Launch of Community Music Week in West Norfolk

Talented young musicians from across West Norfolk will have a chance to display their skills to a live audience next week.

Springwood High School will play host to the first West Norfolk Academies Trust community music week, running from Monday 4th to Thursday 7th July.  

A variety of themed evenings of entertainment will take place on a professional standard stage set up in the field behind the school’s gym, featuring a wide range of musical offerings to suit all tastes.

Although the event is being staged by the West Norfolk Academies Trust, which runs 11 schools in the borough including Springwood, the musicians and groups taking part are not just confined to Trust schools.

Other community groups including the Centre Stage Swing Band and West Norfolk Music Centre will also be taking part.  

Monday is jazz night, featuring a variety of groups including the Springwood High Big Band, and the East Angles brass band.

Tuesday is rock and pop night, with a selection of bands from trust schools and also the College of West Anglia.  

Wednesday is billed as a vocal celebration by West Norfolk Academy Trust schools, both primary and secondary, and will feature a range of groups performing a variety of pieces written across the Queen’s 70 year reign, to mark her platinum jubilee, culminating in a performance by a 200-strong choir.

The week’s entertainment finishes on Thursday, with band and orchestra night, with groups including the Springwood concert band, brass group and West Norfolk Winds all taking part.  

“We’re delighted to be able to stage this event, not just for the pupils of our schools but the wider local music community,” said Andrew Johnson, headteacher at Springwood and executive headteacher of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.  

“In the Trust’s schools, we really encourage children to get involved with music and the arts, as they have so many educational benefits, so after a couple of years when opportunities for gatherings and performances have been so limited, it’s wonderful that we can open our doors once again and put on something like this, for all local music lovers.”

In keeping with the spirit of the festival season, concert goers are encouraged to bring their own chairs and picnic blankets, should they wish, for the full summer music experience.