Hayes Music blog

MusicFest was an amazing and inspiring occasion, with SO many fantastic performances! Well done to everyone who performed or helped out with the organisation of everything, particularly doing the programme (thanks Harry!), sorting out the refreshments, taking money, getting stuff out/putting it away again, shifting mic stands – it all needs to be done, and you just….do it! 🙂

Looking forward to next half term

The Easter Concert is on Wednesday 28th March. We haven’t really got long to prepare for this once we’re back from half term! Then, of course we’re on tour from 2nd April. Woohoo!

We want your plastic cards to make into picks!

What happens to all our picks??!? We have a pick cutter like the one above, but currently cannot keep up with demand, due to the rapid disappearance of the picks. Please could you give us any used up gift cards etc. that are made of the right kind of thick plastic. Just give them to MissW or stick in the post box outside the music office. Thank you!

The stick technique here is truly awesome!

…and this is an amazing bit of analysis!

This is just the sort of music geekery that we absolutely love!

Crikey! The 38th Hayes School MusicFest is the biggest and most bountiful EVER! We have an absolutely packed programme for next Wednesday. Here are some v. important points:

• ALL performers need to think carefully about where they can cut down on the length of their pieces. Cut repeats, cut intros, cut repetition – you won’t make less of an impact by your piece being shorter – you can still be utterly fabulous in 2 minutes! We really want to include everyone, but don’t want the whole thing to be a feat of endurance for the audience.
• If MissW is accompanying you on the piano, and you have not rehearsed with her yet, the time to do that will be Wednesday after school. Form a queue! The only exception to this is Isabella W-A who is rehearsing on Monday at break.
• MusicFest starts at 6pm. You can leave instrument cases etc. in CGD but nobody should be ‘hanging’ in the music rooms during the concert. You should be in the audience supporting your fellow performers.
• Performers can wear what they want (as long as they look respectable)
• It will finish at…. well, when it finishes.
• We will need people to set up at 5pm, people to take ticket money, sell refreshments, and move equipment around at the front. The smooth running of the night depends on you! Even if you have never got involved with this stuff before, you are welcome to come and help.
• If you are using a backing CD and have not yet given it to MissW, please hand it in on Monday. 

Germany t-shirt unveiled

Congratulations to Leo MacD for designing the winning entry in our t-shirt competition! This is the coat of arms of Leipzig, so it’s all highly relevant (and we like dragons). Huge thanks to everyone else who submitted a design too – sorry we had to choose a winner!

An opportunity in the holidays

Now if you’re coming on tour to Germany, you won’t be free for this, but if you’re not coming with us you’ll need something to keep you musical, and this could be it!! Please see full details and an application form here if you’re interested: easter music course april 2018 final

We really need a tour t-shirt design!

If we are to avoid going on tour with t-shirts with some really rubbish bit of clipart that MissW finds on the Google Images, we need some more t-shirt designs to flood in from tour-goers! So far there has been a total of…. one.

Remember, it needs to be in one colour and as bold a design as possible. Must say Hayes School Music Tour 2018, and then either Germany or Deutschland, OR Saxony/Sachsen. Can be drawn by hand (preferably in pen so the lines are as clear as possible) or computer-generated (or a combination of the two).

MusicFest ahoy!

–

Entries are coming in thick and fast, and it’s going to be another humdinger of a MusicFest! The deadline for entries is Friday 2nd Feb. Entry form is here.

Just some forward notice:

• Performers can wear anything they like (as long as it’s decent)
• You will be sent a draft programme via email a couple of days in advance – please reply if anything needs to be changed
• MusicFest starts at 6pm and will be finished by 9pm.
• We will need an army of Music Leaders and other helpers to set up from 5pm on the day, and man the refreshments stall/ticket desk
• It would be great to establish beforehand who, exactly, will be on duty at the front to move mic stands/music stands etc. during the concert

This. Is. Amazing.

Alana and MissW have a love of the melodica… maybe we can persuade some others to love it too?!

This is rather good too.

All hail to the utter legend that was/is Freddie!

We are looking forward to welcoming Mrs West back next week!

Isabella in year 11 is gigging at Trinity Theatre in Tunbridge Wells on 27th January. We know she will be fabulous! For more info, you can ask Isabella herself, or see the theatre website.

Sign up for MusicFest

Thank you to everyone who has already signed up. If you haven’t yet, here is the link to the entry form.

Choir – learn the body percussion!

It would help enormously if everyone could practise this!

 

It’s great to hear some fantastic rehearsals going on for MusicFest items. If you haven’t already signed up, do it here. MusicFest is on Wednesday 7th February. 

If you are in any of the choirs, the choirs page (hover your mouse over ‘about’ at the top of your screen and you’ll see it) has been updated with this term’s songs.

Keep thinking about designs for the tour t-shirt. Send us your ideas!

What a difference a semitone makes

Just changing it from minor to major makes it a totally different song! Try changing your own pieces from major to minor (or minor to major) and see how it sounds!

Everything starts back this week, in the same time slots that they were in last term. See you there!

MusicFest is coming up fast!

This is on Wednesday 7th February. We want you to perform! Don’t worry if it’s your first time – take the plunge! Remember, you can perform anything you like (provided it’s not the sort of thing that will offend anyone) – pop, rock, classical, jazz, your own composition – grade 8+, beginner – it doesn’t matter. You can sign up now by filling in this form.

Tour t-shirt competition

Tour is getting close! Final payments are now due – parents have been emailed to let them know. If you are coming on tour, it would be a good idea to check your passport and EHIC card to make sure they have not expired!

We will be having orange t-shirts this year so that our 7-tour veterans in Year 13 complete their rainbow! But we do not yet have a design. This is down to you! We could all be wearing t-shirts with YOUR design on – competition now open (closing date 31st January). Here are the requirements for your design:

• Must contain the text Hayes School Music Tour 2018 and either Saxony or Germany (or, if you’d prefer, Sachsen or Deutschland)
• Design must be bold and one colour (it will be printed in black ink on the t-shirts)
• No boring treble clefs
• Have a think about giving it a German theme (but definitely no swastikas!)
• Can be computer-generated or drawn by hand

If you would like to submit a design, either bring it in on paper, or email it to MissW.

….and rest!

Have a great Christmas and New Year!

Rehearsals will start again on January 8th.

Please could Music Leaders come to a meeting on the first day back (Wed 3rd) at lunch, to make plans for the term.

Here are the videos from the Year 7 concert and the Christmas concert – huge thanks to Ben for shooting and editing these!

This lot are very clever… maybe a number for Boyvox for next Christmas?!??

Here are when your rehearsals are on Concert Day on Thursday 14th December. There will be all the normal rehearsals on Mon-Wed. 

On Thursday, you may not miss any lessons other than those indicated by what is on the rehearsal schedule.

The concert is at 6.30pm in the Hall. You can use CGD to put coats, cases etc. in.

You need to wear all black. 

When you are not performing, you need to be part of the audience – do not hang around in CGD or in the corridor (unless you are in the very next item).

The concert will finish at approximately 8.45pm. Tickets are £5 for adults (under-18s and over-60s FREE) and are available on the door. Members of Choir, Boyvox, and Showsongs need to learn all their words!  We will not be using copies in any rehearsals this week. Please see the Choir page (you can access this via the drop-down on the ‘Home’ tab at the top of this page).

If you are in Concert Band, remember we have the Hayes Free Church gig on Sunday! You have had a letter about this – see you there at 5.30pm for the service at 6.30pm. Friends and family are all welcome. Black outfits for this too please. Remember to bring everything you will need!

 

The next thing on our list of Christmas events is the Christmas Tree Festival at Hayes Free Church on Sunday 10th December. This involves Concert Band only but everyone is welcome to come along to the service, which is at 6.30pm. Concert Band members have had a letter with all the details on it, so you should know where to go, when to be there, what to bring and what to wear! As always, if you have any quality questions please ask!

The Christmas concert is coming up very fast! the rehearsal schedule for the day of the concert will be on NEXT WEEK’S BLOG. There will be a full day of rehearsals in the Hall on the day. On the evening itself, you need to wear all black and make sure you leave instrument cases etc. in CGD. You need to be at the back of the Hall being part of the audience for anything you’re not actually in, but be ready to come on when it’s your turn.

We still have two places left on our tour to Germany in April. Dates are 2-8th April. If you want to fill one of these spaces, you will need to come up with the money pretty much all in one go, so you’ll have to check that this is OK with your parents! The total cost is £540. Please see MissW for more details. 

Two things for those who have a place on tour already:

1. Check that your passport will not expire before the tour! Also check your EHIC card – although we have full health insurance for the trip, having a valid EHIC card makes getting hospital treatment much easier.
2. Be aware that the final payment is due in January (Jan 6th). This will be £340 if you have already made two payments of £100.

…really hoping that we might have a creative Boomwhacker item in MusicFest one day…!

This is another fab opportunity for woodwind, brass and percussion players, grades 2-5. Free trial of Pops Band next Wednesday, 6pm till 7.15pm. The pieces they are currently rehearsing include Can’t Stop the Feeling, Shut Up and Dance, The Sound of Music, The Pink Panther and I’ll be There.

Year 7 Concert

Congratulations to all Year 7s who performed on Tuesday, but especially to our winners:

1st place: Brooke Simpson (double bass)

2nd place: Ben Foster (trumpet)

3rd place: Olivia Wahl (saxophone)

Class 7WXA and Mr Bello with their performance of Four Five Seconds. 

And special thanks to our wonderful volunteers who performed while the judge made her deliberations: Harry Aldridge, Ben Frost, Hannah Martin, Alana Murtagh, Laura Mascarenhas and Ben Martin.

Hayes Christmas Lights

Thank you to everyone in Jamsesh who turned out on a chilly afternoon to play at the Christmas Lights! Special thanks to Emily for her solo in All I Want for Christmas Is You. 

The next few weeks….

…are going to be busy!

We have the Christmas Tree Festival on Sunday 10th December for Concert Band, and then the Christmas Concert on Thursday 14th December for EVERYONE who is in anything!

Make sure you are at all relevant rehearsals. Members of all choirs need to get learning their words! Hop on over to the Choirs page (accessible via the dropdown tab on the ‘Home’ button at the top of this page) for videos of all relevant songs.

Make sure that if you’ve got choir copies at home, you bring them to rehearsals!