Young musicians from Benfleet Community Music Centre and Essex Marching Corp form a new partnership
On Saturday 19 March the Benfleet Community Music Centre hosted some members of the Essex Marching Corps. Over the past few months we have reached out to the local youth marching band organisation based in Benfleet to help build a working partnership in the community and help develop music learning for young people.
A small group of eight musicians from the band which included brass and woodwind players with Corps director Hayley Meagher joined our all in band (any member of the CMC who has lessons with us) to perform as a unified group of like-minded musicians.
The pieces played was a medley of the Theme from Black Adder, a march by Schubert and the Dam Busters march. The Essex Marching Corp members also played “Sweet Caroline” which the CMC members really enjoyed and joined in with too!
Fun and enjoyment was had by all, friends were made, future plans to play together again were discussed between pupils and lots of music was played.
This is not the end of our collaboration but just the beginning of a long term relationship and progression route for the children in our CMC and in the community. We are now hoping to get a bigger group from the marching band back and have some of their members having tuition with us and a playing opportunity for our pupils with them.
The whole group was led by our all in band tutor and arranger Matthew Wallace who has spent weeks planning and sending music back and forth and working so hard to make this event such a success.
For further information on this new collaboration and details on Benfleet Music Community Music Centre, please contact Brian Greenaway, Music District Lead, Essex Music Service by telephone on 0333 013 8953 or 07717 867476 or by email brian.greenaway@essex.gov.uk
For full details on all of our Community Music Centres offering after school music lessons and groups please click on this link
