City News

On Monday 5 July the event SCORE! will take place at Birmingham City Football Club which will bring together 5,000 young musicians. Taking place during the National Festival of Music for Youth and inspired by the Beautiful Game, SCORE! is a new commission from composer Tim Steiner with words from Ian McMillan, Yorkshire poet & presenter of BBC Radio 3’s The Verb.

Music for Youth has a 40 year history in delivering inspirational live events for young musicians to perform in and listen to and SCORE! is a great example of some of the ambitious projects run by Music for Youth.

Peter Pannu, Birmingham City FC Vice Chairman, said: “It’s fantastic that Birmingham City Football Club is hosting this World Cup celebratory event. We’re delighted that so many young musicians from across the country and in particular the West Midlands are coming to take part in SCORE! We wish Music for Youth every success on its 40th Anniversary.”

The whole day will be presented by BAFTA winning, cheeky faced CBBC star Barney Harwood. 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. We’re thrilled to have celebrity endorsements for the event from Stephen Fry, Alan Davies and soul singer Beverley Knight who have all recorded special messages for the day.”

Many musicians from across the West Midlands and further afield including Portsmouth, Plymouth, Sheffield, Southampton, Brighton, Manchester and other areas of the country will travel to take part in this mass celebration.  Performers will have varying levels of experience, from individuals at the beginning of their musical journey via the Wider Opportunities scheme right through to musicians from the National Youth Music Organisations.

“I’ve created an epic soaring tune which will sound tremendous with massed instrumentalists!” says composer Tim Steiner.  “I’ve arranged this so that as well as working in a huge setting, it will also work in a smaller environment. The piece will work like a football team, everyone has a role and knows what they need to do.  There is structure, but there is also a creative and dynamic flow of ideas.”

This event will make a fantastic addition to the National Festival where for seven days, 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.  The Festival line-up includes 12,000 young musicians 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.  

Now in its 40th year, this Festival is a national showcase that embodies the UK’s thriving youth music scene and Birmingham is hosting the National Festival of Music for Youth for the sixth consecutive year. 340 groups will perform live to audiences in venues including Symphony Hall, Town Hall, O2 Academy, Birmingham Conservatoire, CBSO Centre and the Museum and Art Gallery.