BRIDGE SCHEME 2018-19
Music in the Round’s Bridge Scheme enables emerging string players to bridge the gap between further education and a professional career, with a range of coaching, performance and career-development opportunities. Phase 1 (2014-17) scored a resounding success with the Marmen String Quartet, for which we provided a unique springboard into international prize-winning success, including the 2019 Banff and Bordeaux International String Quartet competitions. We determined that Phase 2 should specifically create opportunities for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) musicians, who are significantly under-represented in professional classical music. In the initial Bridge auditions in 2014, only 6% of participants were of BME ethnicity; just 2% of the professional orchestral sector was BME.
“Bridge has served as a stepping-stone to something greater that will send the message that people who look like we do have a place in classical music“ Elliott Bailey
We felt that Music in the Round (MitR) was well placed to help change the face of classical music by focusing on BME string players because of our close integration of learning and performance programmes and status as the leading national promoter of chamber music. Partnerships with conservatoires, the Chineke! Foundation, and others enabled us to launch Phase 2 of our Bridge Scheme in early 2018.
Our research showed that there were no existing emerging professional BME quartets, which in itself demonstrates the situation we wanted to address. We therefore decided to bring four student musicians together to explore chamber music through the format of the string quartet over the course of an academic year. In summer 2018 we welcomed Raye Harvey, Ken Fairbrother (violins), Jesse Francis (viola) and Elliott Bailey (cello) to Sheffield for the first Residential, which as well as providing a valuable bonding experience also included rehearsal time, professional filming and photography, recording at Yellow Arch Studios and coaching sessions, as well as time to explore Sheffield and the Peak District. The four then returned to Sheffield for a further five Residentials up to July 2019, for which we curated a bespoke programme that included individual and group coaching and mentoring with a range of resident and invited musicians and experts from a variety of fields; public performances in the Classical Weekend Festival (with Kuljit Bhamra mbe and Sheffield Music Hub Senior Orchestra) and Sheffield Chamber Music Festival (alongside Ensemble 360); school visits with support and coaching from teachers; professional development with Music in the Round staff; and much more.
The Bridge bursary was a huge benefit to my musical and educational development. The effect it has had on my musical activities over the year has been immense� Raye Harvey
“The coaching was incredible! It gave us a set of principles on how to work collectively and rigorously challenged us to create the sound we were aiming for� Elliott Bailey
With our resident musicians and strong industry networks, we were able to provide expert tuition and coaching from a wide range of professionals. As well as string quartet coaching with Rakhi Singh (Manchester Collective) and Ruth Gibson (Ensemble 360/Aurora Orchestra), there was also focused work on contemporary music and professional development with Richard Jones (Ligeti Quartet), improvisation and folk sessions with Sam Sweeney (Bellowhead/Leveret) and Miranda Rutter (Methera), chamber-skills coaching with clarinettist Matthew Hunt (Ensemble 360/Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen), concert presentation and preparation with Tom McKinney (BBC Radio 3) and preparation for conservatoire performance exams with Dr David Milsom (University of Huddersfield), providing a comprehensive range of professional development.
“It was distinctive and really memorable. I feel proud of us as a quartet for pulling it off. It was nice to get involved in something bigger that was happening in Sheffield” Raye Harvey
The Bridge Scheme quartet was at the centre of a number of high-profile performances in Sheffield, appearing alongside professionals and young musicians during the 2019 Classical Weekend in a large-scale collaboration with Kuljit Bhamra mbe and Sheffield Music Hub, for which we commissioned a new piece from Kuljit for tabla and the quartet; and at the Sheffield Chamber Music Festival alongside Ensemble 360. The quartet’s inclusion in these events was an authentic and successful way of embedding our key message that chamber music is for everyone – for both performers and audiences.
“The students really enjoyed the experience and it was a pleasure to see them so engaged. Please let me know if there are any potential projects coming up as we would love to be part of it” Sheffield teacher
The Bridge musicians also had an important part to play as role models for young people who might see themselves reflected as musicians for the first time, especially in the highly diverse communities in South Yorkshire. Our Learning & Participation Manager Fraser Wilson mentored the quartet in delivering three outstandingly successful sessions in Sheffield secondary schools, during which each musician performed in their own right while also exploring the quartet format. Mixing with the young musicians of the South Yorkshire Music Hubs also gave them a more informal status as leaders and inspirers of the next generation. Importantly, these experiences also hugely benefited the musicians themselves, as their skills and confidence were greatly enhanced. “It makes me more sure that I want to spend my musical life connecting with young musicians and inspiring them” Jesse Francis
We also facilitated the Bridge musicians’ professional development through a bursary, which provided the financial means to explore areas of interest more deeply. Raye Harvey and Jesse Francis invested part of their bursaries in their own musical activities, recording and releasing EPs that combined their hip-hop and indie talents with chamber-music elements. Ken Fairbrother used the bursary towards the purchase of a new bow, which transformed his practice. Elliott Bailey used the bursary for cello and chamber music courses that he otherwise would not have been able to afford, and for consultation lessons for the Royal Academy of Music, which meant he was able to fully prepare for starting his Masters in Music there in autumn 2019. “The whole experience was amazing. I learnt about working in a studio and directing my own project, was able to work with the amazing producer Colin Eliot (who works regularly with Richard Hawley) and came out with a beautifully produced EP, highlights of which were released in late 2019. Raye Harvey
“The Bridge bursary has literally bridged together both my love of classical music and my love of urban hip-hop. It taught me that I don’t have to put limitations on what I do with my classical music skills; they are transferable into my own music and everyday life” Jesse Francis
To us, our mission of ‘changing the face of classical music’ through the Bridge Scheme meant involving the musicians as professionals in all aspects of MitR’s activity, both performance and participation, while also supporting their ongoing growth and career development. “The improvisation was great. It was great to play with other musicians who maybe looked up to us because we’re a bit older” Jesse Francis
“The collaboration with Kuljit Bhamra was a highlight as we played his music, rehearsed and performed with him, and experienced his expertise – an incredible experience” Elliott Bailey
The Bridge Scheme made an impact in a range of areas: amongst professional musicians such as Kuljit Bhamra and the many people who coached and performed with the quartet; in schools in Sheffield (a follow-up project is taking place this year with Raye, Jesse and two local schools); in youth music (through working with the South Yorkshire Music Hubs); with concert audiences, who appreciated the quartet’s performances and repertoire choices; and with colleagues and peers, who acknowledged our boldness and ambition.
“‘Fusion Fireworks’ was a unique and inspiring project, which brought orchestral music into a new domain. I feel the project to be an important turning point in British music history and hope to do more!” Kuljit Bhamra mbe
The biggest challenges with Phase 2 of our Bridge Scheme were to do with recruiting participants – in itself a powerful statement about the lack of existing BME quartets – and finding a balance between a scheme that benefited its participants as chamber musicians while not aiming to form a new quartet in its own right, which practically would have been impossible. We had to be very flexible as the programme progressed, adapting the format while remaining focused on its core purpose. The practicalities of bringing four busy studentprofessional musicians to Sheffield from around the country were challenging too, as was the need to balance this important flagship project with the many other demands on MitR funding and staff capacity.
“The coaching that we had was phenomenal! As well as being an incredible musician, Richard Jones from the Ligeti Quartet seemed very interested in getting to know us and he came to lunch with us. He also talked to us about musician life and working with friends, and his words brought our quartet closer together” Elliott Bailey
“Being able to share my passion for music with younger players and audiences was beneficial to them and also to ourselves. My confidence and motivation to share with and educate the younger generation has been greatly increased, and I hope to continue the great work that I have started at Bridge in the future� Ken Fairbrother Raye Harvey continued as a Bridge Musician for a second year to summer 2020; but all four musicians are remain involved in our programme in some way. Beyond 2020, Music in the Round will reimagine the Bridge scheme so that it continues to fulfil its overall purpose of nurturing and inspiring emerging professional musicians in the most effective and relevant ways possible, reflecting our important place at the heart of chamber music in England.
Bridge was generously funded by: The Eva and Peter Wilkinson Fund Fidelio Charitable Trust Garrick Charitable Trust The Golsoncott Foundation Mayfield Valley Arts Trust Myrtle Charitable Trust ‘Scilla Thornton Fund Friends of Music in the Round Arts Council England Individual donors
Photo credits: Chris Saunders, Fox Moon Photography, Fraser Wilson Documentaries, reports, and further information: www.musicintheround.co.uk More information on Bridge and Music in the Round: jo@musicintheround.co.uk / 0114 281 4660 Thanks to all who supported, funded and facilitated Bridge 2