inspire people, and to help make Southampton an exciting city to live in.”

Both evenings will include performers from all across the city: including 800 young singers from city schools; 200 talented young musicians from community bands and orchestras; 80 young theatre performers; 50 community musicians and many more. With so many performers, finding rehearsal space is a huge challenge. But thanks to the kindness of Associated British Ports (ABP), they were all able to come together in the Mayflower cruise terminal for an epic rehearsal on Saturday 29 February 2020.

Michael Ockwell, Mayflower Theatre Chief Executive says:“We are delighted to be able to host these two concerts and to premiere songs from our Mayflower 400 musical commissions which will be performed in August 2020 at the theatre. It will be amazing to see all the talented young singers and musicians on our stage and we hope that they will have an inspiring experience performing their songs.”

Morning Rehearsal Gallery:

Afternoon Rehearsal Gallery:

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Ensembles, Family Music, Music in Schools, Music in the CommunityMatt BrombleyMayflower 400, Photo Gallery
Southampton: A Musical Odyssey — One Week To Go

On Thursday 5 and Friday 6 March, Southampton Music Hub and Mayflower Theatre present Southampton: A Musical Odyssey — connecting children, schools and communities with the Mayflower 400 Commemorations taking place this year.

Music in the Community, Music in Schools, Ensembles, Family MusicMatt BrombleyMayflower 400
End of year update: looking back on a decade of music-making for Southampton's young musicians
End of year update: looking back on a decade of music-making for Southampton's young musicians

This year, as we wrap up for a Christmas holiday that includes the ringing in of a new decade, Southampton Music Hub looks back on the past ten years of music-making, to see the impact the hub is having for children, young people, and their families across the city.

18,500+ First Access Musicians

Every year Southampton Music Hub gives children an inspirational start to learning a musical instrument in First Access. In the past ten years 18,500+ children have picked up an instrument for the first time in classrooms across the city.

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2,500+ Ensemble Members

Every year Southampton Music Hub gives young musicians the opportunity to perform and progress in a musical community of orchestras and bands. There are even a small handful of young musicians who, having started in 2009 or before, have been in an ensemble for over ten years!

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30,000+ Affordable Instruments, Saving £10m

Every year Southampton Music Hub provides free, or affordable, instrumental loans to young musicians, families and schools. In the past ten years, there have been over 30,000 instruments loaned out, saving schools and families, an estimated £10million. 

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Looking Ahead:

On Thursday 5 and Friday 6 March 2020, Southampton Music Hub presents two momentous evenings of musical odysseys. Hosted by Soweto Kinch, eache evening will feature musical performances from bands and orchestras of all different shapes and sizes from across the City of Southampton and celebrate the life-changing power of music, including the premiers of Mayflower 400 inspired projects Big Sing: The Journey and Symphony 400: The Voyage.

Tickets cost just £10.

Ensembles, Family Music, Music in Schools, Music in the CommunityMatt BrombleyMayflower 400, Instrumental and Vocal Tuition, First Access
Soton Voce singing around the city
Soton Voce singing around the city
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Southampton Music Hub’s community and family choir, Soton Voce, have been spreading festive cheer around the city carol singing and wassailing alongside Sea Shanty Choir The Salty Sea Dogs.

Soton Voce members began their singing tour by visiting Southampton General Hospital and sang in the main foyer raising money for the Southampton Hospital Charity whilst entertaining patients, visitors and employees. The choirs then moved on to the German Market in the city centre and sang to large crowds of shoppers on what looked like one of the busiest shopping days of the year. A final group went on to take part in Carols on the Square outside St Michael the Archangel on Bugle Street.

Soton Voce presented an eclectic programme spanning medieval rounds, traditional carols and modern acapella classics from The Fleet Foxes and Pentatonix. The Salty Sea Dogs entertained with their always raucous sea shanties in their own inimitable style, including a real dog and several members of the public who joined in with them at the German Market!

Nia Collins, Musical Director of Soton Voce, says:
“It was fantastic to share all the hard work that our new choir has put in this term and bring community music making to other areas of the city and also to be able to share that with The Salty Sea Dogs as well as all our member’s friends and families. We’re looking forward to continuing to recruit new members in 2020 and watching the choir grow and develop”

Soton Voce choir are still recruiting new members so if you would like to come and try it out, rehearsals start again on Tuesday 14th January 2020 from 11.30am-12.30pm at St Michael the Archangel off Bugle Street.



Ensembles, Music in Schools, Family Music, Music in the CommunityMatt BrombleySoton Voce, Photo Gallery
Get in the festive spirit with Christmas concerts this December
Get in the festive spirit with Christmas concerts this December

Sunday 8 December welcomes the start of Christmas concert season at Southampton Music Hub as three brass bands come together at Chandler’s Ford Methodist Church for their annual Christmas concert.

The Christmas programme continues with an Airplay concert on Thursday 12 December and a chance to rock around the Christmas tree on Friday 13 December with Groove Merchant, Groove Foundation and Groove Syndicate.

The Christmas concert season rounds off on Sunday 15 December with a family-friendly concert from Southampton Youth Concert Sinfonia (SYCS), where they will bring an exciting programme of musical entertainment to Turner Sims Southampton, including Christmas at the Movies, Music from Frozen, and range of Christmas Carols.

Ensembles, Family Music, Music in Schools, Music in the CommunityMatt BrombleySouthampton Youth Concert Sinfonia (SYCS), Brassroots, Fusion Brass, Southampton Youth Brass Band (SYBB), Groove Merchant, Groove Foundation, Groove Syndicate, Airplay