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Young musicians aged seven to eighteen in the Bristol, Southwest England area will have a golden opportunity this summer to learn musicianship and stage craft from those who make their living in concert halls and professional theatre. The eighth annual NB Music Course takes place at Bristol Cathedral School from the 11th to the 17th August. This event has been a hit for the past seven years in its original home of Oakham, Rutland. Now that the organisers have moved home to Somerset they have decided to move the whole shebang to Bristol.
The course is unique in that it brings together young orchestral players with Musical Theatre performers. The theatre group tackle rehearsal and performance of scenes selected from three well known stage musicals. The orchestra perform many styles of music from classical to pop, jazz and everything in between. In the final concert of the week for parents both groups will come together for a spectacular show.
The Music Theatre group is led by Katharine Woolley whose full time job is as Children’s Musical Director in the West End musical “Matilda”. Said Katharine, “Every youngster has an opportunity to perform whether they have previous experience or not. We have excellent singers and musicians who take solo and star roles and we have some youngsters who have never been on a stage before but find confidence through taking parts in the chorus or choir”.
Course director Rachel Branston explained, “We bring in first class performers and coaches to encourage youngsters to make the most of their instruments and singing. It’s all about building confidence and learning through fun whatever their musical ability.”
String players can learn to put polish on their performance with the help of international concert violinist Victoria Mavromoustaki. Award winning Bristol composer and choral director Owain Park will coach the orchestra and specialists in brass, percussion, woodwinds and keyboards will ensure every instrument is catered for.
At the end of the week all the performers will come together for a concert for parents and friends that displays the talents they’ve been polishing throughout the week.
This year NB Music is also introducing their “Young Composer of the Year” award which invites entries of short compositions to win a trophy, a cash prize and a professional recording of the winner’s work.
The NB Music Course is organised by the charity “The Nicholas Branston Foundation”. Nicholas was a french horn player in his early twenties on the brink of an orchestral career when his life was tragically cut short by a road accident. His parents and musical friends started the charity and the NB Course to remember his name and to bring the fun Nic enjoyed in music to other youngsters.
In addition to the annual summer school the charity raises money to support Music Therapy and this year will be helping the Bristol Music Therapy charity “Music Space”.
For more information visit the course web site at:
End.
For further information please contact:
Paul or Rachel Branston
+44 (0)1761 220102
+ 44 (0)7912 499433
Release ID: 182885