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Review
of the Year 2005 - 06
The
2005-06 year has been a challenging, exciting and very sucessful
year for teh Association. There has been considearble expansion
in both the scope and scale of NSBA's music education projects
across the UK. The Association has strecthed resources, both
human and financial, to lead some substantial outreach projects
benefiting many hundereds of young musucians and teachers in
England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. This years Festivals
have fielded the largest-ever NSBA massed bands and attracted
the largest-ever Festival audiences. The NSBA Conducting Masterclasses
have been oversubscribed and very welcomed by music leaders
and teachers everywhere. With project partners, NSBA have developed
strategies to enhance, refresh and develop the expertise and
skills of music teachers so that their work with children may
continue to prosper, to set new standards and qualities, meet
new challenges and to respond effectively to changing musical
needs in the yeas ahead.
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Suffolk
Festival
In
2005 NSBA opened the year with its first major Festival in January.
An NSBA Youth Wind Festival in the region had been an ambition
for many years and its confirmation was warmly welcomed by the
music staff and schools of Suffolk County Music Service. The Festival
quickly attracted young musicians from across the whole county
of Suffolk and the adjoining communities of Cambridgeshire. Childrenfrom
some 50 schools participated enthusiastically in the Festival
Day and Festival Concert held in St Edmunsbury Cathedral, Bury
St Edmunds on 29th January. The Festival Concert included fine
perfomances by the 200-strong massed Festival wind band directed
by Colin Touchin. The principal Festival partners were Suffolk
Youth Music whose South Suffolk Youth Concert Band provided the
first public performance of Three Suffolk Pictures, a
new NSBA-commissioned work for youth wind band by Colin Touchin
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Northern
Ireland
Meanwhile
NSBA has also been actively developing its interests in Northern
Ireland and Scotland and the result of this work was shortly to
lead to the biggest and most exciting Festival project of recent
times, the NSBA Youth Wind Festival held at the Diamond Concert
Hall of University of Ulster at Coleraie in April of 2005.
This
Festival featured a massed band of around 350 players combining
bands from the north-eastern region of Northern Ireland and the
west of Scotland. NSBA Festival pertners, North Eastern Education
& Library Board, Dumfries & Galloway Council and the University
of Ulster were dynamic and generous in their support to the Festival
and the other project events. The NSBA is delighted that the benefits
of an NSBA project could be so widely shared and so highly valued.
The Festival Concert was conducted by Nigel Boddice and the NEELB
Senior Wind Band presented the first public performance of a special
NSBA-commissioned work, The Giants and the Stones by
Isle of Lewis composer, Andrew Duncan.
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Swansea
Festival
Autmn
2005 saw NSBA present its third major project of the year with
its first ever project in Wales.Many schools and children in
Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot and adjoining communities took
part in this very successful project. Having taken note of wider
opinion regarding distribution of arts provisions in Wales,
NSBA's decision to focus the project in Swansea was strongly
supported, leading to a fruitful collaboration with West Glamorgan
Music Service and with the federation of Music Services in both
south and mid-Wales. The NSBA thanks them for their enthusiastic,
energetic and generous help, support and commitment. NSBA is
also delighted that the large NSBA Festival Band of this Festival
held at Brangwyn Hall, Swansea is now to enjoy an extended future
as a permanent new youth wind band for this region. This will
surely add considerably to the richness of musical opportunity
and experience for children in the years ahead. The Festival
Concert was conducted by Nigel Boddice and the West Glamorgan
Youth Brass Band presented the first public performance of Songs
Radiant Fair, a new compostion for young brass band by
Gareth Wood and commissioned by NSBA.
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NSBA's
one-day professional development Masterclasses in conductiong
and band leadership have grown in significance and stature in
recent years providing unique specialist courses in conducting
techniques for experienced and newly-qualified teachers, ensemble
leaders and aspiring conductors.
All Three
of this years Festivals have provided a one-day intensive Masterclass
led by the Festival conductor. At times, applications to attend
have exceeded facilities and resourses but the NSBA has continued
to encourage and attract the widest participation from teachers
in schools, local authority music services and federated regional
music services. These efforts have been rewarded by countless
expressions of gratitude from the participants, and also from
their employers, testifying to the rich diversity of stimulating
experinces,technical, musical, professional and personal which
the NSBA Masterclasses have provided.
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Youth
Music Workshops
One special
feature of NSBA's new music commissioning programme is its link
to forthcoming Festival, typically the intended context of the
first performance. Another is that the NSBA invites the commissioned
composer to further participate in the preparations for the
Festival through special Composer Workshops to the young musicians
in the region visited by the Festival. During 2005, our commissioned
composers, Colin Touchin, Andrew Duncan and Gareth Wood gave
their expert leadership to well-attended workshops in Ipswich,
Antrim and Neath. In June the NSBA's Executive Officer also
led a special NSBA Steel Band Workshop in London for children
and teachers of Suffolk schools.
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The
Future of our Programme
The
Trustees of the NSBA are greatly encouraged by the continued
welcome for NSBA across the UK, by its large audiences and community
support, by the acceleration of its activities, by the continued
growth and impact of its projects and by the evidence of the
influence and legacy of its work both regionally and nationally.
Particular thanks goes to the trustees of The Foyle Foundation,
The Garfield Weston Foundation and PRS Foundation for their
significant and most valued support to the projects this year.
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