UPBEAT
Autumn 2018 Issue No. 81
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LSSO 2019 Season
Barbican Concert Hall – 7.30pm
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Monday 7 January 2019 7.30 pm Tickets* £9, £15, £20, £26 *Booking fees apply
‘a touch of the miraculous…’ The Daily Telegraph
Strauss Death and Transfiguration Orchestral Songs
Wagner (arr. Wigglesworth) Twilight of the Gods - A Symphonic Journey for Orchestra Conductor
Ryan Wigglesworth Soprano
Rachel Nicholls
Tickets £9-£26
available from the Barbican Box Office and quote special code below
Free tickets for schools Why not tell your school about our special offer? le FREE to any Up to 30 tickets per school are availab students along London school that would like to bring an! Barbic the at to see the LSSO in action Ask your teacher/ Head of Music to contact the CYM
office
Special Ticket Offer
Repertoire to be confirmed Conductor Richard Farnes
Front cover image Julia Mustard Editors Nicy Roberts & Nigel Tudman Photography Julia Mustard, Nigel Tudman & FCYM Design & Print The Blue Moose Graphic Company
City of London Corporation
Please quote the date of the concert as the booking code in order to receive a £3 reduction on any ticket price!
e.g. LSSO/CYM 070119
Monday 23 September
Repertoire to be confirmed Conductor Peter Ash
SUMMER TOUR – Four concerts in Sicily tbc – 28 July to 4 August 2019 For more information about the LSSO see pages 14 & 15
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LSSO Concert dates 2019 2 From the Saturday Centre... 3 Welcome to the CYM London 3 CYM Forthcoming Events 4 Awards & Prizes 4-5 Folk 6 Music For Youth 7 Junior Concert 8-9 Tom Deveson – ‘Amo, Amas, Amat’ 10-11 Guitar & Songwriting 12-13 LSSO at the Barbican 14-15 Strings 16-17 LYWB Tour & Concert 18-19 Summer Music Courses 20 Leavers’ Concert 21 Woodwind & Brass 22-23 Voice & Stagecraft 24-25 Percussion Celebrations 26-27 Piano 28 Composition Concert 29 Music Technology 30 LSSO Tour 31 Recorders 32 Memorisation Workshop 33 Friends of CYM (FCYM) 34 CYM@50 (FYM) 35 CYM OPEN DAYS Back cover
Available when booking by phone or in person only. The LSSO is sponsored by the
LSSO 2019 Season Preview
Thursday 9 May
Contents
UPBEAT Autumn 2018 The LSSO is sponsored by the City of London Corporation
Centre for Young Musicians Morley College 61 Westminster Bridge Rd London SE1 7HT Tel 020 7928 3844 Fax 020 7928 3454 info@cym.org.uk http://www.cym.org.uk CYM is part of the network of Centres for Advanced Training funded and developed by the Department for Education’s Music and Dance Scheme (MDS). The scheme is for young people who have exceptional talent, potential and an interest in eventually pursuing a career in music.
From the Saturday Centre... I
write shortly after the first teaching day of the new academic year, and all went well. It is always a stimulating time as we welcome new students and look forward to following their development during their time at the Centre. I am grateful to all my colleagues on the management and administrative team for their intensive work over the last few weeks in preparing the timetable and finalising arrangements in general. A few late applicants are still appearing. Morley College’s building works are, almost inevitably it seems with builders, behind schedule and access remains restricted. It is hoped all will be finished by November, but in the meantime my thanks to staff, students and parents for your patience during these last few months. I am sure that we will all benefit from the new facilities when they are finally completed. We welcome two new members to the tutor team. Jane Hanna succeeds George Woodcock as horn tutor and Niall Webb succeeds Shelley Thurman on clarinet. George had worked at CYM for an amazing 47 years and was given a suitable send off on the final Saturday of last term. Hannah Gardner has left her post as Administrative Assistant to take up a post-graduate performance course at the Royal Academy of Music. We wish Hannah well and we will still be seeing her from time to time. We also wish our July student leavers well and ask that they keep in touch as they embark on the next stage of their
lives. With the CYM@50 celebrations approaching in 2020 we really want to be in contact with as many alumni as possible so that we can involve them in some way. With the LSSO also turning 70 in 2021 we will be making it a double celebration over two years under the title “Young at Heart.” Everyone can help by spreading the word – please look out for an “official” launch soon. The September LSSO concert at the Barbican Hall was, as always, highly impressive and the orchestra had a memorable tour to Romania during the summer break. Likewise, the LYWB visited Salzburg and environs in July, giving two concerts there and returning for a very enjoyable performance at St John’s Waterloo. The Junior & Intermediate Summer Music Course also proved to be a success, despite the more restricted accommodation at Notre Dame School, and the intense heat! Although outside temperatures have now cooled I am sure the atmosphere here at CYM will continue to have its usual warmth and I look forward to sharing that with you all throughout the year.
Geoffrey Harniess – Head of CYM (London)
WELCOME TO THE CENTRE FOR YOUNG MUSICIANS
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ince its founding in 1970, the Centre for Young Musicians has provided high quality progressive music training for thousands of talented children from all of London’s boroughs and beyond. The Centre is based at Morley College, close to Waterloo and the South Bank. More than 420 young musicians aged 8 to 18 attend the Saturday Centre for 32 weeks of the school year, each following an individual programme of study across a range of genres from classical to jazz, gamelan, folk and music theatre. Many also create their own music and songs. Still more children benefit from CYM Holiday Courses– ranging from Junior and Intermediate Courses (up to Grade
6 level) to the highly regarded London Schools Symphony Orchestra and the London Youth Wind Band. The Centre is committed to providing excellence in achievement alongside wide access. The CYM Saturday Centre is a Centre for Advanced Training within the Department for Education’s Music & Dance Scheme. As a Division of the Guildhall School since 2009 CYM also plays a part in the Guildhall Young Artists’ progression routes, from primary education right through to graduate and postgraduate studies in music. CYM teaching staff are experienced and respected performers and teachers working in many areas of the music profession. Many CYM students go on to careers in music but all benefit from the skills gained in the vibrant, inclusive and stimulating environment that CYM provides. This termly magazine UPBEAT gives you a snapshot of the scope of the CYM Saturday Centre. To find out more do look at the CYM website (details opposite). UPBEAT Autumn 2018
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Forthcoming events (in addition to the weekly student lunchtime concerts at both Notre Dame School & Morley College)
JACK PETCHEY AWARDS – Spring & Summer 2018
Sat 3 November
1.10pm String Dept Concert (B08)
Sat 10 November 1.10pm Piano Dept Concert (B05) 1.10pm W oodwind Dept Concert (Holst)
Sat 17 November 1.10pm String Dept Concert (B08)
Sat 24 November 1.00pm Guitar Dept Concert (B08) 1.10pm Piano Dept Concert (B05)
Josh Pizzoferro (horn) - He has made outstanding progress on the horn and has taken part fully in LYWB, LSSO, chamber groups, and all the CYM orchestras during his time at CYM. He is helpful and considerate and is a good role model for younger players.
Modade Olawore (voice) - for continued hard work throughout her CYM career, learning songs promptly, and making huge progress in communication skills in recent months.
Jamie Cook (piano) - Jamie has made outstanding progress as a pianist during his time at CYM and he is also a fine cellist. Many congratulations to Jamie who successfully passed the ATCL Recital Diploma in early April - a fine achievement! Jamie has also excelled as a composer and his Trio for Piano, Clarinet and Cello was performed at the Composition concert at the end of the summer term.
Marla Kellard Jones (oboe) has really developed over the years from a beginner oboist to diploma level with great enthusiasm, participating fully in chamber groups and orchestras and recently took part in the MFY competition.
Martha Debenham (strings) - has worked consistently hard during her time at CYM as a violinist and viola player in String Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, a quartet, the Octet, and the Morley Chamber Orchestra series. She is also a strong and reliable member of the LSSO and an excellent role model to younger students.
Ryan Morgan (composer) – in his year at CYM before university, he has shown great promise as a composer. He is highly creative and curious, demonstrating compositional technique and flair for drama and unique sounds. His new chamber piece shows great potential.
1.10pm B rass Dept Concert (ND Hall)
Sat 1 December 1.00pm V ocal Dept Concert (ND Hall) 1.10pm C hamber Ensemble Concert (Holst) 4.15pm G uitar Staff Dept Concert (Holst)
Sat 8 December LAST DAY OF TERM PERFORMANCES OR OPEN REHEARSALS – ALL ENSEMBLES 1.00pm P ERCUSSION CHRISTMAS CONCERT (Johanna) 1.10pm P iano Dept Concert (B05) 3.15-4.15pm STAGECRAFT PERFORMANCE (ND Hall) 4.30pm E ND OF TERM CONCERT (Morley)
Mon 7 January 2019 7.30pm L SSO Barbican Concert (p.2)
Sat 12 January 2019 START OF SPRING TERM
Sat 30 March 2019
CYM ANNUAL CONCERT
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CYM Awards
LOUIS WATT MEMORIAL COMPETITION On the 30 June we held the final of the annual Louis Watt Competition. The Louis Watt Memorial Fund is a charity set up in 1997 to commemorate Glen Louis Watt, who died in October 1996. He was a teacher in secondary schools in North and East London and headmaster of Tollington Park School, Islington. In retirement, he was a very keen supporter of the LSSO and CYM, and he was also Chair of the Friends of the LSSO. This fund helps further Louis’ passion for classical music and opera to be transmitted to future generations of school children. It not only supports the annual competition at CYM but also other activities at the Centre. This prestigious annual competition is open to senior students over 16, with Grade 8 or above, who attend CYM or
are members of either LYWB or LSSO. The competition is always popular and students keen to audition. From those initial auditions, three students are selected for the final round to perform in a public lunchtime recital in front of an external adjudicator. This year we were delighted to welcome back Stephen Dagg, former Director of CYM London and current Director of Guildhall Young Artists programme (expanding the CYM model around the country), to adjudicate. The three finalists all presented very varied programmes: Daven Michinson (harp) performed music by Gabriel Pierne and Jesus Gurdi; Francesca Biescas Rue (flute) played flute sonatas by Poulenc and Taktakishvili; and Mebrakh Haughton Johnson (clarinet) performed two movements from
Weber’s Grand Duo Concertante Op.48. As usual the standard of performance was extremely high and the finalists were judged on their general presentation, technique and overall musicianship. Prizes are awarded to all three winners to help students to further their musical development. The overall winner, selected by Stephen Dagg, was flautist Francesca Rue who received a prize of £400, with the other two finalists each receiving £200. Congratulations to all three winners for their excellent programmes and fine performances.
LIZBETH ELLIOTT PRIZE
THE CRICHLOW CUP
CYM BRASS PRIZE
The 2018 winner was clarinettist Mebrakh Haughton Johnson. This prize is awarded each year to a student from the Woodwind Department who has made an outstanding contribution during the academic year.
The 2018 winner was pianist Sebastian Flore. This annual trophy is awarded to a young musician who has made excellent progress in their musical studies, recognising their hard work, commitment and motivation.
The 2018 winner of this prize was Henry Osmond, horn. Thanks to the generosity of the National School Band Association, this prize is awarded to a student who has made a significant contribution to the Brass Department during their time at CYM. UPBEAT Autumn 2018
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CYM FOLK – home and away
Junior Folk Ensemble
The Takeover -
Sunday 8 July, Cecil Sharp House This year’s youth Takeover of Cecil Sharp House showcased talented young folk bands. The Twilight Sessions were a dynamic mix of pre-concert music and dance activities by and for young people, including acoustic sets from Tri-borough Folk Ensemble and Starry Moor Watery Shore. The evening Takeover Concert featured the Centre for Young Musicians Folk Ensemble, Jazz Connect, Feith an Cheoil, and London Youth Folk Ensemble. EFDSS were delighted to welcome CYM Folk Ensemble to take part in our annual Takeover event last summer.
Folk Choir
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Senior Folk Ensemble at the Takeover Curated by members of the EFDSS Youth Forum, the Takeover brings together folk ensembles and bands from across the UK to come to Cecil Sharp House for an afternoon of sessions, ceilidh-dancing and floorspots. CYM brought the house down at the evening concert with their beautiful vocal and instrumental arrangements, and sensitive, lyrical playing. We hope to see them perform here again soon, and to hear the fantastic new CYM Folk Choir!
MUSIC FOR YOUTH NATIONAL FESTIVAL
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YM has a very good record of
achievement in the Music for Youth Annual Festivals, with at least one group being invited to the National Festival for several years. These are not competitions. Regional Festivals are held all over the country during the Spring Term. Entries can be live performances in various venues or be recorded entries – CYM usually includes a mix of the two. The performances are assessed by respected musicians who make up the mentor panel and written feedback is received. Selected groups are then invited to take part in the National Festival which takes place in July in Birmingham. This year invitations were received for two chamber groups – a string quartet; Leon Human, Martha Debenham, Natasha Mallett, and Anna Gunstone (Tutor Andrew McGee), who performed two new works by CYM composers (Ryan Morgan & Anna Gunstone), and a piano quartet; Lois
Heslop, Hassan Hussein, Clara Neather, and Magdalene Chan (Tutor Jane Friend), who performed Judith Weir’s Arise! Arise! You Slumbering Sleepers. Both entries recorded at the Composers’ lunchtime concert in March. There were three performances for the string quartet during the day beginning with an Ensembles Session in the CBSO Centre where Ryan and Anna’s pieces were played, then on to a Festival Fringe venue, the Bandstand in Brindley Place, where they battled bravely with the strong breeze, aided by clothes pegs and helping human hands! Then back to the CBSO Centre to perform a work by another CYM composer, Jack Robinson, whose quartet had been selected separately for inclusion in the New Music Stage Session of the Festival. Both sessions included a real variety of ensembles, from a flute choir to a rap club! Verbal feedback was given at the end of each session by the MFY music mentors. I stayed over to attend sessions in
CYM Piano Quartet
both Birmingham’s Symphony Hall and the auditorium at the impressive new Birmingham Conservatoire, hearing some inspiring performances over the two days that showed that there are still many high quality opportunities for young musicians, despite the less than rosy picture we see in music education in general. I met the piano quartet members off the train on Thursday morning and escorted them to the Conservatoire for their performance, and although a long way to travel to play just one short piece, I felt the whole experience was very enjoyable for the group and worthwhile for the feedback. The icing on the cake was an invitation for Jack’s composition Loud Simplicity, Quiet Complexity to be performed in the MFY Prom at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday 6 November – so congratulations all round!
Geoff Harniess
Jack Robinson, CYM composer, writes: When I joined the new Composition Department at CYM the first piece I wrote was a string quartet. It was performed at CYM and was selected for the New Music Stage, a strand of Music for Youth's National Festival that showcases new music composed and performed by young musicians. In July, it was performed for a second time at the CBSO Centre by a CYM quartet; Leon, Martha, Natasha and Anna, and I have to admit that although my quartet was pretty difficult they did a great job performing it! As a young composer, it can be hard to find opportunities to have your pieces played, especially for a second time and at a National Festival like this, and now I am really excited that my quartet has been selected to be performed in the Royal Albert Hall in November as part of the UPBEAT Music for Youth Proms. Autumn 2018 7
JUNIOR CONCERT
Photos: Julia Mustard
12 May 2018
Junior Choir Junior Strings with Gill Tarlton
Junior Folk Ensemble
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2nd Strings with Karen James
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Amo, Amas, Amat by Tom Deveson
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y students at CYM are all teenagers; long ago I used to be one too. So I remember that – quite apart from exams and entertainments and friendship and football – you spend part of the time pre-occupied with Love, its presence and absence, its lessons and mystery, its agony and ecstasy. Love appears in many of our sessions once the wintry season of mourning and remembrance has passed; the Saturday nearest to 14 February opens the door to Eros. Here are four pieces of music that we’ve explored over the years.
Thomas Hardy Gently Tender [The Incredible String Band] https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Xxu6cJnDOMY This might be described as a fine flower on the tree of psychedelic folk rock. [I show the class a photograph of me with extravagant hair in 1968 to set us in the era. It might get a laugh, but it is educational too.] Our session investigates a central feature of many musical performances - how different is the actual recording from the notes printed in the song book? We hear cloud-like vocal harmonies, a twelve-string guitar, hand drums, a Moroccan lute [gimbri] and a flute, blended in strange textures. The guitar picking sometimes sounds like country blues but sometimes falters deliberately in a kind of emotional puzzlement. Perhaps the 10
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To Lizbie Browne [Gerald Finzi] https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=O9CFCPWnd-Q This is just one singer and one piano. The words are Thomas Hardy’s, a beautiful wistful poem about a young love that was never spoken aloud. Finzi’s achievement is to vary a four-note motif to represent the passing of time from past to present to future, and the changes of mood from introspection to daydream to regret. The song never finds a place of rest. Working out in detail why
this is so takes us into an hour of musical analysis – how do the tonic, dominant and subdominant recur without monotony setting in, why do the bars shift from four beats to five and six, where and when do the transformations between E flat major and C minor represent subtle and unpredictable flickerings between feelings? The poem was written by a middle-aged man approaching old age, the music by a man in early middle age; the song catches perfectly a quintessential experience of youth.
most complex class discussion occurs when we try to describe the rhythm. The metre is basically 4/4 but the pulse is frequently disturbed by pauses and huge additive extensions into 5+4 or 3+3+3. Some riffs are five beats long but start on the second
beat of the bar. Long sliding vocal melismas combine with humming and wordless cries to produce an effect of celebratory/hallucinatory bliss. In describing and coming to terms with all this, we may need to use technical terms like ‘hocket’ and ‘hemiola’, but the overall experience [I hope] is one of musical and affecting joy.
Photo by Tucker Ronson Rose Simpson, Mike Heron, Christina ‘Licorice’ McKechnie, Robin Williamson
Verklärte Nacht [Arnold Schoenberg] https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=vqODySSxYpc We listen to this in the string sextet rather than the orchestral version – the structures and textures are clearer, even starker. But before that, we look at some of Schoenberg’s remarkable expressionist self-portraits, gazing into those uncompromising eyes and trying to predict how his music will sound. The work is based on a poem about a troubled couple walking in the dark. She’s carrying someone else’s child. The initial sadness turns to despair before we witness a reconciliation of sublime and generous beauty. One way to grasp the music’s progress over thirty minutes is to see at close hand how Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde [Richard Wagner] https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=pg_EHUGRgos We begin by looking at Bernini’s sculpture of Saint Teresa and the sweat on her face and the trembling of her hands and feet. I read aloud the Saint’s own account of her experience, the ‘moans’, the ‘intense pain’, the ‘sweetness’. This seems a more helpful set of words than Wagner’s own hyper-ventilated rhyming text which totters between philosophy and rhetoric as Isolde expires in erotic rapture, although we read [and try to translate] them too. But of course our attention is focused on the genius of the music. Here human voice and full orchestra combine into a kind of cosmic exultation. How is it done? Well, people have argued about that for a century and a half. Three of our pocket-sized questions will be: What are the little cells – six notes or fewer – that Wagner weaves into
it matches without quoting the lines and stanzas of the poem; another is to follow the extraordinary skill with which Schoenberg states and develops a number of contrasting leitmotivs; yet another is to mark the stages by which a grief-stricken D minor slowly becomes a munificent D major. Best of all is to attempt all three. It’s a natural outcome that the music leads us to talk about emotions that are common to us all whether we’re seventeen or seventy – fear, jealousy, bitterness, kindness, warmth, trust. The acclaimed young conductor Harry Ogg first heard the piece when he was in my CYM class a dozen years ago. He went off and bought the score; five years later he was conducting it himself. The music creates that kind of passionate affirmative loyalty.
Isolde:The Celtic Princess by Gaston Bussière endless varied repetition? How does the final B major resolution derive from the ambiguous tonality of the famous chord at the very start of the opera? What does the title LoveDeath mean? These are not inquiries that can be answered in an hour’s lesson. They need a lifetime of
experience, thought and speculation; and perhaps no true solution can ever be found. But the exploration is incomparable. Music takes us out of the classroom and into life itself. Tom Deveson, Supporting Studies
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GUITARS & SONGWRITERS
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he focus of the Department’s work in the Summer Term has always been our end-of-year concert featuring the whole Department with almost every player and teacher involved, and the Guitar Ensembles showing clearly the range of styles embraced by the Department. Steph Curran’s Ensemble, once called ‘Junior Ensemble’, played beautifully as a trio, with a real sense of commitment - no longer a ‘Junior Ensemble’! Vincent Lindsey-Clark’s Senior Ensemble, performing as a Quartet, showed the expressive possibilities of the Classical Guitar in ensemble. There was a great sense of maturity in their performance. The Classical guitar side of our work was well-represented in the programme, particularly in the final event which had all students playing in Guitar Orchestra format, performing Vincent’s lovely and exciting piece Pulsar. The other side of the Department’s work was shown beautifully in performances by Blues Band, coached
by international Blues star Ramon Goose; Acoustic Band showing off the arranging skills of Jonny McCourt; and Song Band coached jointly by Tim and Steph. This ensemble has had a trio of vocalists for years, Ariana, Melody, and Eva and this was their final performance before heading off to university. Songwriting and accompaniment with Alex Lynn, and Jazz with Dave Parsons have become a real feature of the Department’s work. The Friends of CYM were, as ever, very supportive of the concert organising a raffle to raise funds for the Department, and the whole event was sponsored by the excellent team (including ex-CYM students Steph and
Ollie!) at the London Guitar Studio on Duke Street. I would like to offer many thanks to all parents, family, and friends who supported us in this engaging and entertaining event – a concert like this can be a huge boost to a student’s musical life.
Andrew Blanch Earlier in the Summer term there were a couple of notable events. New Zealand guitarist Andrew Blanch visited us for the second time and gave a wonderful and polished performance in the Holst Room. The connection with Australia and New Zealand is strong, based on Vincent’s now annual tour. It’s a great connection to have.
Acoustic Band with Jonny McCourt
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Steph Curran’s Ensemble
Vincent Lindsey-Clark conducting Guitar Orchestra
Blues Band with Ramon Goose
Vincent and Tim had a fine time coaching at the Royal Greenwich Guitar Festival this summer. The three-day event is held at Trinity Laban College of Music and features the work of their wonderful Guitar Department put together by Graham Anthony Devine. We hope that Graham will be able to make an appearance at CYM during the current academic year.
We also made a connection with a former student who has made it big in the world of House Music – Jax Jones (formerly Timucin Lam when he studied classical guitar with us!). He is a frantically busy performer with over a billion downloads of his music, literally circling the world. Tim went and represented CYM in the filming of an Apple Music documentary on Jax’ early
life. The first screening of the film was at a special invitation event at the Garage, Islington and it’s not often the Head of Guitar at CYM gets noticed by the crowd at a House Music event! We have a strong intake of new students for 2018, and the new term will feature something not seen at CYM for 15 years – a Guitar Staff concert! Be there in the Holst Room on 1 December!
Tim Pells, Head of Guitar
House Music event with Jax Jones Song Band with Tim Pells & Steph Curran
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LSSO Barbican Concert
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he LSSO finished its 2018 season with a performance inspired by its extraordinary recent visit to Transylvania, generously supported by the Mihai Eminescu Trust (MET). Founded by Jessica Douglas-Home, the Trust is dedicated to the conservation and regeneration of villages and communes in Transylvania and the Marmures – arguably the last truly unspoilt region of rural Europe. In July, one hundred music students from the LSSO descended on one of these hamlets: Malancrav, a magical medieval village, deep in the heart of Transylvania. There among horses, carts, milkmaids, and men cutting the grass with scythes, our metropolitan kids ate, drank and made music and danced with local children and young adults. It was a truly memorable day. In collaboration with Sebastian Georghiu and Icon Arts, the orchestra, conducted by their Artistic Director Peter Ash, also presented Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody No.1 and Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra to sell-out audiences
in Brasov and Sibiu, culminating in a standing ovation for their performance of Holst’s The Planets at the Athaeneum in Bucharest, surely one of the great concert halls in Europe. At the September Barbican concert our young players were thrilled that Aleksandar Mazdar was returning to play with them. One of the most thoughtful and subtle of pianists, Sasha was brilliantly suited to the exquisite delicacy and tenderness of Schumann’s much-loved Piano Concerto. As well as performing frequently at the Wigmore Hall, he is well known to European audiences. We wish this year’s leavers a fond farewell, safe in the knowledge that their passion for music and the friendships they have forged will go with them on their life journeys. We invite you to come to the next LSSO Barbican concert on 7 January 2019, where a new set of young players will come together to experience the wonder of playing in the LSSO.
LSSO with soloist Aleksandar Mazdar and their conductor Peter Ash
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17 September 2018
SO WHO ARE THE LSSO...? Hailed by Sir Simon Rattle as “an incomparable ambassador for the dynamism and excellence of British youth”, the London Schools Symphony Orchestra (LSSO) has, since its formation in 1951, been celebrated as a potent symbol of the talent and achievements of London’s finest young musicians. Artistic Director Peter Ash aims to give members a complete experience of the orchestral repertoire from Bach through to Beethoven, Bartok and beyond; an opportunity to get to know great music from the inside out; to work with distinguished conductors; to accompany some of the world’s most illustrious soloists; and to form longlasting friendships through the shared joy and excitement of making music together. The LSSO presents three Barbican concerts a year, sponsored by the City of London Corporation. Courses run during the Christmas, Easter and early Summer holidays, comprising intensive rehearsals and coaching by London’s top orchestral musicians. Participation in all courses is encouraged but not mandatory, and financial assistance is available for courses and tour fees for students in genuine need. Auditions are usually held in the second half of the autumn term. More details on CYM website. The LSSO Tour Fund provides bursary support to ensure that every current LSSO member has the opportunity to participate in the summer tour. LSSO 2019 SUMMER TOUR to Sicily (tbc): 28 July – 4 August 2019
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STRINGS
Junior Strings conducted by Gill Tarlton with Laurens Price-Novak assisting on cello
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he summer term was particularly successful for the advancement of contemporary music: two quartets were invited to take part in the Music for Youth National Festival in Birmingham following success in the regional performances. Magdalene Chan, Lois Heslop, Hassan Horack and Clara Neather performed Judith Weir’s piano quartet Arise! Arise! you slumbering sleepers. Martha Debenham, Leon Human, Natasha Mallett and Anna Gunstone gave performances of three string quartets by CYM composers Jack Robinson, Ryan Morgan and Anna Gunstone. Jack’s piece Loud Simplicity, Quiet Complexity was selected for the New Music Stage in Birmingham. This piece has also been selected for the forthcoming Schools Prom on 6 November at the Royal Albert Hall, so the newly formed CYM quartet (Martha Debenham, Grace Byrne, Molly Meaker and Clara Neather) is busy preparing for the event. Congratulations to violinists Grace Byrne and Emmeline Macdonald for achieving distinction at Grade 8 level.
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Preparing for RAH MFY Prom Our now annual concerto concert gives opportunities for string players to perform with String Orchestra. This year the concert included Jamie Jones playing a Michael Haydn Viola Concerto, Anna Raynaud playing the 1st mvt of Mozart’s Violin Concerto in D, Holli Pandit playing Elgar’s Sospiri for harp and strings, Mina Hobson-Mazur playing Summer from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Martha Debenham playing the 1st movement of Haydn’s Violin Concerto in G. The whole orchestra ended the concert with an exhilarating performance of the 1st movement of Grieg’s Holberg Suite. This term, Jamie Jones, Lucien Engelmann, Mia Nguyen, Sacha Neugarten and Mina Hobson-Mazur, who had all taken part in Uyen Nguyen’s International Summer School in Poland, gave a delightful concert
of solo pieces accompanied by Miho Sanou. Jade-Ellen Brown (viola) has been selected for the LPO’s Junior Artists Programme which gives training to talented students from communities and backgrounds under-represented in professional orchestras. The Guildhall String Apprentice for this year is Jessica Martin, a double bassist, singer and cellist, who stepped straight into work with 2nd Strings, Intermediate Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra and Prelude Strings. CYM string tutors have been occupied in a variety of ways over the summer: John Kirby directed the CYM Junior Course Chamber Orchestra, Lisa Evans directed the Harp course, Cathy Fox led an amateur orchestra on the North London Music School annual residential course, Linda McLaren performed in the orchestra for the summer season of the English National Ballet and Karen James performed in the orchestra for Garsington Opera. Uyen Nguyen has recently returned from a week in Salzburg directing and performing with the Hallein Kammerorchester. Gill Tarlton, Head of Strings
Chamber Orchestra conducted by Peter Ash with soloist Natasha Mallett performing Bruch’s Romanze for Viola and Orchestra Op.85.
KRONOS QUARTET WORKSHOP Lois Heslop, Leon Human, Hassan Horack, Susannah Roman
From left to right: Hussein Horack, Hank Dutt, Hassan Horack, David Harrington, Lois Heslop, John Sherba.
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n June the Creative Learning Department at the Barbican invited two CYM quartets to take part in workshops with the Kronos Quartet, an American quartet specializing in contemporary music.
Lois Heslop writes: Two of CYM’s senior quartets were given the amazing opportunity to be coached by the world-renowned Kronos Quartet, and to play before Kronos’ own show at the Barbican, as part of Kronos’s ‘Fifty for the Future Project’. This project involved Kronos commissioning fifty new works by 25 male and 25 female composers, thereby creating the Kronos Learning Repertoire. My quartet was coached on two pieces from the Repertoire, From the Book by Yotam Haber and At the Purchaser’s Option by Rhiannon Giddens. Although the two pieces were from opposite sides of the globe and were musically contrasting, both were derived from folk melodies. The Kronos Quartet has demonstrated a huge appreciation for folk traditions since they were founded in 1973, and they regularly commission and collaborate with folk For more than 40 years, San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet has pursued a singular artistic vision, combining a spirit of fearless exploration with a commitment to continually reimagine the string quartet experience. In the process, Kronos has become one of the most celebrated and influential groups of our time, performing thousands of concerts worldwide, releasing more than 60 recordings, collaborating with many of the world's most intriguing composers and performers, and commissioning more than 950 works and
musicians around the world. Having just flown in from Germany that day, we were treated to two excellent coaching sessions by two members of the Kronos Quartet; leader, founder and Artistic Director David Harrington, and Second Violin John Sherba. John coached us first on the Giddens’ piece. The composer Rhiannon Giddens hails from Piedmont, North Carolina, and this haunting work is inspired by an advertisement from the 1830s for a woman for sale, with her 9-month old baby, who is “at the purchaser’s option”. John helped us to understand the context of the piece and encouraged us to be more physical and free in our playing; how to blend more successfully and let the individual parts shine whilst still keeping the ensemble. For example, there are moments of duet between the First and Second Violins, and John encouraged us to physically move together to become more in sync, and to really lock into the tuning of the other player. He showed us his own sheet music that he uses when he plays the piece; it was completely covered with markings and annotations, everything from tempo
Sunny Yang, Hank Dutt, David Harrington, John Sherba arrangements for string quartet. In 2015, they launched Fifty for the Future: The Kronos Learning Repertoire,
markings to cues to artistic directions. He explained how he uses his sheet as a tool because Kronos play so much music. They don’t need to discuss directions because everything they discussed in previous rehearsals is there on the sheet. Kronos Leader David Harrington then coached us on From the Book by Yotam Haber, which is based on a Jewish liturgical melody from Piedmont in Northern Italy. I found David’s advice on leading a quartet invaluable; he showed me how to express myself to the other players during a performance using my physicality and how to cue entries much more successfully with movement. He also helped with the nuances of the expressions and techniques used in the piece; Kronos worked closely with Haber in the commission and creation of this piece, so it was invaluable first-hand advice. We all took David’s comments on board and put them into practice in our performance at the Barbican the next evening, and our playing was transformed. David also gave us his card and encouraged us to get in touch if we had any questions; a huge compliment and something I will definitely be following up. We are extremely grateful to CYM for giving us this unbelievable opportunity, and to Kronos for their invaluable advice; an unforgettable experience. an education and legacy project that is commissioning—and distributing for free— the first learning library of contemporary repertoire for string quartet. Designed expressly for the training of students and emerging professionals, ten new works (five by women and five by men) are being composed each year over the next five years. Scores and parts, as well as supplemental learning materials that include recordings, videos, performance notes, and composer interviews, are available on kronosquartet.org.
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LYWB TOUR
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his summer after initial rehearsals at Waterloo Creative Studios, we set off late afternoon on 20 July for Austria. This year we tried a different approach and travelled through the night arriving in Huttau in Austria in time for an evening meal at Hotel Hutter where the forty eight students and six members of staff would be staying. This worked well and after enjoying fantastic food we rehearsed there. On the Sunday we rehearsed in the morning before travelling by coach to St Gilgen which is situated on the edge of a beautiful lake. Mozart’s grandfather worked here and it is the town in which his mother was born and where his sister Nannerl moved after her marriage. After sightseeing we travelled onwards to Thalgau and the amazing venue for our first concert Pfarrkirche St Martin Thalgau. There was a large balcony overlooking the main concert platform and the trumpets began the evening concert performing Monteverdi’s L'Orfeo Toccata from there, which made the most of the acoustics of the church. The entire
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wind band then performed Mozart’s Overture to The Marriage of Figaro. The concert included Cartoon by Paul Hart which had a large percussion feature (many thanks to Trish Allardyce Percussion tutor). It was great fun to perform with characterful musical imagery. The band also played Strauss TritschTratsch-Polka which was much appreciated by the audience and we ended up playing it twice! Other concert items included Fauré’s Pavane featuring the flutes, and the music from Jurassic Park by John Williams which for me was made memorable by Milo’s outstanding horn solo at the beginning of the piece. The concert ended with the music from the film The Incredibles, an item requested by a group of the LYWB members for whom it was their last year and coincided with the release of the new film. On the Monday we visited Salzburg Mozarteum Mozart’s Birthplace. It was fascinating to see the room where Mozart was born and many personal items, together with letters and paintings of Wolfgang and his family. After spending over an hour at the
museum the LYWB went sightseeing in the city of Salzburg. We then returned to Hotel Hutter hoping to perform later in an outdoor concert at Filzmoos but unfortunately the weather was against us with torrential rain. Peter Shrubshall the conductor of the CYM Dance Band had been unable to come on the tour so I decided we would rehearse a few Dance Band numbers to include in our programme. Tuesday saw much better weather with the sun returning and we visited the Salzwelten Salt Mines at Hallein, our visit partly funded by the LYWB Cake Sale! The mine is the oldest one in the world. We put on white miners’ suits and descended into the mine on a miners’ train. The trip involved sliding down long slides into the mine, walking through tunnels and a boat trip on a salt lake. It was a really interesting trip and we learnt how Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau promoted wet mining in which salt is dissolved from the rock through water, gaining massive volumes of the “White Gold” which led to successful trading for Salzburg. This put into context the ornate buildings and affluence
NEXT LYWB CONCERT Friday 22 February 2019 7.30pm (venue tbc) of Saltzburg from that period. We travelled back to Hutter for a meal and then off to Werfen for our evening concert at St Jakobus Church - another venue with good acoustics in which to perform to an appreciative audience. After breakfast on Wednesday the band had some free time in the grounds of our hotel which
included the opportunity to swim in their outdoor swimming pool. We had lunch and then began our journey back to England. We travelled through the night and saw the sunrise at Calais! We arrived back in London in time for everyone to go home and rest before our evening concert at St John’s Church Waterloo.
The 2018 LYWB tour to Salzburg was an amazing experience. After a very tiring coach journey, we were greeted with the beautiful scenery of Austria along-side the kindness and hospitality of the family who ran the hotel where we stayed. The tour theme ‘Stage and Screen’ meant we could perform a wide array of pieces from Mozart’s Overture to The Marriage of Figaro to the theme from The Incredibles and of course highlights from The Sound of Music! Our programme was filled with excitement and we gave two concerts in Austria along with our London concert at St John’s Waterloo. Whilst in Austria, we visited the Salzburg Salt Mines and Mozart’s Birthplace which were both incredibly fascinating. The week was packed with concerts, rehearsals and sight-seeing making it such a wonderful and memorable time! Thank you so much to everyone who made this year’s tour so much fun- we really appreciated it!
I am extremely grateful to Geoff Harniess, Kyle McInnis, Christopher Potts, Trish Allardyce, Peter Shrubshall, Elaine Lewis ,Tony Maloney and especially Alice Dagg for their part in making the tour and the concerts such a success. Julie Beaman, Head of Woodwind & Brass
As a CYM student I thoroughly enjoyed the LYWB tour. It was really great to experience new culture in Austria along with the music I love. The LWYB is a fun, family-like group so when I went on my first tour I felt right at home even though I was a thousand miles away. If you don’t know what LYWB is then check it out – it’s a great thing to be part of! Bertie Beaman – trombone
Annali Khalatbari – flute
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CYM HOLIDAY COURSES
“I really enjoyed attending the CYM summer holiday course. It was an amazing experience as I could learn things I didn’t yet understand about an orchestra. I really enjoyed the pieces we played and my personal favourite was Sweet Dreams. It was fun as you learn music and meet people with the same interests as you. If you haven’t tried the summer holiday course I insist you go as it can be great fun!” Vicenzo Freier
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Celebrating the CYM Leavers‌now alumni but always welcome!
Following the successful introduction of the scheme last year, we again said goodbye to our year 13 leavers in style. Thanks to the wonderful generosity of Hachette UK, Penguin Random House UK and Sandstone Press, The Friends of CYM were able to donate a current and topical book about music to each leaver which was personalised. Students then took the opportunity to get the book signed by their tutors, friends and the CYM staff. Most students have been at CYM for seven years or more and have formed
strong friendships over that time. They took obvious pleasure in building their mementos throughout the day, to the delight of all. Many alumni visit CYM every year; some come back to teach, some to help out, some return to perform; and for us this was the first step towards officially welcoming our 2018 leavers as alumni, and so becoming an important part of the CYM extended family. We look forward to keeping in touch and wish them well for what lies ahead.
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WOODWIND & BRASS
Intermediate Brass
W
e had another busy term in the Woodwind and Brass Department. There were two lunchtime concerts in May at Notre Dame, first Woodwind and then Brass, both with a good mix of individual and ensemble performances. These concerts give students an ideal opportunity to try out something new, rehearse one of their exam pieces, or learn to play in an ensemble, in an encouraging and supportive environment. Congratulations to Lilia Goldstein who gained 141 marks out of 150 for Grade 7 oboe, to Carter Olmeo with 137 marks for Grade 1 bassoon, and Isaac de Freitas who passed his ABRSM diploma on tenor saxophone. Sophie Boyd achieved a distinction with 95% for her Trinity Grade 7 flute exam and the examiner commented 'Bravo, Sophia, superb flute playing!'. As part of the fundraising for the LYWB’s Summer tour we held a successful Cake Sale on 9 June raising over £215 towards the cost of the salt mine trip (see pages 18-19).
Senior Brass
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Last term saw us bid farewell to George Woodcock, leaving us on 30 June after 47 years teaching trumpet at CYM. With the help of The Friends we organised a surprise mini-concert with farewell drinks and cake at Notre Dame. We were able to thank George on behalf of the Department and wish him all the best for the future.You will be able to read more about George in the next issue of UPBEAT. Shelley Twitchin (Thurman) has been appointed Bursar at The Yehudi Menuhin School after 10 years teaching clarinet at CYM! Over the summer several CYM students have taken part in exciting musical projects and we are delighted to feature three of them in this issue – Jo Oti, James Aylmer-Hall and Zofia Mandzak. This term there will be a Woodwind lunchtime concert on 10 November followed by a Brass lunchtime concert on 24 November, we hope to see many of you at these. Julie Beaman, Head of Woodwind & Brass
ETIENNE CHARLES JAZZ TRUMPET WORKSHOP In May renowned US Jazz musician and Professor of Jazz Trumpet at Michigan State University, Etienne Charles who made a rare visit to London and amongst other engagements, held a masterclass at the Prince of Peckham pub. CYM trumpet student Joseph Oti seized the opportunity to take part, and writes: The Etienne Charles Jazz workshop was an engaging, informative and mind opening experience. From Etienne’s session, I gained a variety of valuable material
from key elements of jazz styles, to details of several books to expand my knowledge on the history of jazz. Overall, it was a fun time and I would definitely recommend it to any young jazz players looking to improve their execution and understanding of the music. There are great videos of Etienne Charles on youtube – an inspirational performer - do check him out! Julie Beaman writes: Joseph has just started at the Guildhall School this term on their Jazz Course – he is a real CYM success story!
Zofia Mandzak is a flute student at CYM who started this term, and we are delighted to learn that she will be singing at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the celebrations in November for the 100th Anniversary of the restoration of Polish Independence, organised by The Relief Society for Poles Trust. She has already been rehearsing during the year and has some more preparation days to come. We look forward to hearing more from Zofia about her experience in the next issue.
One of the most compelling and exciting young jazz artists ushering the genre into groundbreaking new territory is trumpeter/ bandleader Etienne Charles, who, still in his 20s, has already recorded three impressive and well-received albums for his own Culture Shock Music imprint. His new album, Creole Soul, is a captivating journey of new jazz expression. It buoyantly taps into a myriad of styles rooted in his Afro-Caribbean background and plumbs the musical depths of the islands, from calypso to Haitian voodoo music. Also in the jazz amalgam mix are rock steady, reggae, belair, kongo and rock as well as the influence of Motown and R&B music Charles listened to on his parents' record player when he was growing up. “Jazz is Creole music," says Charles who was born in Trinidad, relocated first to Florida and then New York to further his jazz studies and today teaches jazz trumpet at Michigan State University. "As a person in the new world, I've been influenced by so much music. And my family has a mixed background, with French Caribbean, Spanish and African roots as well as Venezuelan influences. I come from a fusion of rhythms, a fusion of cultures.
FIVE TELEGRAMS James Aylmer-Hall I auditioned for the Proms Youth Ensemble along with many other students from across the UK between the ages of 16 – 24. Together with another boy from my school we joined other young performers comprising 6 trumpeters, 10 trombonists, 4 euphonium players and 6 percussionists. After a week rehearsing with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at Maida Vale Studios we played in a newly commissioned work for the First Night of the Proms by composer Anna Meredith called Five Telegrams, written to mark the centenary of the end of The Great War. This new work explored the various forms of communication used during the First World War: propaganda, postcards home, redaction, codes and the Armistice. Performing alongside the BBC
Youth Choir. We were also invited to watch the orchestra rehearse The Planets by Holst and Toward the Unknown Region by Vaughan Williams, which made up the first half of the Prom. Finally getting to rehearse the full piece in the Royal Albert Hall was very exciting. Playing in the first night of the Proms with the Proms Youth Ensemble has been the best musical experience of my life so far. It’s given me a great insight into the life of a professional musician and it’s been amazing fun. A couple of weeks later I was also part of the Five Telegrams team that reprised the performance for the opening of the Edinburgh International Festival. Incidentally, my new trumpet tutor (Alan Thomas) at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where I am now studying, was also one of the BBC Symphony Orchestra trumpeters performing in the very same Prom!
Symphony Orchestra and the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, synchronized with projected visuals designed by 59 Productions, which were projected one end of the interior of the Royal Albert Hall, the effect was mesmerising; this was the first time that anything like that had been attempted at the Proms. As the music had to fit precisely with the visuals we played to a clicktrack, another new experience. Rehearsals in the week leading up to the performance, were sometimes in sectional groups, with the BBC SO Principal Conductor Sakari Oramo, and finally with the full orchestra and the National
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VOICE
Photo credit: Julia Mustard
Junior Choir with Lynda Richardson
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ongratulations to Modade Olawore, who last term not only won a Jack Petchey Achievement Award, but also gained a Distinction for her Grade 8 Singing, quite an achievement. She decided to put her Jack Petchey prize money towards a Vocal Masterclass, and I was fortunate enough to secure the services of the Grammy-nominated Metropolitan Opera star Carole Farley on a flying visit from NY to London, to give a Vocal Masterclass on the first day of the Autumn term to ten of our best singers – more of that in the next edition of UPBEAT. Other exam results last term included young Raphael de Freitas, with an excellent Merit for Grade 4, Lilly Cassidy and Oliver Cripps who achieved merits for Grade 5, and Vaughan Buckley and Akin Olawore with a merit and high pass respectively for their Grade 7. Well done to all. Every term I give the students new challenges, taking them out of their comfort zones by giving them different styles of song they may not have sung before, and to which they probably thought they were unsuited. So, a strong voice may get a very intimate, quiet song, a ballad singer a comedy number, and someone with a natural gift for humour might be given something
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heart-breaking. All needing different vocal colours and qualities, acting skills, body language and use of the stage, and all grist to the mill! In the Vocal Faculty concert the Intermediate Choirs started off the proceedings with Brahms’ Rosmarin and a Regina Coeli by Francesco Soriano that I hadn’t heard before - all beautifully sung. Thanks to Matthew these choirs are continually improving and are going from strength to strength. The variety of styles and periods of the composers featured in the programme showed off the versatility of the students, ranging from Gluck, Purcell and Pergolesi, through Schumann, Richard Rodney Bennett and Samuel Barber, to Sondheim, Menken, Abba and Mount Eerie, to name but a few! My thanks to Thom Isaacs, who left CYM last year, but came back to perform a duet with his sister Libby, and who gave a lunchtime recital earlier this term. He is now at the London College of Contemporary Media,
Intermediate Choirs with Matthew O’Keefe, accompanist Alex Wells
Stagecraft Class
on the Music Production and Performance Course, and loving every minute of it. I really look forward to hearing how he has progressed next term. The Chamber Choir, having sung the beautiful Seal Lullaby by Eric Whitaker and the very tricky In the Mood arrangement by Peter Gritton in the Vocal Concert, went on to sing a John Wilbye madrigal and Buffalo Gals in the end of term concert, with only a couple of weeks’ rehearsal time between the two concerts. Bravo guys - challenge well met! Lynda Richardson, Head of Singing
SSA Choir
Chamber Choir
In the summer term the Stagecraft Production had the theme “Class Distinction” and included songs on the subject from such shows as My Fair Lady, Little Shop of Horrors, Company, Chicago, Half a Sixpence,Weird Romance, Cowgirls and many others. Perhaps my stand-out performance was a number I have always wanted to do but haven’t for lack of the right personnel … Noel Coward’s “The Stately Homes of England” from Operetta. This time the parts of the four Lords were admirably taken by Ryan Morgan, Hugo Brady, Alessandro Godawatta and Roman Guarente, who each displayed excellent comic timing and mastered the essential “speech quality” technique necessary for such a number. It was very funny indeed. It’s hard to single out other performances as they were all excellent.
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PERCUSSION - celebrating 25 years at Johanna School Photography: Julia Mustard
Laura Kemmis, Rachel Brookes, Daniel Nai, Mike Folkes,Tansy Hamley,Tony Maloney, Stuart Livingstone, Dominic Ellis, Dave Gonella, David Holmes, Mike Searl, Dolores Smallcorn, George Bird, George English, Rahul Mancin, Jonathan Desbrulais (in spirit, daughters Rachel and Kate)
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ur summer concert on 23 June this year was a very special event for us celebrating our 25th year at Johanna. In 1993 the move, for CYM, from Pimlico School to Morley College meant that the Percussion Department would have to squeeze into a couple of rooms at Morley, severely restricting our scope, until Stephen Dagg came up with a very fortuitous idea for us - a separate building to house us at a nearby primary school. Instead of reducing our scope, it enabled us to grow and develop, embracing all aspects of percussion performance in splendid isolation. At the start Sally and I excitedly made our plans for the new Department and over the years more and more instruments have allowed the development of percussion ensemble into the mighty beast that it has now become. We decided to invite past students and teachers to join our celebrations and be part of the concert and traditional barbeque. Some of them played with our current students in the finale, Hey Jude, along with Geoff Harniess and his excellent brass players. The concert started with Chris Pott’s World Drumming group followed by percussion ensembles led by Ben Lewis,
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David Holmes and Trish Allardyce, all playing on a full range of tuned percussion and drums. Everyone in the packed hall fully entered into the spirit of the occasion and witnessed the award, to Nathaniel Wilson, of the Lennie Clarke prize which has been given, every year since Lennie’s death in 1998, to the most promising percussion student. For an extra treat. Peter Ash’s Chamber Orchestra delighted us with the 4th movement of Mozart’s Symphony No.41 in C (Jupiter). We all enjoyed burgers and sausages, Sally’s onions, and wine in the afternoon sunshine. There was a wonderful atmosphere and I felt very proud to have been a part of the development of this Department and of all the people, teachers and students and others who have been with me on this journey. All through that journey Dolores has been here. From a young student to dynamic tuned player, to exam piano accompanist to pastoral manager. Here’s to the next 25 years!
Tony Maloney, Head of Percussion
Peter Ash and the CYM Chamber Orchestra
The Finale – Hey Jude
Nathaniel Wilson – Lennie Clarke Award 2018 Programme included: ENSEMBLE 5 – directed by Chris Potts & Ben Lewis World Drumming, Jive for Five, Kit Mania ENSEMBLE 4 – directed by Patricia Allardyce Rocket Science ENSEMBLE 3 – directed by David Holmes Aquarium, A La Nanigo ENSEMBLES 1 & 2 Directed by Tony Maloney & Patricia Allardyce Autumn Carillon, Blue Rondo a la Turk, Spiralling Light and with SENIOR BRASS for the Finale – Hey Jude
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PIANO
SUMMER EXAM RESULTS Congratulations to all our students who successfully passed their piano grade exams in the summer term. They included Daniel Fernando (Grade 8) and Mia Bailey (Grade 7) who passed with distinction, and Purav Menon (Grade 8), Holli Pandit (Grade 6), Nina Richardson (Grade 5) and Keir Hayden-Ahmed (Grade 4) who passed with merit. SUMMER CONCERTS The last three piano concerts of the Summer term featured a total of 20 piano solo items and some piano trio performances. On 16 June the trio coached by Clive Williamson; Lilia Goldstein (oboe), Lian Tattersall (bassoon) and Yashika Swaby (piano) performed “Duetto” from Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words especially arranged by Clive. It was an attractive performance with some lovely lyrical playing from
the woodwind. The trio coached by Chryssa Kasma; Leon Human (violin), Susannah Roman (cello) and Sebastian Flore (piano) performed the third movement from Schubert’s Piano Trio in Bb Op 99. Their strong interpretation demonstrated how much they have developed as a group this year. In July there were two concerts involving pianists featuring two Grade 8 piano recitals by Purav Menon and Daniel Fernando. The piano trio coached by Judy Taylor; Thomas Sewell (piano), George Webb (bassoon) and Natasha Whitmore (flute) performed the Sarabande from the trio by Pierne. Natasha Mallett gave a beautifully prepared performance of the second movement from Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3 in C minor - a lovely finale of her time at CYM. In the Leavers’ Concert later that day Rhiannon Dew gave her final performance of two song arrangements for piano by Gerswhin, and Leon Human (violin) and Sebastian
Flore (piano) performed Romantic Piece Op 75 No. 1 by Dvorak. Congratulations to Sebastian Flore who was awarded the Crichlow Cup at the Leavers’ Concert and a £50 music voucher (see p.5). This term we look forward to four lunch time piano concerts in room B05 on 13 October, 10 and 24 November, and 8 December at 1.10pm. All are very welcome to come and listen to our students perform. Four CYM piano students have begun university courses in music this term: Jamie Cook at City University London, Rhiannon Dew at Durham, Nye Hughes-Watts taking piano studies at the RNCM, and Angelina Kuznetsova Composition at the Birmingham Conservatoire. Two of our current piano students, Adam Boustani and Sebastian Flore, as well as Natasha Mallett share some highlights of their time at CYM.
My first year at CYM was very enjoyable. It was amazing meeting so many young musicians and making friends with people who share your interests and passions. One of my most memorable moments was the Piano Duet Day because it gave each pair of pianists the chance to learn different parts of a piece separately, practice it together and then perform it in front of an audience - it was great fun! Lunchtime concerts were another particularly useful aspect with the chance to perform your pieces to parents and fellow musicians before exams. These concerts boosted my confidence and allowed me to get a feel of the actual piano I would play during the exam. I’m looking forward to this year with the addition of Keyboard Harmony, Jazz Harmony and Gamelan. Adam Boustani
This is my third year at CYM and I have had the opportunity to perform in masterclasses taught by experienced professionals, and in a piano trio at the CYM Annual Concert. The Piano Department gave me the chance to compete in the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe Junior Intercollegiate Piano Competition last year, my first serious competition. This was a great experience for me and during that period I made lots of progress, thanks to my teachers Francis and Chryssa, and the support of our Head of Piano, Cathy Riley. One of the main highlights of the year for me was being awarded the Crichlow Cup for my contributions in my first two years here. But by far the best thing about CYM is how kind, friendly and supportive everybody is. Sebastian Flore
I studied the piano at CYM for seven years and honestly loved every minute. From being given the opportunity to play in informal piano faculties and receiving constructive feedback from Cathy, to playing in a piano trio and other chamber groups, there is always something to do for pianists! My piano highlights include performing the slow movement of Shostakovich’s 2nd Piano Concerto with an external cello ensemble, and the second movement of Beethoven’s 3rd Piano Concerto with my teacher, Judy, on my last day. Being privileged to be selected for masterclasses with Tom Poster and Kyoko Hashimoto, are also opportunities I wouldn’t have been given had I not been at CYM. All in all, I loved my time as a pianist at CYM and am so thankful for all the opportunities I was given. Natasha Mallett
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Cathy Riley, Head of Piano
CYM COMPOSERS – seen and heard…
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t is a year since CYM launched a Composition pathway for its student composers offering group and private lessons, in which young composers learn techniques, discover new music and develop their independent understanding of how music comes together. With practicality in mind, student composers have written at least two chamber compositions, which have been performed and recorded at CYM and used to start their composer portfolio. In preparation for the concerts, they gained valuable experience in creating professional looking scores, writing for various orchestral instruments and working closely with the performing musicians. The concert at the end of the summer term last July featured works from all eight composers. Performing them was a trio of senior students from the Guildhall School – Jonathan Willet (clarinet & bass clarinet), Laurens Price-Nowak (cello) and Dominic Degavino – who had been involved with the student composers throughout the year, adding invaluable insight into the scope and capability of instruments. As a department we would like to record our thanks to the trio for enabling the student composers to hear their pieces performed, and for their support and encouragement. In turn, the students themselves want to express their thanks to their tutor Ehud Freeman for his support and hard work throughout the year!
Compositions Ryan Morgan – Ancient Tales Thomas Sewell – Piano Trio no.1 Jamie Cook – Trio for Piano, Cello and Clarinet Adrian Angol-Henry – The Calm Before the Flood Anna Gunstone – Trio for Piano, Clarinet and Cello Angelina Kusnetsova – City Waltz Jack Robinson – Trio for Piano, Clarinet and Cello Theodore Karpinski – Piano Trio no. 3
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MUSIC TECHNOLOGY
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Some singer songwriters work on backing tracks for their songs.
aturday afternoons in the Music Tech Lab at CYM are a hive of creativity. Students learn to use Apple ‘Logic Pro X’, a leading Digital Audio Workstation, and are taught to understand the processes behind recording and producing records of different styles. As well as learning the technical aspects of Digital Audio, the ability to have almost any instrument or sound at one’s fingertips makes it the perfect environment to try out arrangement ideas and really hear what works and what doesn’t. For students wishing to make a career in music, having the ability to be able to produce music from a home computer is advantageous. Songwriters these days are often required to deliver radio ready ‘demo’s’ of their work. Writing music to a brief for adverts or film requires very rapid turnaround of
The studio at Morley is well equipped with the latest Apple Macs and software.
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Working on school/GCSE/home pieces in Logic Pro on Macs.
music that must be written, produced, engineered, and ready to go in 24 hours. In addition to this, an overall ability to understand the processes behind making records, can help a musician make better decisions in the studio, saving time and money. Over the last year, Group C students have learnt to programme Midi data to trigger software instruments, and to edit and record Digital Audio. Group B & A students have spent time working towards their GCSE and A-level music projects, as well as their own pieces. Along the way, learning mixing, editing and sound design techniques helps to make their music sound more professional and, in some cases, ready for commercial release!
Edward West, Music Technology Tutor
"I'm a microphone geek and I love working with these mics - I am recording live violin to work with digitally in my composition”.
Tutor Ed discusses arrangement of a student’s composition
LSSO Tour to Transylvania 27 July – 3 August 2018
Concerts in: Brasov Black Church, Sibiu Concert Hall, and Athenaeum Concert Hall in Bucharest. Outdoor “Serenade” concert in the remote medieval Saxon village Malancrav, conducted by LSSO members in collaboration with local musicians and dancers as part of the annual Icon Arts Academy & Festival. Over 150 musicians, choreographers, dancers, actors & multimedia artists around the world share their professional experience each year in the special landscape of the Transylvanian Saxon villages, during three weeks of the international event dedicated to contemporary arts. For both artists and audience, ICon Arts is a unique creation lab and an extraordinary place to explore contemporary means of expression while discovering old local crafts and traditional cuisine kept alive by the local Transylvanian communities.Visiting professors from top universities and arts institutions from all around the world come together to share their know-how to hundreds of young students in this friendly and inspiring environment. https://www.instagram.com/iconarts2018/
The Mihai Eminescu Trust (named after the famous and influential Romanian poet Mihai Eminescu (1850-1889)) is dedicated to the conservation and regeneration of villages and communes in Transylvania and the Maramures, two of the most unspoilt regions of Europe, through the renewal of its heritage and revive its economy. Houses and churches have been saved from dilapidation as well as restoring the villagers’ means of earning a living; offering training in traditional techniques and the use of authentic materials, restoring to life once-thriving crafts enabling the villagers to become self-sufficient. www.experiencetransylvania.ro
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RECORDER
UPBEAT attended the informal Recorder Department lunchtime concert on 15 June. We were treated to a wide range of performances from the various ensembles and individual players. One particularly unusual performance caught our eyes and ears. Philip Hadley played an atmospheric piece called Music for Birds by Hans-Martin Linde, a Swiss German composer for flute and recorder. Linde originally wrote the piece in 1968 for a Japanese mime artist, and it includes many special effects and techniques including glissandi, multi-phonics, flutter tongue, percussive articulation and whistle sounds. This short piece is apparently well known amongst recorder players; Charlotte BarbourCondini played this in the Woodwind final for the 2012 BBC Young Musician of the year (see it here: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=akS05RSnlMU).
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UPBEAT spoke to Philip at the end of the concert. “I have been playing recorder for about 11 years, I also play piano. I play a wide variety of pieces. I have not played many pieces like this but I do find this kind of composition interesting. The piece is fully scored but has room for interpretation. There are little phrases here and there with boxes over them, which means you can repeat them as often as you like with whatever rhythm you prefer.You decide on tempo, so you can take as much time over the phrases as you like. The piece also contains multi-phonics, using a special blowing technique to change the sound to produce two notes at the same time.You only really get this scored in more modern music. I enjoy playing in the Senior Recorder Ensemble as well as performing solo. The Recorder Department are very supportive of what I would like to do and when I told Andrew I would like to study this piece he was very encouraging. I am starting year 13 and have taken Grade 8, so will be applying for universities and looking forward to continuing to play and perform.� Philip Hadley
The art of memorising music: memorisation techniques for music students with Vera Fonte Vera Fonte is a pianist, music teacher and researcher in the fields of music education and music psychology.Vera holds a Bachelor Degree in Piano Performance and a Masters in Music Teaching from the University of Minho (Portugal). In 2014 she joined the Centre for Performance Science at the Royal College of Music (RCM), where she has been working on her PhD research focused on memorisation of non-tonal piano repertoire.Vera has also worked at the RCM as Graduate Teaching Assistant for undergraduate and postgraduate modules such as Performance Education, Performance Psychology and Aural Skills. As a performer, she has regularly performed solo and ensemble pieces in the UK, Serbia, Italy, Spain and Portugal and has premiered contemporary works by such composers as Wynton Guess, Vitorino d’Almeida, Paulo Bastos and Luis Pipa.
Isaac Greis (recorder) performed 4th mvt. from Handel’s Recorder Sonata in Gmin HMV 360. The music memorization workshop was very beneficial to me because I had not learnt how to memorize long pieces apart from tuned percussion, as it is more muscle memory. I did not understand the purpose of memorizing pieces until I went to the workshop. A very good way to learn how to memorise is by splitting the piece into little sections and giving those sections titles to memorise it by. It was very helpful to learn how to practice more efficiently by playing little sections of the bits you struggled with rather than playing the whole thing through. I thought the workshop was very enjoyable and valuable. Isaac received a Jack Petchey Achievement Award last year and chose to use his award to fund this workshop to benefit all CYM students.
Photo credit: Julia Mustard
Magdalene Chan (piano) performed 3rd mvt. from Mozart’s Piano Sonata in Bb Vera Fonte started with an introduction to her research and several different memorisation techniques, which we then went into more detail later on. One of the techniques she taught us was splitting up the piece into different sections, each with a different character, mood or colour, and labelling each of these sections so that when playing by heart, the sections are easier to differentiate. Analysing similar sections to figure out the differences was also useful to ensure we didn't play similar sections in the wrong order. We also focused on fingering and ensuring that we always use the same fingering to avoid confusion in a performance situation, which can throw us off. The most interesting and fun part, though, was probably one of the final techniques: I would move away from the piano and not look at the keyboard whilst she played a few bars of the piece. I would then have to carry on from where she left off, and we repeated this several times. It was a challenge, but it was surprising how much I had already memorised, and these techniques are definitely going to be useful when I'm learning new pieces in the future.
Janice Ho (violin) performed Rondo 3rd mvt. from Mozart’s Concerto in D K211 We played memorisation games which were quite challenging. She asked me to walk around the room whilst playing my piece which make me depend more on my memory than the music sheet. She also asked us to spot the repetitions so that I knew where I was in the piece. The experience was fun! UPBEAT Autumn 2018
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FRIENDS OF THE CENTRE FOR YOUNG MUSICIANS
A DIVISION OF THE GUILDHALL SCHOOL
Charity no 297745
T
he start of a new academic year is always exciting, and particularly for the students and families joining CYM for the first time. A warm welcome from the Friends: we hope that your Saturday timetables are proving stimulating and enjoyable! Over the Summer we said goodbye to Nathalie le Bihan and family who were returning to France. Nathalie will not be forgotten as her clever little video advertising the Friends canteen is being edited and will be launched and arriving in your inboxes soon, featuring a soundtrack written especially for the purpose by music technology student Max Walczak. Max’s piece Canteen Music was chosen, after tutor Ed West set his students an assignment to write something suitable. As our judge (jazz tutor Steve Lodder) said, he was “loving the cut to the film firstly, then the intro settling, the space for dialogue, the v. catchy guitar riff, then change to the organ ending - something for everyone!” We are indebted to Julia Mustard for finding a great second-hand camera and lens for FCYM to purchase, and her friend Anton Panchenkov in Moscow for his generosity in donating a second lens. Thank you both for helping us to vastly improve the visual impact of UPBEAT. Thanks to Dagmar and her team who are ensuring that the Friends Canteen at Notre Dame is now in full swing. In addition to the delicious and very reasonably-priced food and drink, the Canteen also stocks a range of instrument accessories and graded theory books, for convenience. The pastoral hub of the building, it’s a place where students, parents and tutors can relax and feel part of the CYM family. Those who offer their time once or twice a term to help run it often make long-lasting friendships behind the counter: chatting with experienced volunteers is often an opportunity to get useful advice about supporting students with practice and other invaluable parenting tips! Just leave us your mobile or email friends@cym.org.uk and we’ll be in touch!
Getting involved Once you and your student have settled into a comfortable routine, do see if you might have time to offer your help in some way – maybe joining the morning or afternoon shift, shopping and making sandwiches, or baking a batch or two of homemade cakes to sell, or by simply offering your help at the start or the end of the day to set up or pack away. Or you may have skills and knowledge to support us with the production of UPBEAT, photography, chaperoning, or in other ways. Every FCYM volunteer is a busy parent, often having to juggle the activities of more than one child, so we are extremely grateful for the gift of time and effort our active Friends make. Just leave us your mobile or email us at friends@cym.org.uk and we’ll be in touch! SATURDAY 3 NOVEMBER – UPBEAT stuffing session, and ‘pop-up’ MUSIC SALE, Notre Dame Canteen. SATURDAY 8 DECEMBER – Cake Sale plus the Percussion Department Fundraising Concert In addition to the now traditional FCYM Cake Sale at Morley College (please add ‘baking’ to your list of ‘todo’s that week!) on the final Saturday 8 December – there will be a fundraising lunchtime concert by the Percussion Department at Johanna Primary School. The Friends will be selling a range of mulled beverages (we have been promised authentic Normandy apple juice!) and supporting an onthe-spot Raffle (with great prizes), to purchase professional quality cymbals for the brand new Gretsch drum kit the Friends are funding. So please come along, buy some raffle tickets and support their initiative. Christine Bisatt, Chair, Friends of CYM (FCYM)
Rescue and Liberate your Musical Instruments!
An on-going initiative from FCYM; inviting CYM & LSSO parents, family, friends, alumni and others to donate musical instruments they are no longer using for use by CYM students. We want to ensure there is no barrier to students’ musical development either as a beginner or when moving on to more advanced instruments. Don’t worry about the condition of instruments as FCYM will get them back into playing condition. We also need accessories such as cases, covers, bows, etc. • What instrument? Any • Can we pick up? Whenever possible we try. Ask us! 34
UPBEAT Autumn 2018
• Does size and condition matter? No • When can I do it by? Any time! This is a permanent FCYM scheme.
Please email friends@cym.org.uk or ring CYM Office on 020 7928 3844 as soon as you can!
CYM@50 Calling all CYM past pupils and tutors To celebrate
CYM’s 50th birthday in 2020
We are keen to hear from anyone who attended or taught at the Centre. The Foundation for Young Musicians is planning to hold a special event in 2020 to mark this
50 years of young music making
and would like as many of our students and tutors, past and present, to be there. If you would like to be part of this historic occasion, please do sign up to our CYM Facebook Alumni Group: http://www.facebook.com/CYMLondonAlumni/ which is linked to a dedicated section on our website: www.cym.org.uk.
The Foundation for Young Musicians (FYM)
The Foundation for Young Musicians (FYM), established in 1990, is a charity with the sole aim to raise funds for CYM London, so that CYM can continue to offer talented London school children first-class musical training and education irrespective of ability to pay. Over half of CYM’s students would not be able to benefit from this tuition without financial assistance. Over the next three years, FYM is launching an appeal to raise another £500,000 for CYM. If you would like to know more about our plans, please contact: clairebarlowconsulting@gmail.com
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UPBEAT Autumn 2018
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OPEN DAY 2019 19 January/26 January
This is a great opportunity for prospective students and parents/carers to visit the Saturday Centre and, as part of a guided tour, drop in on ensemble rehearsals, classes, choirs, meet staff and current students, have a drink and a snack with other parents, and get a real flavour of what is on offer.
Arrive at Morley College at 9.15am to Register Open Day begins at Morley College with visits to 2 other nearby sites. Parents/Carers and prospective students are encouraged to stay on after the tour, to attend lunchtime concerts and late afternoon advanced ensembles. Please email adagg@cym.org.uk to confirm which Open Day you would like to attend with the following information: • Name of Student / Students • Name of Parents / Carers • Type of instrument / voice • Email Address • Preferred date 19 OR 26 January 2019 You can also phone us on 020 7928 3844 The deadline for applications is 28 February 2019 and auditions for September 2019 entry will be held in March and April 2019. Application forms are available online on the CYM website www.cym.org.uk or you can email adagg@cym.org.uk to request a form.
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UPBEAT Autumn 2018