City Music Centre (West)
All activities take place on Saturday morning at:
Blatchington Mill School,
Nevill Avenue, Hove BN3 7LF
Eira Percox, Team Leader, City Music Centre (West)
Childrens Music Workshop
This progressive series of workshops is designed for children in primary years' 1, 2 and 3. Their approach to active music making includes singing, percussion and movement and has been developed through our research into pre-school, infant and junior music making. Children will get the best from these workshops by joining at the beginning of year one, however the syllabus has been designed so that pupils can join at any time, especially at the start of each September. Each class has access to multimedia whiteboards which are being more widely used in the sessions through video, interactive visual aids and music technology programs.
Year One Children's Music Workshop
Date/Time: Saturdays 9.45, 10.15, 10.45, 11.30
Tutor: Mike Reinstein
These sessions aim to help children to enjoy singing and playing percussion instruments. There is a strong emphasis on practical music making and movement. There is also a gradual introduction to simple music reading.
Year Two Children's Music Workshop
Date/Time: Saturdays 10.15, 10.45
Tutor: Richard Baker
Through a series of projects, some linked to stories, the children gain confidence with their voices and percussion instruments. Children are encouraged to develop their own compositions and the introduction to music reading is reviewed and consolidated.
Year Three Children's Music Workshop
Date/Time: Saturdays 12.00
Tutor: Peter Walker
This course offers a wide range of experiences including improvisation and composition with percussion, singing with freshly created instrument parts and aspects of World Music including percussion from West Africa and Brazil.
Choirs
Everybody can sing! All children and young people are encouraged to join on of our Saturday Choirs. The hour long sessions will develop the voice, improve aural skills and enhance many aspects of general musicianship, all skills which have been shown to support instrumental learning. The choirs are open to specific age ranges and no audition is required. A variety of musical styles will feature in the several performance opportunities scheduled throughout the year.
Junior Choir (Year 4-6)
Date/Time: Saturdays 10.00-11.00am
Conductor: Peter Walker
Accompanist: Liz Tunmer
All children in years 4, 5 and 6 are welcome to join junior choir. The hour long sessions are great fun and culminate in a number of exciting performance opportunities during the year. A key focus for this choir is playing games to develop voices. A great variety of works from around the world are learned including songsin several parts.
Youth Choir (Years 7 and Above)
Date/Time: Saturdays 9.00-10.00am
Conductor: Eira Percox
Accompanist: Liz Tunmer
Instrumental Groups and Ensembles
These one hour sessions are designed to provide a series of opportunities for instrumentalists to develop their playing and knowledge of a wide range of repertoire. The classes complement and extend the activities that take place during weekly lessons and provide opportunities for young musicians to explore:
• part playing and developing ensembleskills
• sight reading and listening skills
• improvisation and compositional approaches
The classes are designed to provide a structured pathway of learning, for example 
STRING GROUPS
Cello/Double Bass Group
Date/Time: Saturdays 10.00-11.00am
Tutor: Emma Bright/Rob Lewis
Violin Groups
Date/Time: Saturdays 10.00-11.00am
Tutors: Diane Callender, Anna Huber/Mary Dansoh, Clive Morgan, Tessa Mukhida, Rowena Wilson, Heather Edwards
Cello/Double Bass Ensemble
Date/Time: Saturdays 9.00-10.00am
Tutor: Emma Bright/Rob Lewis
The string ensembles offer a greater diversity of musical styles and further scope for part playing, and provide a stepping stone to joining the Saturday String Orchestra.
Violin Ensembles
Date/Time: Saturdays 9.00-10.00am
Tutors: Diane Glover, Anna Huber/Mary Dansoh, Clive Morgan, Rowena Wilson, HeatherEdwards, Tessa Mukhida
SATURDAY STRING ORCHESTRA (Grade 2-3)
Date/Time: Saturdays 11.15am-12.15pm
Tutors: Emma Bright, Diane Glover, Anna Huber, Mary Dansoh, Rob Lewis, Clive Morgan, Tessa Mukhida, Rowena Wilson
This orchestra provides a first opportunity for violin, viola, cello and double bass players to join together to explore the wealth of music written for this medium. Young string players will be able to develop their ability to read music on sight and to follow a conductor. There will also be an opportunity for sectional rehearsals with specialist teachers. Additionally violinists will have the opportunity for specialist viola tuition. Applications are invited from string players who have reached a minimum of grade 2 standard.
BRASS GROUPS
Trumpet Group
Date/Time: Saturdays 9.00-10.00am
Tutor: Richard Baker
This group is for players within their first year of learning, and will consolidate and develop the activities covered during weekly lessons.
Brass Group
Date/Time: Saturdays 10.00-11.00am
Tutor: Eira Percox
This is for players of any instruments in the brass family who have been learning for about a year. This group provides a stepping stone to the Brass Ensemble and Wind Band.
Brass Ensemble (Grade 3-5)
Date/Time: Saturdays 10.00-11.00am
Tutor: Sarah Leeves
Here brass students will be given the opportunity to play pieces in four or five parts in a wide range of styles. This will further develop pitching, sight reading and general ensemble skills.
WOODWIND
Flute Group
Date/Time: Saturdays 9.00-10.00am, 11.15am-12.15pm
Tutor: Victoria Hancox
Flute Ensemble (Grade 2-4)
Date/Time: Saturdays 10.00-11.00am
Tutor: Victoria Hancox
Students will focus on further developing their ensemble playing in these classes. They will also be given the opportunity to study and listen to recordings of famous repertoire.
Saxophone Group
Date/Time: Saturdays 9.00-10.00am
Tutor: Howard Burchfield
Saxophone Ensemble (Grade 2-4)
Date/Time: Saturdays 10.00 - 11.00am
Tutor: Janet Hyde
In this ensemble students get the opportunity to play the different members of the saxophone family such as the tenor and baritone saxophones whilst studying music in a wide range of musical styles including contemporary composition, jazz and improvisation.
Clarinet and Saxophone Group
Date/Time: Saturdays 11.15am-12.15pm
Tutor: Howard Burchfield
Clarinet Group
Date/Time: Saturdays 9.00 - 10.00am
Tutor: Janet Hyde
Clarinet Ensemble (Grade 2-4)
Date/Time: Saturdays 10.00-11.00am
Tutor: Howard Burchfield
In this ensemble students will further develop their ensemble skills whilst studying music in a wide range of musical styles. They will also have the opportunity to play the different members of the clarinet family such as the bass clarinet.
Double Reed Ensemble (Grade 2-4)
Date/Time: Saturdays 10.00-11.00am
Tutor: Jenny Caws
This is for oboists and bassoonists who have experience of ensemble playing. A wide range of repertoire will be covered, ranging from Renaissance to folk tunes. The ensemble will take part in Music Centre concerts throughout the year.
Recorder Consort
Date/Time: Saturdays 9.00-10.00am
Tutor: Peter Walker
This class will develop recorder skills through playing ensemble pieces specifically arranged for this medium. Many different styles are encompassed from medieval to modern day. There are also opportunities for ensemble members to tryout different recorders and play percussion.
Recorders players are welcome to apply for an informal assessment with our recorder tutor.
WIND BAND (Grades 3-5)
Date/Time: Saturdays 11.15am-12.15pm
Conductor: Janet Hyde
Membership is open to woodwind, brass and percussion players. The band plays repertoire drawn from arrangements of popular, television and film music in addition to contemporary compositions written specifically for the concert band medium. The band performs in several concerts throughout the year. From the wind band, students can progress on to one of the City Orchestras and Ensembles.
Applicants may be asked to attend an informal audition.