Culture Together Event

Newbury Town Centre May 12th

Gael Music, the organisers of Saturday’s large-scale event with support from West Berkshire Council enjoyed an excellent turn out from around sixty families whose children are involved with this excited new music project that is being delivered through schools. Shoppers were treated to street performances including an impromptu jam session with a local busker on Northbrook St. Instrument try out sessions in the market place were then taken up en masse by the general public and there seems to be a groundswell of public interest in the work that Gael Music, the Berkshire based music charity, is doing in local schools.

Gael Culture Together Ensemble

The Culture Together Ensemble performing live at the Newbury Corn Exchange

The project’s Culture Together Ensemble then performed to a full house at the Newbury Corn Exchange with members of the Southern Sinfonia and Berkshire Maestros. Sally Westman, a New York based session musician who was in Newbury for the day and saw to concert said afterwards “The standard of musicianship was incredibly high amongst children of all ages some of whom only started with Gael Music in September.”

Luke Daniels is Gael Music’s chief executive and said “It’s been marvellous day for children and music in West Berkshire, we now have active involvement from around sixty families in the events we have planned for 2012 and their children’s music making. It will be wonderful to watch and hear this growing ensemble of brilliant young musicians develop over the coming year through the public performances we have planned.”

The group also performed at Burghfield’s May Fayre on Sunday and provided free music workshops via their trade mark tipi. West Berkshire Councillor Carol Jackson-Doerge is the local authority lead on West Berkshire’s ‘2012 Enjoy’ schedule of events. She said. “I am delighted that children from across West Berkshire have the opportunity to perform at a range of events this summer, including Burghfield’s May Fayre. It was a real family event and an opportunity for everyone in Burghfield to enjoy a fantastic day in the sunshine."

Gael Music is a key partner in a creation of a new music education hub for Berkshire alongside (hub lead) Berkshire Maestros, Readipop and Culture Mix at a time when government funding for music in schools is being cut by 40% over the next three years and individual schools’ music offer will become a more important part of offsted reports. A range of schools, venues and providers are working as hub partners as a means of limiting the impact of these cuts upon children and young musicians in the region. For more information visit www.gael.org.uk  

Upcoming Culture Together Events include:

Newbury Corn Exchange Sat May 26th Free music sessions
Newbury Victoria Park Sun June 3rd Picnic in the Park
Newbury Corn Exchange Sat June 9th Free music sessions
Aldworth Sun 17th June Berkshire Giants Fest
Shaw House Sat June 30th Garden Party
Newbury Race Course Sat June 30th Culture Fest
Mortimer Sat 7th July Fun Day
Newbury Town Centre Wed July 11th Olympic Torch Relay

 

 

Contact Gael Music

P: +44 (0)1698 459 633

E: office@gael.org.uk

Earnock Glen
Hamilton
South Lanarkshire
ML3 8RF
Scotland