National Music Festival brings 17,000 young musicians and singers to Birmingham this summer
4-10 JULY 2010
For seven days this July, young musicians from across the country will take over the city of Birmingham, performing on the platforms of some of the city’s premier venues. Birmingham is hosting the National Festival of Music for Youth for the sixth consecutive year and helping the music charity celebrate its 40th Anniversary.
Now in its 40th year, this Festival is a national showcase that embodies the UK’s thriving youth music scene.
340 groups will perform live to audiences in venues including Symphony Hall, Town Hall, O2 Academy, Birmingham Conservatoire, CBSO Centre, Museum and Art Gallery and for the first time ever Birmingham City Football Club.
On Monday 5 July the event SCORE! will take place at Birmingham City Football Club and will bring together 5,000 young musicians and Singers. Taking place during the National Festival of Music for Youth and inspired by the Beautiful Game, SCORE! will be a new musical commission from composer Tim Steiner with words from performance poet and BBC Radio 3 presenter Ian McMillan.
There will be folk musicians, singers, steel pans, strings, samba, brass, wind and djembe’s all taking part.
“There’s a real buzz about the event” says Lincoln Abbotts, Chief Executive of Music for Youth “This is a unique, large scale event and it promises to be an inspirational, fun and unique day out for all involved and we’re thrilled that soul singer Beverley Knight has recorded a special message for the day” says Abbotts.
Many schools from across the West Midlands and further afield will be taking part and performers will have varying levels of ability, from individuals at the beginning of their musical journey via the Wider Opportunities scheme right through to musicians from the National Youth Brass Band, National Children’s Orchestra and the National Youth Choirs.
This event will make a fantastic addition to the National Festival whose line-up includes 12,000 young musicians and singers performing in choirs, orchestras, steel bands, rock, pop and urban groups, brass bands, music theatre groups, jazz bands and many more performing almost every possible style of music.
“The Festival is one of the world's greatest youth music festivals which really does showcase the breadth, innovation and pure talent that exists within young people’s music making in the UK,” says Lincoln Abbotts.
Following on from the success of the 2009 National Festival, the NYMO’s (National Youth Music Organisations*) will be at the Festival once again, inspiring the young performers taking part in the Festival. The 2010 Festival will showcase more workshops, conferences and brand new collaborative projects, including daily ‘Soundtrack of the NF10’ sessions where young musicians will work with a producer to create a one minute piece to capture the sounds of the Festival. “We want young musicians to realise the potential of being a musician. You can perform, produce, teach, collaborate, compose and create – and most likely a combination of all these” says Lincoln Abbotts.
This multi-layered Festival continues to develop with the ambition to reflect the imagination, energy and quality of music-making across the UK.
* The organisations that make up the NYMOs are:
- Training and performance ensembles
- The National Youth Brass Bands of Great Britain
- The National Youth Choirs of Great Britain
- National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain
- National Youth Jazz Collective
- National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain
- South Asian Music Youth Orchestra
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