Four Courts Connect Proms performance
On 27 November, seven young musicians from the Four Courts Connect project performed at the Music for Youth Proms at The Royal Albert Hall representing Hastings and East Sussex.
The young musicians attend weekly after-school Four Courts Connect creative community project sessions, run by ExploreTheArch early career facilitators. They explore music together through fun, accessible approaches offering agency in an inclusive, democratic environment. They learn to play different instruments and sing as a group.
The seven children who performed at the Royal Albert Hall from the group represented six local schools: Ark Little Ridge Primary Academy, Ark Alexandra Academy, St Leonards CE Primary Academy, St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School, St Pauls CE Academy and St Richard’s Catholic College.
The children played the violin at the Royal Albert Hall with 1,000 other young musicians from across the UK. The pieces they performed are part of the BBC 10 Pieces scheme which has recently been developed to include accessible resources for a wide variety of classical music (See bbc.co.uk/teach/tenpieces for more information). The participants performed the orchestral piece, Earth, by Hans Zimmer, The Colour of All Things Constant by Cassie Kinoshi and O Euchari, a plainsong by Hildegard of Bingen, arranged by Gabrielle Chudi.
The group travelled up to London by train and rehearsed on the day with a bonus afternoon break exploring the Natural History Museum before performing in the evening concert. Making It Happen funding supported the initiative through Hastings Voluntary Action led by community development worker, Su Barnicoat, with additional funding from Postcode Lottery Society.
Four Courts estate residents rehearsed the music to sing with the children at a joyous community concert following the trip – linking everyone in an event celebrating the connecting power of community singing.
The early career facilitators aged 16-27 years old are ExploreTheArch’s diverse Gen Z equality change-makers who have grown up in Hastings and St Leonards and who are forging careers in community arts and the creative and heritage sector to improve diversity in leadership.
Young musicians aged 6-14 years in the town with any connection to the Four Courts high rise community in Wishing Tree Ward, Hollington, or keen to connect with this community, can apply to join the free weekly sessions from January. All levels welcome including beginners. Email: [email protected] Read more about the Four Courts community arts project at fourcourtsconnect.com
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