Bradford children ready for Royal Albert Hall schools prom (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bradford children ready for Royal Albert Hall schools prom

11:00am Saturday 20th October 2012 in News By James Rush, T&A Reporter

Talented young musicians in the Bradford district are hard at work preparing to perform at the national schools prom at the Royal Albert Hall.

They are among more than 700 young musicians in Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees who will perform the piece for their keynote appearance at the Music for Youth Schools’ Prom.

An ensemble of young musicians and singers are putting the final touches to the piece in time for its first public performance in the capital on Monday, November 12.

The ensemble will be led by musician Joe Broughton who has been working with the musicians over the last few weeks to create the composition.

The performance will form part of the Bradford Education Music Hub’s autumn and winter programme, which started last Saturday with a concert at Saltaire United Reformed Church.

The programme will feature a range of events organised by the Hub, whose lead partner is Bradford Council’s Music & Arts Service and works to showcase the music, singing, dance, artistic and performance skills of children and young people from schools across the district. Tony Johnson, head of music and arts, said: “We are really proud of the young talented musicians, singers and performers in schools across the district.

“They work very hard on their instrumental, singing and dance. The Vivendi Sounds Bradford piece to be performed at the Royal Albert Hall will put the district on the performance map.”

The scheme was set up in the summer to develop greater access to music education for young people and work with a wider range of partners.

The programme started on Saturday with a joint concert by the Hammonds Saltaire Band, a partner of the Hub, and the Junior Brass Band, which is made up of 25 pupils at Bradford schools.

Meanwhile, the Schools Prom concerts are an annual event organised by Music for Youth which contain high-quality performances from some of the UK’s most creative, innovative and energetic young musicians.

A range of musicians and singers make up the performers for the Christmas Concert at Beckfoot School, Bingley, on Saturday, December 8.

And the Christmas Festival will take place at Bradford Cathedral on Tuesday, December 18, featuring Bradford Youth Wind Orchestra and the Bradford Youth Orchestra. The Junior Brass Band will entertain people as they arrive at the Cathedral.

Hundreds of pupils, teachers and parents are expected at Future House on Wednesday, December 12, for the latest Winter Art Exhibition.

This is one of a number of term-time events which showcase the artwork of pupils from schools across the district.

They tour Future House to see the artwork on the walls and take part in a celebration event.