MusicFest is in the first week back after half term

Sign up for MusicFest here

Tickets here


HUB

Two dates for your diaries

  1. Hayes Christmas Lights (The New Inn, Hayes) 3pm ish (tbc)
  2. Friday 29th November – lunch/period 5/after school (tbc):

Informal performance for the residents of Pittsmead Grange Care Home on West Common Road

Please keep an eye on Satchel One for the music for both these events.



The ocarina (otherwise known as a potato flute) is a wind musical instrument; it is a type of vessel flute. Variations exist, but a typical ocarina is an enclosed space with four to twelve finger holes and a mouthpiece that projects from the body. It is traditionally made from clay or ceramic, but other materials are also used, such as plastic, wood, glass, metal, or bone.

Find out more here


Extreme multitasking!


And finally …

One for HUB and JamSesh!

Year 7 Concert

Well done to everyone who took part in Monday’s Year 7 Concert. Congratulations to the class winners and soloists.

Tallulah F – Son of a Preacher Man

Maya RS – Mamma Mia

7UVC – Spice Up Your Life

7WXC – Proud Mary


HUB

The badges have arrived 🙂

Please collect from my room from Wednesday 16th October.


MusicFest

The next MusicFest is in the first week back after half term so you need to get planning, collaborating and practising!

MusicFests are informal concerts where students from any year group can perform pieces of their own choice to a friendly and supportive audience. We always have a huge range of music, from students’ very first public performance to students who are already hugely experienced musicians. We have all styles of music from classical to rock to musical theatre and students’ own compositions. There are solos, duets and groups. One of the loveliest thngs about these events is when students from different year groups work on something together. MusicFests are always a much loved event on the Hayes Music calendar.

Here is the video from a previous MusicFest so you can get a flavour of what it’s like:

Sign up for MusicFest here


JamSesh and HUB – date for your diary

This is a lovely event that JamSesh and HUB perform at every year. We will meet at 3.30pm in the New Inn car park and perform from 3.50-4.10pm. HUB check Satchel One for more details and JamSesh see your WhatsApp group.



John Williams documentary – coming soon on Disney+

“Music by John Williams” is a refrain that strikes joy into the hearts of all movie lovers. It also forms the title of a new documentary film about the 92-year-old composer.

The documentary features interviews with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, with John Williams himself in front of the camera. A trailer released on Monday features some of the composer’s most iconic scores, from Jaws to Indiana Jones. Watch it above.

Disney+ say the documentary will explore the composer’s life, from his early days as a jazz pianist to his 54 Oscar nominations and five wins, looking at his contribution to the concert stage and impact on popular culture, as well as his deep influence on the big screen.

The Disney+ release is directed by filmmaker and author Laurent Bouzereau, with Williams’ longtime artistic partner Steven Spielberg as part of the production team.

Read the full article here


And finally …

Don’t get it? Listen to the rhythm played by the timpani and strings in the opening of this piece:

The PlanetsOp. 32, is a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1917. In the last movement the orchestra is joined by a wordless female chorus. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the Solar System and its supposed astrological character.

Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite The Planets, he composed many other works across a range of genres, although none achieved comparable success. 

Open Day is next Saturday (5th October)

Thank you to Brass Quintet and to some of our Music Leaders who will be there to perform/help out in the Music Department.


New Music Leaders for 2024-2025

Thank you to everyone who applied to be a Music Leader this year. The following students have been chosen:

  • Henry y10
  • Dolly y10
  • Elliot y 10
  • Ella y9
  • Jeanne y9
  • Will y11
  • Emma y12
  • Tobie y8
  • Elinor y10
  • Bibi y10
  • Lavinia y10
  • Ben MB y8
  • Liliana y10
  • Alice y10
  • Charlie y10
  • Helena y8
  • Katie y11
  • Katia y10
  • Mia y11
  • James y10

Your first job:

We need a team of you to run refreshments for the Year 7 Concert on Monday 7th October from 5.45pm in the school hall. Please can you let Miss Werry know asap if you can be there to help out. Thank you 🙂


Something else to watch:


Musical Theatre news


Please click here to be taken to the Concert Band page. Here you’ll find links to this term’s pieces so you can play along at home when practising.

Please click here to be taken to the Musical Theatre page. Here you’ll find links to this term’s songs so you can sing along at home when practising.

Please click here to be taken to the Choir page. Here you’ll find links to this term’s songs so you can sing along at home when practising.

Please click here to be taken to the Hayes Harmonies page. Here you’ll find links to this term’s songs so you can practise at home.


And finally …

Find out more about this concerto here.

Matilda Jnr

Congratulations to those of you who are in the cast of Matilda Jnr. We are looking forward to seeing the show in December.


Music department trip

This trip is for committed members of our music clubs. Thank you to those of you who have signed up for it. More details to follow.


Year 7 concert



Please click here to be taken to the Concert Band page. Here you’ll find links to this term’s pieces so you can play along at home when practising.

Please click here to be taken to the Musical Theatre page. Here you’ll find links to this term’s songs so you can sing along at home when practising.

Please click here to be taken to the Choir page. Here you’ll find links to this term’s songs so you can sing along at home when practising.

Please click here to be taken to the Hayes Harmonies page. Here you’ll find links to this term’s songs so you can practise at home.



And finally …

The Four Seasons (Italian: Le quattro stagioni) is a group of four violin concerti by Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi, each of which gives musical expression to a season of the year. These were composed around 1718–1720. The Four Seasons is the best known of Vivaldi’s works. 

They were a revolution in musical conception: Vivaldi represented flowing creeks, singing birds (of different species, each specifically characterized), a shepherd and his barking dog, buzzing flies, storms, drunken dancers, hunting parties from both the hunters’ and the prey’s point of view, frozen landscapes, and warm winter fires.

Find out more here

Full steam ahead!

It’s been great to see so many of you at rehearsals this week. Please keep encouraging your friends to come along so they can see what the music department is all about.

Important dates

Please get these written into your diaries/family calendars NOW!


Music department trip

Our first trip of the school year is to see Back to the Future the Musical on Monday 25th November at 7.30pm. The parents/carers of music club members in years 7-13 should have already received a trip letter via email. Anyone who hasn’t received the email (including anyone new to our clubs), please contact me asap so I can get the letter emailed to you.

The deadline for signing up and paying for this trip is Sunday 22nd September. This is a quick turnaround due to the deadline that we have to meet to pay the theatre invoice.


Please click here to be taken to the Concert Band page. Here you’ll find links to this term’s pieces so you can play along at home when practising.

Please click here to be taken to the Musical Theatre page. Here you’ll find links to this term’s songs so you can sing along at home when practising.

Please click here to be taken to the Choir page. Here you’ll find links to this term’s songs so you can sing along at home when practising.

Please click here to be taken to the Hayes Harmonies page. Here you’ll find links to this term’s songs so you can sing along at home when practising.


BYMT news


Guitarists … do you agree?

James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, songwriter and singer. He is widely regarded as the greatest guitarist in the history of popular music and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes him as “arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music.”

Read more about his life here


Read the full article here


And finally …

Autumn Term 2024

Music rehearsals:

Music rehearsals will start in the week beginning Monday 9th September – see you there 🙂


School show for years 7-9


Important dates:

TBC – check back soon

Please make a note of all these dates, and make sure they are added to your family calendar too.


Music department trips:


Would you like to be a Music Leader in 2024-2025?

Would you like to be a Music Leader this year? Music Leaders need to be totally committed to supporting the department and spreading the music love. Your jobs will involve helping recruit year 7s to our clubs, helping at school events (e.g. open days), assisting with music trips, helping to keep the music resources tidy and so on.

If you would like to be considered for the role of a Music Leader you will need to complete this quick formTo be eligible, you will need to be a member of at least two music clubs. We are looking for people who are committed and tuned in. By that, we mean people who come to rehearsals really regularly, check the blog, answer their emails and generally know what’s going on. All year groups welcome.

Existing Music Leaders will need to complete the form too.

Deadline for submission is 8am on Friday 13th September.

Any questions, please contact Mrs Foster

** All current music leaders – please see me in my room at lunch on Friday 6th September to discuss something Mr Brett and I need you to do next week. Thank you. **


Congratulations to our GCSE and A Level classes for your music/music tech exam results.


Summer news

We would love to hear about the musical things you did over the summer break. Please send me a quick email to tell me all about it so I can include it on the next blog.

Thank you. From Mrs Foster


Congratulations to Brooke and Emma for being part of the NYO’s fantastic performance at this year’s BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in August. What an incredible experience!

Bells up!



Do you know someone who can help us?

We would really like to have some professional photographs taken at our music events this academic year. Do any of you have any family members/family friends who are keen amateur photographers and who may be able to help us? Please let me know. Thank you. Mrs Foster


BYMT news

For students in years 7 and 8:


Year 7 Concert – Monday 7th October 6pm

All year 7 students will be involved in this event. Your music teacher will tell you all about this in your music lessons over the next couple of weeks.


Which colours are you aiming to get this school year?


And finally …

Congratulations …

on another fab year of music-making!

Summer concert video:

Have a look back at the past year here and via the following links:

Twitter: click here

Facebook: click here

Instagram: click here

Have a fabulous summer holiday! Maybe do some really lovely musical things – try a new instrument, learn a new piece, or listen to something different. Go to a Prom! Proms are brilliant – the atmosphere is like nothing else – and the programme of events is huge and varied. U18s go half price on all seated tickets – however, I would absolutely encourage you to actually prom – which means queuing for a ticket on the day, and standing up (there are two queues – one for the Arena, and one for the Gallery – I would strongly recommend the gallery, because the acoustics are better, and if there is room, you can lie on the floor and listen to the music!). See the Proms website for full details.


BBC iPlayer:

Type music into the search box

Disney +

Type music into the search box

For those of you who have been on my trips to the Royal Albert Hall:

More things to watch:



And finally …

BYMT Garden Party

Congratulations to all of you who performed brilliantly at the BYMT Garden Party last weekend.

It’s almost the end of an era for some of you 😥

Have a great time on the BYMT tour to Germany


Tidying up the department

Thank you to those of you who have been helping to tidy up in the department. There is always more to do so please come and offer to help out if you haven’t already. Thank you.


Read the full article here


And finally …

Summer Concert

Well done to everyone who performed/helped out at this week’s brilliant Summer Concert. Video and photos to come …

Congratulations to Ben in year 13 for being awarded this year’s Eddie Rider shield:


Plan to book your Promming ticket to see Brooke and Emma perform at this year’s NYO Prom

The BBC Proms, what’s it all about?

The BBC Proms is a classical music festival held every summer at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and in recent years has explored an innovative series of Proms around the UK with concerts in all four nations. Its aim: to bring the best in classical music to the widest possible audience, which remains true to founder-conductor Henry Wood’s original vision in 1895.

Whether you are a classical connoisseur or think classical music isn’t for you, there is something for everyone in the eight-week stretch of concerts.

Find out more here

In the grandeur of St. Paul’s Cathedral in 1970, Leonard Bernstein conducts the London Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Verdi’s Requiem that marks Placido Domingo’s first appearance with the Maestro. In an introductory note, Mr. Bernstein dedicates this performance to victims of war and oppression: “Let us remember them all and meditate on our own salvation, here on Earth.”

Giuseppe Verdi (born October 9/10, 1813, Roncole, Italy — died January 27, 1901, Milan, Italy) was a leading Italian composer of opera in the 19th century, noted for operas such as Rigoletto (1851), Il trovatore (1853), La traviata (1853), Don Carlos (1867), Aida (1871), Otello (1887), and Falstaff (1893) and for his Requiem Mass (1874). Find out more here

Verdi

Leonard Bernstein (born August 25, 1918, Lawrence, U.S. — died October 14, 1990, New York, U.S.) was an American conductor, composer, and pianist noted for his accomplishments in both classical and popular music, for his flamboyant conducting style, and for his pedagogic flair, especially in concerts for young people. Find out more here

Bernstein


And finally …