Brilliant concert last night from the Swing Band at Lower Holker Village Hall.  A sell-out audience created a fantastic atmosphere in which all students excelled!  Some amazing numbers from the band and the vocalists (Libbi, Ben and Florrie were superb) as well as some great improvised solos from Ben, Harry and Dan.  Congratulations also to Adam on drums, for playing so well in new numbers for him, and Maciek on violin who sight-read almost the entire concert of 26 numbers.

The fact that they have already booked two engagements from us next year speaks volumes about how well everyone performed  –  if you haven’t heard the band yet this year, get along to one of our gigs over the last few months of this year!!! (see the calendar above)

Summer 2015 Wind Band letter

Please find attached the letter that went out to Wind Band today. It has a lot of information about all the concerts this term (although the Chamber Concert might be brought forward a week) – please read it carefully if your little cherub has not brought it home!!!

More importantly, we desperately need accommodation for students in the Kennet School Band when they visit us in July. Please return the slip as soon as possible if you can help.

The DVDs of the Wind Band’s live TV broadcast in Holland are now in my office. They are a brilliant souvenir of the tour and will make all parents and relatives very proud!

The film and sound quality is, as you’d expect from a TV company, excellent.

If you wish to buy one please send in a cash or a cheque for £11 payable to ‘Friends of UVHS Music’

The remaining A2 Final Recitals are this week.  Following on from the amazing quality of Daisy, Louisa and Jodie’s performances before Easter, here is the line-up:

WEDNESDAY 15th APRIL

• Max Hubbard (drumkit);
• Rory Lee (electric guitar);
• Ruairidh Fraser (drumkit)

THURSDAY 16th APRIL

• Sara Botosh (clarinet)
• Madeline Woods (clarinet)

Performances begin in the Main Hall at 6.15pm on both evenings and last approximately 20 minutes per student.

The first evening of Year 13 Music Recitals takes place this Wednesday (25th March) from 6.15pm in the main hall – family, friends and members of the public are more than welcome to come along.

6.15pm    Daisy Ball  –  voice

6.40pm    Jodie Bland  –  piano and tenor horn

7.05pm    Louisa Whinnett  –  alto sax

The DVDs from the live TV broadcast that the Wind Band performed in Monnickendam in July will be with us by the end of the day on Tuesday according to UPS.  The price of each DVD will be £11 due to the additional tax that we have to pay in Holland.

If you wish to purchase a DVD cheques will need paying to “Friends of UVHS Music”.

Tonight’s rehearsal is cancelled due to the Primary Dance Platform.  There WILL be a rehearsal next week (despite being the last day of term) and it will go on until 5pm in order to make sure that new material for the gig at Lower Holker is prepared.

We were delighted to welcome back to school this week our former music students, Ruth Tarr and Jodie Giles, from the Royal Marines Band Service. Ruth has just passed through the RM School of Music (having studied violin for 4 years at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire) and joins the Plymouth band in a few weeks as solo violinist and also saxophonist. Jodie joined up in September and, having just completed her basic Marines training, is at the School of Music and has just started learning the oboe  –  in 2 months she has gone from complete beginner to Grade 5 standard!

Ruth very kindly took Sax Ensemble yesterday and String Ensemble today, passing on some really good advice to our players. Both Ruth and Jodie played with Wind band and gave a short presentation about the Band Service as well as taking questions from students after the rehearsal. Hopefully we will see more of the band service very shortly!!!

well done to the Swing Band for a great performance tonight. The students make me exceptionally proud to be associated with them!

A reminder that the concert tomorrow evening (Friday 13th March) at Aldingham Church starts at 7pm  –  band members must be there by 6.30pm at the latest to organise their pads.

The set list features songs from Florrie Dobson, Ben Lewis and Libbie Blackhurst, including the new Michael Buble arrangements.

Entry for the public is £5 on the door. Refreshments at the interval.

Please promote with friends and family – it would be great to get a full house!!