Hello Musicians
Just a reminder that the Music Centre starts tonight at 5 pm. If you haven’t signed up yet it’s not too late! If this week is too short notice sign up and start next week.
Dear Parents and Carers,
I have some exciting news that we can go back to TBGS and have Music Centre Friday 11th September 2020.
As we know music rehearsing is best done together in person with our teachers and friends. We found rehearsing online a very different way of doing things and, although it still has a place in our plans, rehearsing and playing music together in person is so much better.
The trustees and I have been working hard with Torquay Boys Grammar School to complete a risk assessment for the music centre starting up again this term. In the table below I explain what changes have been implemented so we can open on the 11th September.
| Reopening procedure for TSDMC 11.09.20 | |
| Before you arrive | Please sign the new membership form online and pay membership fees by bank transfer. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd5HTqqt3ds71TKY–gkG7TczqdI09e-_urPqkrQCruIeAkDQ/viewform
There will be no paper copies of forms or calendar dates this term; it will all be sent online. Torquay Boys Grammar School (TBGS) are cleaning the rooms, toilets, and spaces we will be using after the boys leave school and before we go into the space. Following government guidelines if the student or anyone in their household is feeling unwell, have a temperature or are in quarantine please do not attend TSDMC. Students are required to bring a face mask or face covering to the music centre and to wear it inside when using communal spaces. TBGS boys who attend TSDMC and are already on site must come to the bistro where the TSDMC manager and staff will supervise the student in socially distanced year group bubbles to follow TBGS risk assessment guidelines. Students are not to use any rooms unless given permission from TSDMC staff. There will be no tuck shop or drinks available to staff or students for this term. |
| On arrival on site | Teachers to arrive for 4.30pm, check in, go to their teaching room to set up teaching rooms including ventilation and social distancing measures.
All Students to arrive 4.35pm onwards for a 4.45pm start in rooms. Students must not come onto site before 4.35pm. If students arrive by car they must wait in them until that time, if you arrive by bus or are dropped off please arrange with the TSDMC Manager where you need to wait if early. Please check in at the welcome desk outside the Bistro as all people attending TSDMC will be on a track and trace list. TSDMC staff will be using a contactless thermometer to test the temperature of everyone attending TSDMC. Anyone found with a temperature will be sent home straight away. Everyone will be asked to hand sanitize on arrival on site. |
| Getting to your music room | Some of the rooms we use have needed to be altered this year for safety/ cleaning purposes and to enable the correct social distancing of groups according to music mark guidelines.
We will be using three entrances into the building to avoid groups crowding in corridors, only the Concert Orchestra will be going into the Bistro hall as usual. Percussion and Reed Ensemble will use the entrance next to the Bistro and use the corridor to your usual rooms ER1 for Percussion and ER3 for Reeds. All other groups have had to be moved. They will enter the building up the outside staircase just past the flagpole by the main entrance. (you can see the stairs from the welcome desk outside the Bistro). The Flute choir are back in G4, a room they used to use as it is larger than the one used last year, but to get to the room students must use the outside stairs and go along the corridor. The Concert brass are in H1 first classroom on the right at the top of the stairs. The Youth Strings are in H4 the first classroom on the left at the top of the stairs. The Fast forward group are in H3, the second room on the left. Parents who normally stay with their children can do so if it is necessary for their wellbeing, but a drop off is preferred. All parents are asked to wear face masks at all times when inside the building and at the check in desk. Toilets are found on the top corridor for those students in those bubbles and the toilets on the corridor by the bistro for those on the ground floor. |
| In your music group bubble | Windows and some doors will be opened to give ventilation to each room, no matter what the temperature or weather.
On entering the music group bubble all people must hand sanitize. A register will be taken as usual and students will be given a music stand each to use. This will be labelled with their name and kept as the stand for them to use this term. No one else will touch this as it will go into individual cases in a group bag. Music stands will be socially distanced according to music mark guidance for different instruments. Music Centre teachers will advise on how to set the rooms up following latest guidance. Music will be given to students in a plastic wallet and it is their responsibility to bring it to all rehearsals. No one should share music, an instrument or touch each other’s music or instruments. Music teachers will advise on tuning, but students will tune their own instruments. Students of woodwind or brass instruments a bell cap needs to be worn over the instruments bell to capture moisture. Please contact your instrument teacher if you need advice on this. |
| Leaving the site | There is no second session of TSDMC this term. Music sessions will finish by 5.45pm and all students are off the site by 6pm to allow cleaners in.
Rooms should be left as they are found except the Concert Orchestra. Please leave chairs set out in the bistro hall, so the cleaners know which chairs students used. Students pack up their own instruments and music stands into cases. TBGS boys from each group are asked to help take music stand bags back to the storage cupboard as no one else is allowed in that department building (in accordance to TBGS risk assessment). TSDMC staff supervise these students from outside the building and provide hand sanitizer when finished. |
| After you leave | If you or any members of your household are ill with symptoms or are found to be positive for Covid 19 please contact Moira Devonport TSDMC manager immediately. |
| Remember for next week | Instrument
Music in plastic wallet Music stand if bringing your own to use. Face mask Drink |
Any concerns you have please email them to me so I can try to answer and reassure you that we have taken all the government, local music hub and music mark guidance into consideration before getting to this point and continue to follow changes in these recommendations and permissions.
For those students who attend our Fast Forward Group at Oldway Primary School on Thursdays,sadly we are unable to meet at the school at the present time.However we would welcome you to come to Fast Forward at Torquay Boys Grammar school on Friday nights.
I attach the planned calendar for this year below please note rehearsal times have altered at present, but dates, groups, contact and fee information are correct.
I look forward to seeing and hearing you play together again next week.
Best wishes
Moira Devonport
Dear Musicians and Parents,
I hope this finds you safe and well.
It would be our first week back at Music Centre this week so I am sending you an update as we can’t meet together in person!
At the moment, due to lockdown, we have to follow the government guidelines and stay at home. We do not know yet when the lockdown will lift for us or when we can meet again to practice and perform together but we know it will be at least 3 more weeks and it looks unlikely before half term.
However, this doesn’t mean that we have to stop music making!
I hope individually, you have time and space to practice your instruments?
Do you know of any online sites that are worth a listen to or have resources of free music to play along to or print parts? Please let me know and I will share them with everyone.
I’ve found some great music to listen to and even some music that is free to print at a range of levels so the whole music centre could play together. I have chosen three pieces from the site, one we did last term as the Orchestra from 6-7pm, but there are easier parts for everyone. (Please see the link below).
It would be great if you take a look at the site and see which parts you can play. This is for all groups and for all musicians in those groups. I will send more info soon when I have found out if we can play online together or we may have to wait til we are back at music centre.
Let me know how you get on with the site and if you need any help with printing music etc. It would be good to know if you try any of the pieces so keep in touch!
Best wishes
Moira Devonport
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces/get-creative-with-classical-music-at-home/z6tqqp3
If you click on this link and go to the Orchestral and choral arrangements and click on this. There are a good number of different styles and composers to chose from. Below are the three pieces I think we could look at individually then put together when we can. Or even record at home and edit together online! To hear the tracks and info about the composers follow the links on the site.
| Igor Stravinsky – The Firebird — suite (1911) (Finale) – Instrumental arrangements | Arrangements suitable for orchestral instruments, for beginners up to Grade 5. All parts have been designed to work together to enable mixed-ability groups to perform together.
Beginner/pre-Grade 1 Violin (open strings) | Cello/Double bass (open strings) Flute | Clarinet in B♭ | Oboe (or any mid-range instrument in C) | Bassoon Trumpet in B♭ | Horn in F (F and Bf fingering) | Trombone (or other bass instrument in C) Tenor horn/Alto sax in E♭ | Euphonium/Baritone Bass (or any large) drum | Glockenspiel Piano beginner Transposed score Grade 1-3 Violin | Cello/Double bass Flute | Clarinet in B♭ | Oboe (or any mid-range instrument in C) | Bassoon Trumpet in B♭ | Trombone (or any bass instrument in C) | Horn in F Tenor horn/Alto sax in E♭ | Euphonium/Baritone Bass (or other large) drum Piano Intermediate score Grade 4-5 Violin | 2nd Violin (based on viola) | Viola | Cello | Double bass Flute | Clarinet in B♭ | Oboe | Bassoon Trumpet in B♭ | Trombone (bass clef) | Trombone (treble clef) | Horn in F | Tenor horn/Alto sax in Eb Euphonium/Baritone | Bass in B♭ | Bass in E♭ (treble clef) | Tuba Bass drum Full score | Piano accompaniment |
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| Doctor Who Theme by Delia Derbyshire
(original theme composed by Ron Grainer)
NOTES FROM THE ARRANGER By Iain Farrington |
Available parts:
Flutes, Oboes, Clarinets, Alto Saxophones, Bassoons, Trumpets, Horns, Euphoniums, Tenor Horns, Trombone, Tuba, Bass in Eb Timpani, Percussion Violins, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses Guitar, Ukulele Piano |
For Beginner, Intermediate and Grade 4/5
Universal notes for all instrumental arrangements:
All parts have been designed to enable mixed-ability groups to perform together. A certain amount of simplification has been required to adapt the pieces for mixed-ability. A successful rendering of each piece would require the essential melodic material and bass line which are often in the Grades 4/5 parts, especially in the piano.
There are scores for each difficulty level plus three other scores for each piece: 1. Grouped according to ability 2. Grouped according to instrument type 3. ‘Short score’ in C, grouped according to ability
There are three ability levels – beginner, intermediate (Grades 1-3) and Grades 4-5. • Flute parts can be played by the violins • Oboe parts can be played by the flutes and violins • Trumpet parts (in Bb) can be played by the clarinets • Violin parts can be played by the flutes (except when in the lowest register) • The ‘percussion’ part is a beginner part and can be played on any drum. It adds a simple rhythm layer to each piece. Timpani and full percussion parts are for intermediate or Grades 4/5
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| Edward Elgar – ‘Enigma’ Variations – Theme (‘Enigma’), variations 11, 6 & 7 – Instrumental arrangements | Beginner/pre-Grade 1:
Violin | Cello | Guitar | Ukulele Flute | Clarinet in B♭ | Alto saxophone | Oboe | Bassoon Trumpet in B♭ | Trombone | Trombone in B♭ | Tenor horn | Horn in F | Euphonium Percussion Piano Intermediate/Grade 1-3: Violin | Viola | Cello | Double bass | Guitar Flute | Clarinet in B♭ | Alto saxophone | Oboe | Bassoon Trumpet in B♭ | Trombone | Trombone in B♭ | Tenor horn | Horn in F | Euphonium | Tuba Timpani | Glockenspiel | Snare drum/Triangle/Bass drum/Cymbals Piano Grade 4-5: 1st Violin | 2nd Violin | Viola | Cello | Double bass Flute | 2nd Flute | Clarinet in B♭ | Alto saxophone | Oboe | Bassoon | Bass in B♭ Trumpet in B♭ | Trombone | Trombone in B♭ | Tenor horn | Horn in F | Euphonium | 2nd Euphonium | Tuba Timpani Piano |
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The trustees and I have been carefully assessing the developments and I am writing to you to let you know of changes to rehearsals and concerts we had planned. All rehearsals and concerts are cancelled until next term.
Newsletter Autumn 2019
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- Newsletters keep you in touch with news and events at Music Centre. Please read and keep for a while, so you know what is happening. Keep in touch on twitter and Facebook.
• Please pay fees and return a registration form due for this term as soon as possible. If you pay by BACS, please also complete and return a registration form. All members need their parent or carer’s signed agreement to take part in Music Centre activities, which is why we need the completed registration form.
• Music Centre members should stay on site until collected at the end of your ensemble. Please do not leave the schools between ensembles, for your own protection and safety. If you change your normal arrangements, please let someone know!
• THIS TERM’S CONCERT is at the Centenary Hall on Friday 29th November at 7.00pm. This concert is for all music centre groups. Tickets will be available at the door and at Music Centre rehearsals. Please wear smart black trousers/skirt and white/coloured top with festive touches.
• Seating rehearsal schedule at the Centenary Hall on Friday 29th November:
4.30pm: Reed Choir (clarinets, saxophones and double reeds), 4.45pm: Flute choir, 5.00pm: Concert Orchestra, 5.15pm: Percussion, 5.30pm: Orchestra, 5.45pm: Youth Strings, 6.00pm: Concert Brass
Fast Forward group will meet Bistro Hall at 4:30pm, so that they can have a rehearsal with the Thursday Fast Forward group then head over to the Centenary Hall to set up for 5.15-5.30pm.
6.30pm: doors open for the audience.
7pm: Concert starts
• We would welcome contributions to the raffle at the concert. Could we ask you to bring a contribution to the interval refreshments? Biscuits, cakes, and savouries would be welcome. The Music Centre will provide drinks at no charge.
• Remaining rehearsals this term are on 8th, 15th and 22nd November. After the concert on 29th November, there will be a break until Friday 10th January 2020.
Thank you for your hard work this term and great music making! Have a very Happy Christmas, I hope you enjoy the holiday and we look forward to seeing you in January 2020!
Best Wishes,
Moira