Hub Wins Top Award

On Wednesday 14 March at a special ceremony in Winchester Portsmouth Music Hub received the High Sheriff of Hampshire's Award for its music education publication called It's CPR.

The songbook has been created to teach primary-aged children Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), and it brings together music and medicine to teach children the skills they might one day need to help save a life.

All the songs meet the medical standards required to implement CPR, and they have been written at the speed of 100 - 120 beats per minute which is the speed for giving chest compressions. Heartbeats Heroes, The Defibrillator Song and The CPR Rap are just some of the songs which are inspiring children, and it's the combination of words, music and actions that has produced such a positive response from teachers, children and their parents.

In the past year the songbook has been enjoyed by thousands of children in Portsmouth and recently other Music Hubs have started to teach the songs to children in their areas. The songbook is fast becoming a teaching tool which is used around the country.

Speaking at the Awards Ceremony on Wednesday Sue Beckett, Chief Executive of Portsmouth Music Hub said: "From the start our goal was to develop a songbook that had real appeal for children, that's always been the benchmark for the work we do and for all the songbooks we've composed in the past. However, It's CPR is different, it still has the music and lyrics that children enjoy, it's still engaging and exciting, but we've deliberately developed a songbook that has an important key message. It's a songbook that can change lives, a songbook with a social agenda, and we believe that developing cultural initiatives that impact on the wider community is part of our job; it's not just about creativity for its own sake, it can be about influencing and improving the world around us."

The Awards Ceremony, which took place in Winchester Great Hall, recognises the work of individuals and groups in Hampshire that make a difference to the wider society.

The High Sheriff, Mary Montagu-Scott, speaking after the Awards Ceremony, said: “The Awards Ceremony was a truly enjoyable occasion and I am delighted to recognise the inspirational work of Portsmouth Music Hub in teaching young people across Hampshire these vital life-saving skills through music education. The Hub provides a resource that both children and adults can use to save lives, which can make a valuable difference not only to the residents of Hampshire but much further afield. I congratulate Portsmouth Music Hub for their contribution in making Hampshire a safer place to live, keep up your fantastic work”

Soundsational!

Young people from schools, academies and colleges from across Portsmouth took part in a production of Soundsational at Portsmouth's Guildhall on Wednesday 14 March.

The cabaret-style annual event gives young performers from all over the city the chance to show off their creative skills. The evening included performances from Charter Academy, Priory School, King Richard School, Mayfield School, Havant and South Downs College, Springfield School, Trafalgar School, Admiral Lord Nelson School, St. Edmunds Catholic School and Portsmouth College.

The large cast had been rehearsing for weeks, and on the night hundreds of proud parents and members of the public were treated to a wide range of world-famous music, including hits from Adele, the Artic Monkeys and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Parys Reid, aged 15, from Portsmouth Music Hub's own Rock Band 'The Warriors' composed and performed 'Waste of Time', which was followed by the Band playing Blondie's hit 'Call Me'.

Children from Admiral Lord Nelson School performed songs from the hit musical 'Matilda', and the audience were given rousing renditions of 'The Smell of Rebellion' and a firm favourite with the audience and all the young performers 'Revolting Children'.

Catherine Brentnall from Portsmouth Music Hub said: "It's been a fantastic evening of singing, dancing, and performing live music, and all those who have come along to support the young cast have had the chance to experience a night of really high-quality music and entertainment. The young people in our city really do bring the stage to life with their enthusiasm and commitment, and the energy they bring to their performances is unforgettable."

SPECIAL CONCERT FOR HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN

Portsmouth University performed a very special concert for hundreds of local children at the New Theatre Royal on Wednesday 7 March.

The University students were there to rehearse and perform their production of Leonard Bernstein's world famous musical West Side Story, but the students decided to take some time out of their busy schedule to invite local primary schools along to experience an afternoon of live music. The University musicians performed music from Doctor Who, Harry Potter and the children's firm favourite the 'Lion King' medley.

Sue Beckett, Chief Executive of Portsmouth Music Hub, said: "There is something magical about leaving school for the afternoon and visiting one of the most beautiful theatres in the country, and we're very grateful to the University students for putting on such a great show. The children had a wonderful time, hearing familiar music and seeing a whole range of instruments on stage, and seeing all those young musicians perform together really does fire up the children's imagination. Portsmouth is a city rich with culture, and we're incredibly lucky to have such exciting opportunities for children and young people to enjoy."

The University of Portsmouth Dramatic and Musical Society performed West Side Story at the New Theatre Royal from 8 to 10 March 2018. To find out more about the Society visit Twitter @PompeyDMS.

Songs To Save Lives

Our Development Officer, James Pinney recently sat down  with Music Education UK to discuss the success and inspiration of Portsmouth Music Hub's songbook 'It's CPR!'. 

To find out how their conversation went please visit here.

City Figures Unite for National Charity

On Monday 5th February Portsmouth Music Hub, hundreds of local children and leading city figures, including the Lord and Lady Mayoress, took part in a special music video to support the national charity sign2sing. It was part of a week of national events to support the ongoing work of the charity, which helps fund projects that improve the lives of vulnerable deaf children and adults by helping them access support and advice. To see Portsmouth Music Hub's video click here. To read The Portsmouth News article about the event please click here..

CHOIRS, CAREERS AND ONE EXCITED CAT

On Friday 19 January Portsmouth Music Hub launched the latest addition to their award-winning series of songbooks.

'My Dream Job', written by Music Hub composers, is about the jobs and careers that we all imagined we would do when we grew up. There are songs about astronauts, firefighters, footballers and even a song about being a website designer. The songs are fun, engaging and are written to inspire a new generation of young singers and performers.

The Lord Mayor of Portsmouth and children from St. John's Cathedral Catholic Primary School took part in the official launch of 'My Dream Job' at the Guildhall in Portsmouth. The children performed one of the 19 songs which make up the songbook, and because one of the songs is about the life of a vet everyone was thrilled to meet Bombay the cat, who made a special appearance at the launch.

Sue Beckett, CEO of Portsmouth Music Hub said: "Our songbooks are original, contemporary and designed to support the educational curriculum. Most importantly the songbooks, which are a valuable resource available to schools in Portsmouth and around the country, are created with children in mind; using their imagination as a springboard to create inspirational songs that will, we hope, develop a life-long love of music and singing."

PORTSMOUTH MUSIC HUB ANNIVERSARY TOUR

Portsmouth Music Hub is celebrating its seventh anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion the music group Quintessential has been touring city schools, bringing live music and entertainment to hundreds of local children.

Quintessential is a group of professional musicians from all over the country who come together every year to give Portsmouth children the opportunity to experience the sights and sounds of musical instruments up close. This year the group were performing world folk music, which included a special clog dance, and the children were amazed by the songs performed and the variety of sounds that a musical instrument can make.

The whistle-stop tour around Portsmouth Schools was part of Live Music Portsmouth. This is a city wide campaign to bring the sounds of the orchestra to Portsmouth schools, and since its launch 18 months ago, thousands of children have had the chance to experience the classical sound of the orchestra in schools and venues across the city.

For the past seven years Portsmouth Music Hub has been bringing groups like Quintessential to Portsmouth as part of its ongoing mission to deliver musical and cultural opportunities for every child throughout the city. During this time thousands of children have experienced a range of concerts and events, from world-record breaking drumming to performances from the Royal Marines Band Service, from cultural carnivals to musicals about cats, and every day Portsmouth Music Hub delivers a range of opportunities to hundreds of aspiring young musicians to sing, play an instrument and perform.

Quintessential visited Portsdown Primary School, Springfield Secondary School, Langstone Junior Academy, Cliffdale Primary Academy, St. John's Cathedral Catholic Primary School and Westover Primary School.

Sue Beckett, CEO of Portsmouth Music Hub said: "It's been a fantastic few days of music-making, and it was inspiring to see the enthusiasm and excitement of the children as Quintessential performed. Portsmouth Music Hub, and its dedicated team of musicians, continues to go from strength to strength, developing new projects and events, and reaching out to new organisations to join us in delivering the very best musical and cultural opportunities for all the children and young people in Portsmouth."

SOLENT CULTURAL CONFERENCE 2017

Educational professionals and music teachers from all over the country came to the Portsmouth Guildhall on Thursday 2 November for the annual       Solent Cultural Conference.

Organised by Portsmouth Music Hub, the conference was attended by over 100 delegates, with representatives from ten different Music Hubs.  A team of twenty-five specialists from across the UK led a huge variety of workshops enabling delegates to explore new ways to deliver music and cultural education to children and young people. Topics included instrumental teaching, singing, drama, music technology, folk dancing, curriculum design and assessment, and there were workshops relevant to all age ranges, from Early Years to secondary.

Sue Beckett, CEO of Portsmouth Music Hub, said: "Portsmouth Music Hub believes that it is vital for professionals to continue to learn new ways to engage young people in cultural opportunities. This conference is an excellent opportunity for people to come together to share ideas and expertise, and provides inspiration for us all as we strive to transform the lives of children and young people through cultural engagement."