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Encore Enterprises
Newsletter to Schools and Colleges
May 2024
Welcome to the summer term Encore newsletter. I cannot believe another year is nearly over – it’s been a jam-packed year full of amazing musical opportunities for our young people, with orchestras, bands and school concerts showcasing the fantastic musical talent in Herefordshire. We hope this final term goes smoothly for all - please do tag us into any social media posts @encorehereford and let us know what you’re up to, as we’d love to see what each school is doing. Have an amazing term and look forward to seeing you all back again in September!
The Last Repair Shop
I am going to start with a recommendation that you all try to find 40 minutes from your busy day to watch this heart-warming video. This is nothing to do with ‘The Repair Shop’ from the BBC, instead it is an Oscar winning documentary short, following the lives of some instrument repairers in Los Angeles.
It is the most beautiful documentary which explores the lives of those who work in the repair shop, the importance of their job, and it also gives a voice to those who have needed music in their lives to help them through tough times.
Please do grab a cuppa and enjoy this film about the people we often overlook and forget about…those who keep the instruments going when they are broken and unusable.
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xttrkgKXtZ4
Singing Zoom – Sing Up Day with Jo Lowry: June 2024
Sing Up are launching their annual Sing Up Day on Wednesday 26th June 2024, where all children are invited to learn the Sing Up Day song and come together on that day to sing. This is appropriate for all pupils whether you are in primary, secondary or SEND. Schools can video their children and send their recordings to Sing Up, but we thought it would be great to hold a Herefordshire mass zoom and send in our county-wide big sing!
If you would like more details, please email Jo Lowry (jlowry@encore-enterprises.com), we look forward to seeing lots of you on the zoom to sing together.
Other Singing News
We have had a busy spring term with our Singing for Wellbeing projects:
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The fabulous education team from Voces8 worked with nearly 300 of our year 3 and 4 primary school children delivering CPD, workshops and a Big Sing concert to a audience of over 100 parents. Even the Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire came to visit us! This project was a huge success and the feedback from schools has been incredible.
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The Official Wicked Education team worked with Key Stage 4 children, bringing the Kindle Centre to life with a workshop filled with all things Oz! The students looked at some of the key themes in the story line of wicked, as well as power poses and harmonies!
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This term the famous mezzo soprano singer Laura Wright will be running workshops across the community, including two for children. Laura will be headlining our 2025 Celebration of Singing Concert at Hereford Cathedral and is looking forward to getting to see many of our singing for well-being projects.
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Song Therapy sessions are now being offered out to schools, working 1:1 with children who may need help with self-confidence, anxiety, stress or just a general well-being boost.
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The new well-being choir at the Royal National College for the Blind is hugely successful and they are looking forward to working with musical maestro Mark DeLisser in June! The choir will perform their own songs in a concert as well as work with Mark on some of his own arrangements.
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We have a brand-new Herefordshire Youth Choir rehearsing every Saturday at St Nicolas Church in Hereford. Please get in touch for further information or to register for a free taster session: lisa@encore-enterprises.com
EYFS
Our EYFS lead, Wendy Wilson Goddard, has been busy leading our next round of EYFS training, delivering to both reception teachers/TAs and nursery teachers/staff. We would love all EYFS teachers to be singing with their children daily, as well as providing fun and inspirational music activities as part of continuous provision.
This year, Wendy has worked with 39 settings, delivering to 63 staff, helping them with singing and rhythm activities, as well as providing them with packs to set up continuous provision. She has used the DfE’s Development Matters document and the EYFS statutory Framework to help plan relevant activities and she explains how the musical activities relate to the various skills which develop in EYFS.
Wendy is currently delivering the last round of Sing, Move, Play for this academic year, but she will be starting again in the Autumn term, so if you have missed this training and would like to join in next time, or if you would like her to come to your school to give some bespoke training to your EYFS staff, please contact: info@encore-enterprises.com
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Live
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra will be performing and livestreaming its brand new Explore the Orchestra: Sea Stories Schools' Concert on the afternoon of Wednesday 22 May 2024. Designed with KS2 students in mind, these thrilling and interactive concerts will be presented by award-winning composer and conductor, James Redwood and actor/director, Lynne Forbes. Explore the Orchestra: Sea Stories will feature material that fuses symphonic music with the written word and will explore how the oceans have ignited the musical imaginations of many. The concert will last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
This livestream concert is offered to primary schools completely FREE OF CHARGE! and will remain available for 30 days after the event so you can catch up on demand. Bookings are now LIVE on their website – please see the link below (scroll down to find the Digital Livestream option)
https://bsolive.com/events/explore-the-orchestra-sea-stories/
Photos
If you have any photos of your pupils performing and you would like these to be included in future newsletters, please email info@encore-enterprises.com (with photo permissions please). We would love to see the wonderful performances that are happening across the county and know that there must be a lot of summer concerts and shows in the planning. We’d particularly love some musical photos from our secondary schools, so please do send them in!
