Music Hub Major Award Nomination

Portsmouth Music Hub has been shortlisted for the prestigious Major Award by the National Music Education Council.

The annual Award celebrates the work of music education providers and 123 music hubs based around the country. This is the second consecutive year that Portsmouth Music Hub has been shortlisted, and in February 2016 the Hub won the Major Award for its outstanding creative work in the local community.

Sue Beckett, CEO of Portsmouth Music Hub said: “This is exciting news for Portsmouth Music Hub. After winning the Major Award last year we were delighted to be shortlisted again. It's thanks to the commitment and enthusiasm of the Hub’s dedicated team, our partner organisations, local schools and most of all the children and young people of Portsmouth that we’ve been shortlisted. It really shows that Portsmouth continues to make its mark in music, education and culture.”

Portsmouth Music Hub was set up in 2011 and over the past 5 years it has gained the support of more than 50 partner organisations, ranging from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra to the Royal Marines Band Service, and this wide network includes dozens of local groups and music organisations.

Its mission, to bring creative and inspirational opportunities to play and perform for children and young people, and to help them develop a passion for music and culture, remains the guiding principle for the organisation.

The winner of the Major Award will be announced at the National Music Teacher Awards Ceremony in London in February 2017.

Special Christmas Celebration

More than 100 primary-aged children from 8 Portsmouth schools were part of Portsmouth Music Hub's Special Christmas Celebration concert taking place at Portsmouth Cathedral on Thursday 8 December.

The concert, which has been running for the past 13 years, gave children from mainstream and special schools the chance to work together to share their passion for music, dancing and drama, and joined by the Salvation Army Band it was the perfect opportunity to celebrate Christmas.

This year the children performed the familiar nativity story but with a twist.

'Not Such a Silent Night' is the story of Lenny the lamb who runs away from his farm in Bethlehem. Lenny soon realises that he's made a terrible mistake and decides to return. He's met by Bramble the puppy and they follow the star home to Bethlehem, meeting a donkey, a cat, a camel, several sheep and finally a host of angels along the way.

Catherine Brentnall, Senior Leader from Portsmouth Music Hub said: "The concert was wonderful, and it's fantastic to see children from mainstream and special schools coming together and performing with such pleasure and enthusiasm. Children look beyond different needs and different abilities, they focus on singing, dancing and embracing the fun of performing, and seeing the way they joyfully interact with each other reminds us all of the true spirit of Christmas." 

Lord Mayor takes to the Stage

The Lord Mayor of Portsmouth was the star act at a children's concert held at Portsmouth's Guildhall on Tuesday 22 November.

To the delight of a packed audience the Lord Mayor, Councillor David Fuller, gave a rousing rendition of the children's favourite The Grand Old Duke of York, and uniquely he played it on the kazoo! It was the final surprise performance at an evening of entertainment performed by more than 20 children who are learning to sing and play instruments with Portsmouth Music Hub.

The end of term concert gave the children the chance to showcase their musical abilities and for the proud parents in the audience it was a moment to celebrate the children's progress. Children and young people, aged from 5 to 17, performed a variety of musical numbers on a range of instruments including Abba's Mamma Mia, Beethoven's Ode to Joy and Andrew Lloyd Webber's world famous ballad Music of the Night.

Sue Beckett, CEO of Portsmouth Music Hub said: "It was a wonderful evening with so many fantastic performances from our young musicians. It's almost impossible not to be impressed by young people who show such commitment and passion for music. With the continuing support of the parents and teachers we hope the children's skills will go from strength to strength."

Music for the 5000

A pianist who can play three and half million notes from memory sounds like the right man to be part of a week of music and theatre, enjoyed by more than 5000 children from Portsmouth Primary and Secondary Schools.

On Monday 14 November, over the course of a week, Warren Mailley-Smith, the International pianist who recently performed all of Chopin's work from memory, a total of three and half million notes, took his musical group Quintessential to 16 local schools.

Thousands of children enjoyed a masterclass, with professional musicians showing off the range and sound of the flute, trumpet, violin and of course the piano. Warren Mailley-Smith even ripped open the back of his precious piano so the children could watch it work from the inside.

As part of Portsmouth Music Hub's Live Music Portsmouth campaign, which aims to inspire children and young people to enjoy a range of contemporary and classical sounds, children heard songs from Mary Poppins, the theme tune from the Indiana Jones movies, plus the classical sound of Purcell and the rag time hits of Scott-Joplin.

In the same week nationally renowned Image Musical Theatre performed an interactive version of Beauty and the Beast. The company toured local schools and hundreds of Primary aged children rehearsed with the actors, learned songs and gave a final performance of the hit musical.

Sue Beckett, CEO of Portsmouth Music Hub said: "This week thousands of children have had their cultural lives enriched by the expertise and enthusiasm of some of the best professional musicians and performers in the country. Our aim is to engage children's imaginations, and we hope that with a spark of inspiration a child will go on to enjoy a lifetime of music, theatre and culture."

Solent Cultural Conference 2016

Educational professionals and music teachers from all over the country came to Portsmouth's Guildhall on Thursday 10th November for the annual Solent Cultural Conference.

The all-day event, which has been running for the past 16 years, was organised by Portsmouth and Southampton Music Hubs. Workshops which included African percussion, composition, singing, samba and multi-media approaches to music, gave over 80 delegates the chance to explore new ways to deliver music and cultural education to children and young people.

With a packed programme of more than 20 different workshops the Conference focussed on a range of key educational themes including methods to motivate and inspire young people, ways to develop their musical technique, and the use of modern technologies to engage children.

Sue Beckett, CEO of Portsmouth Music Hub, who helped organise the Conference said: “Each year the Solent Cultural Conference allows professionals to come together to share ideas, debate, and experience new methods of teaching which we know can bring out the best in young people. Cultural opportunity for all children and young people lies at the heart of what we do at Portsmouth Music Hub, and having the chance to share common ideas, common experiences, and learn new methods to engage young people adds real value to what we do."

Classic FM Award Nomination - Cast Your Vote

The Classic FM 'Best Classical Music Education Initiative' Award winner will be decided by public vote. To cast your vote and to show your support for the ongoing work undertaken by Portsmouth Music Hub visit www.classicfm.com/music-news. The deadline for voting is Wednesday 30 November.

Classic FM and the Music Education Council have nominated Portsmouth Music Hub for 2 prestigious national awards which will be presented at the Music Teachers Awards for Excellence in February 2017. The Ceremony celebrates excellence in music and performing arts education.

Last year Portsmouth Music Hub won the Music Education Council's Major Award for Excellence. This year the Music Hub has been nominated again for its commitment to deliver musical and cultural opportunities to children in Portsmouth.

Classic FM has nominated Portsmouth Music Hub for its 'Live Music Portsmouth' campaign. The campaign aims to inspire young people to experience and enjoy classical music, and to expand their appreciation and participation as players and singers. In the past year more than 11,000 children have participated.

Portsmouth Music Hub was set up in 2011 and in the past 5 years it has collaborated with more than 50 partner organisations, including the Guildhall, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Marines Band Service, to develop young people's passion for music.

Sue Beckett, CEO of Portsmouth Music Hub said: "To be nominated for 2 important national awards is testimony to the hard work and dedication of the Hub team, local schools, partner organisations and parents. Working together we've been able to provide an open door for all young people in Portsmouth to experience a range of musical opportunities which we hope will lead to a life-long love of music.

Portsmouth Schools Experience Britain's Got Talent

If it's good enough for Her Majesty the Queen then a performance from the swing band Jive Aces was definitely good enough for 1700 children from schools from across Portsmouth.

Jive Aces came to national attention in 2012 after reaching the semi-finals of Britain's Got Talent. Simon Cowell called them "absolutely brilliant", and after the ITV show Jive Aces went on to perform for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, and took part in the Jubilee Celebrations in Hyde Park.

It's an impressive track record and on Tuesday afternoon (20 September) the band took to the stage at the Guildhall in Portsmouth to entertain hundreds of local children aged between 5 to 14 years.

Jive Aces is famous for its unique style of performance, and the children screamed with delight as they watched a piano being played with feet and a double bass being twirled and thrown into the air. The show included some famous songs, including the classic Morecombe and Wise hit 'Bring Me Sunshine', and the children sang the Disney favourites 'Bare Necessities', and with accompanying monkey noises, 'I Wanna Be Like You'.

Sam Brydon, a teacher from Milton Park Primary School, said: "The children had a fantastic time at the Jives Aces Concert. They were dancing in the aisles, and for some of the children it was their first opportunity to see a live band."

The concert was part of Portsmouth Music Hub's campaign 'Live Music Portsmouth'. The campaign is designed to give the City's children a range of musical and cultural opportunities.

Sue Beckett, CEO of Portsmouth Music Hub, said: "It's been a stunning concert and a fantastic way to engage so many children. Seeing the Guildhall packed with young people loving the rhythms and vibes of such a fantastic band was truly inspiring. We hope that concerts like this will inspire children to play instruments and develop a love of music which will last a lifetime."

The Year Ahead

1700 local children will be at the Guildhall in Portsmouth on Tuesday 20 September to enjoy a concert given by the nationally acclaimed Swing Band, Jive Aces.

Produced by Portsmouth Music Hub, the concert marks the start of the Hub's new academic year that will be packed with music, education, ensembles and major productions designed to inspire the children and young people of Portsmouth.

Sue Beckett, CEO of Portsmouth Music Hub, said: "We wanted to begin a new academic year with a really exciting event, something that is spectacular both visually and musically, and Jive Aces really will be unforgettable.

In the year ahead the Hub Team will, as always, remain committed to delivering the very best musical opportunities for young people. Our ensembles will go from strength to strength, developing children's skills and their passion for music. We'll work closely with our Hub Partners to bring exceptional opportunities for young people to enjoy, experience and participate in workshops and productions delivered by professional musicians and performers.

On top of that we'll continue to encourage best practice, inclusivity, opportunities and the pursuit of excellence in music education. It's going to be a very busy and exciting year."

In the next few months Portsmouth Music Hub will be hard at work holding Ceilidh Days in schools across the City. There will be the explosive launch of a new songbook for children called 'Sciencescape'. The Hub will be working alongside Southampton Music Hub to deliver the prestigious Solent Cultural Conference. There will be music theatre workshops, the launch of a new choir and rock band, and a whole host of special Christmas concerts.