Norfolk in tune with young musicians

Young musicians across West Norfolk are being offered a host of music-making opportunities as they return to school, with the launch of several new musical ensembles.

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Open to students of all ages and levels of ability, the groups are run by the West Norfolk Academies Trust in association with the Norfolk Music Hub, and include six ensembles – three string orchestras and three wind bands – with categories for beginner, intermediate and advanced instrumentalists.

​“Music is a fantastic hobby or activity, but what makes it even more enjoyable is when you do it with others,” said Robin Norman, Director of Music at the trust. 

“Each school in the area has its own musical group, and, for the last forty-plus years, there has been the West Norfolk Jubilee Youth Orchestra and the West Norfolk Music Centre, who continue to offer performance opportunities for people to come together.

“However, for dedicated ensembles aimed at purely youth members of all abilities, where students can come together from different schools, the only option has been to travel to Norwich for the groups run by the Norfolk Music Hub in association with the City of Norwich School. From September that has been corrected with a new set of ensembles run by the Norfolk Music Hub in association with Springwood High School and the West Norfolk Academies Trust.”

Held at Springwood on Monday evenings from 4.30pm to 8.30pm during term time, the ensembles are for anyone of school age and are split into different groups depending on ability.

“The whole project is being organised by the Norfolk Music Hub, who have a remit to give opportunities to young people to make music,” continued Mr Norman. 

“They will be running the evenings, and their team of professional tutors will be both running the groups and offering sectional tuition within the rehearsals.”

WNAT’s young musicians are also supported by four different Transition Ensembles, which operate for each of the Trust’s secondary schools – Springwood, Smithdon, St Clement’s and Marshland.

“As a trust, WNAT is committed to music education and to making playing an instrument available to all throughout our school communities,” explained Mr Norman. 

“This started with our ‘MITI’ scheme in primaries across the region, and also with our subsidised instrumental lessons – including 100 per cent funded scholarships – in our secondaries. We are just as committed to giving the opportunities to all to come together to make music. 

“One of the most difficult times for young people is the transition from primary to secondary, and so we have launched our ‘transition ensembles’ in all our secondary schools. This is with an aim to help young people make a smooth transition in their music-making, where they not only get to regularly visit the school they will eventually  join, but they also get to meet the teachers and also some of the younger students who they will be performing with throughout their time at the school.”

The multi-instrument groups are open to students on course to transition to any of WNAT’s secondaries, with groups for each meeting at the respective school.

“Each group will meet on a different night of the week at one of the Trust’s secondaries after school, at either 3.45 or 4pm,” added Mr Norman. 

“More specifically, groups will meet on Tuesdays at Smithdon, Wednesdays at Springwood and Thursdays at St Clement’s. There will also be a group being launched at Marshland with a day to be finalised.

“A member of the Trust instrumental team will lead each group, along with a music teacher from the secondary school at which the group is hosted, to aid with familiarity and transition.”

For information on the Norfolk Music Hub groups, see https://www.norfolkmusichub.org.uk/site/west-norfolk-ensembles-provision/ or, to find our more about the Transition Ensembles, contact Robin Norman on [email protected].