Music Services
HALLÉ FOCUS ON STRINGS
In association with Sheffield Music Service and Sheffield City Hall
As part of the Hallé’s long-standing partnership with Sheffield, Steve Pickett and a Hallé string quintet worked alongside pupils and Sheffield Music Service staff during a two-day course on 13 and 14 February. 165 young people were involved in the project which took place at All Saints Catholic High School on the Monday and Sheffield City Hall on the Tuesday. The aim of the project was to develop Sheffield’s beginner and intermediate string players and widen participation in its regular music groups. The two pieces learned during the project were Steve Pickett’s A Celebration for Strings, for string quartet and youth string ensemble, and Sunshine, for string quintet and youth string ensemble, based on a Northern Ireland folk tune called The Star of County Down. The children performed admirably throughout and were clearly inspired by the opportunity to play alongside professional string players.
A further strand of the project was to involve a number of Sheffield Music Service’s string teachers and ensemble directors in the project to help develop their rehearsal skills and support them in choosing appropriate repertoire for their particular groups.
The Hallé musicians involved were: Philippa Heys, Michelle Marsh, Tom Beer, Julie-Anne Manning and Rachel Meerloo.
Future Talent
Future Talent was set up in 2004 by Katherine Kent, with the aim of helping talented young musicians from areas of deprivation and difficulty realise and develop their talent. Sir Mark Elder is President of the charity and Steve Pickett is a trustee.
Future Talent Champions is a Future Talent project run in conjunction with the Hallé and local Music Services in Greater Manchester. The first project launched in 2008 in the music services of Bolton and Oldham. In 2009, the project expanded into Rochdale and the eventual aim is to include all 10 boroughs within Greater Manchester. Future Talent and the Hallé are grateful for support from The Holbeck Charitable Trust.
The project is divided into two strands; the first strand invites young musicians to apply for a bursary provided by the charity. In each Music Service the bursary is given to three exceptionally talented young musicians who, for whatever reason do not have the means to develop their musical talent further. A new addition to the project is a Certificate of Merit and monetary prize for an individual who displays exceptional talent at an early level of their musical journey.
The second strand engages the Hallé with the Music Services and local schools in a development programme that gives many more local children the chance to grow through music and become inspired to develop whatever musical talents they possess.
Auditions to find the next group of Future Talent Champions were held during the autumn term in Rochdale, Bolton and Oldham where they were put through their paces by the Head of the Music Service, Lyn Fletcher (Hallé Leader), Katherine Baker (Principal Flute) and Steve Pickett (Hallé Education Director) as well as a representative of the charity. Gold, silver and bronze winners from each borough were chosen to receive monetary awards of £3,000, £2,000 and £1,000 respectively to spend on continuing their music education. A brand new ‘Certificate of Promise’ was also given to one student in each borough who just missed out on winning a prize.
The 2012 Future Talent Awards ceremony took place at a Hallé Opus One Concert at The Bridgewater Hall on Sunday 20 May when the gold, silver and bronze winners were presented with their trophies by Sir Mark Elder and Katherine Kent.
The winners from each borough are as follows:
ROCHDALE
Gold: Tylah Tomkins Simpson – Voice
Silver: Jack Foster – Classical/Folk Guitar
Bronze: Helen Clark – Tenor Horn
Certificate of Promise: Victoria Hoyle – Voice
BOLTON
Gold: Samuel Davies - Cornet
Silver: Elizabeth Hardman - Voice
Bronze: Jacob Smith - Euphonium
Certificate of Promise: Molly Becker – Violin
OLDHAM
Gold: Samantha Wright - Clarinet
Silver: Romana Hallstead – Flugal Horn
Bronze: Benedict Conway - Trumpet
Certificate of Promise: Sam Statham – Piano
