The Bad Mood – Spitalfields Summer Music Festival

Posted on May 29, 2015 by thamesfriend

The Bad Mood, at Spitalfields Summer Music Festival on Sunday 7th June, looks like it will be of great interest to young music service users and their families. Free tickets are available for Tower Hamlets residents.

The Bad Mood is the second of TROUPE’s family concert series If a tree falls in the forest. It tells the story of HQ, a sonic nerve centre operated by a diligent team of workers. HQ sends and receives sound signals like clockwork, maintaining perfect order on the Grid – until one day, a Bad Mood arrives and threatens to wreak havoc on the system.

Exploring ideas around empathy and resilience, HQ and the audience try to cope with the Bad Mood every which way they can, from soothing to arguing and – ultimately – to dancing it off. Each stage is represented by a piece of classical music, including pieces by Ravel, Cage and Bach.

The Bad Mood begins with the audience (ages 7+) making their own sonic signal receivers in a workshop led by Ruth Paton, a theatre designer and installation artist who specializes in making work for and with children and young people.

The production is part of this year’s Spitalfields Summer Music Festival, and will be performed on Sunday 7th June, 12.30 (workshop beings at noon) at east London’s Rich Mix.

More information on our website, and free tickets are available for Tower Hamlets residents: http://www.spitalfieldsmusic.org.uk/get-involved/no-strings-attached/

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Big Band Treats at the Troxy

Posted on December 1, 2014 by thamesfriend

photo 1The SMC Big Band performed at the annual Mayor of Tower Hamlets Education Achievement Awards on Tuesday 25th November at the Troxy.
The repertoire on the night ranged from classic jazz favourites such as ‘Cantaloupe Island’ to the ska classic ‘Ghost Town’. The appreciative audience included the athlete Perri Shakes Drayton who was spotted dancing in her seat!
A fantastic evening.

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Crowd Out Performance

Posted on June 17, 2014 by thamesfriend

A new piece of music for 1000 people – including members of the THAMES Community Choir. Inspired by the roaring swell of a football match, Pulitzer Prize-winning David Lang’s new work invites you to step in among a chorus of singing, shouting, whispering voices. As the ebb and flow of music resonates around Arnold Circus and envelops you, lose yourself in the crowd and take your own journey through this powerful piece.

Saturday 21 June, 3.30pm & 6.00pm

Arnold Circus Bandstand

For more information see http://www.spitalfieldsmusic.org.uk/whats-on/summer-festival-2014/crowd-out/.

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THAMES friends AGM

Posted on June 16, 2014 by thamesfriend

Notice of the THAMES friends Annual General Meeting

DATE: Saturday, 28th June 2014
TIME: 09:30 – 10:30 AM
VENUE: Paper & Cup
St Paul’s Way Centre
83 St Paul’s Way
London, E3 4AJ
(1 minute walk from SMC)

Please attend and support your charity. Tea/Coffee and pastries will be provided.

In accordance with of the THAMES’ friends constitution, the trustees of the charity will all retire at the AGM, and will stand again for re-election as trustees by the membership.  The trustees seeking re-election are:
Justine Sacarello, Florinda Jovellnos Clark, Bob Fields, Patrice Clough, Nick Evans, Steve Givlin, Paola Malaspina, and Netty Yasin.
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We have been contacted about an exciting summer school opportunity run by Goldsmiths University, that some of the older SMC students might want to take advantage of.

The free summer school is open to anyone living in the London Boroughs and is particularly aimed at those who have no family history of attending university or for those still undecided about whether it is for them. 30 young people will be selected to participate and will experience teaching from professional musicians and academics, as well as the opportunity to work alongside Goldsmiths undergraduate music students.

Each session will work towards a final performance chosen from three main areas:

  • Composition/Songwriting
  • Chamber/Early/Traditional Music
  • Rock/Pop/Urban Music

This fully funded opportunity will provide a week of creative music making, developing skills as a performer, songwriter or composer. Intensive group practical sessions will be supported by daily sessions in music theory, aural and sightreading, as well as sessions introducing creative digital music, gamelan, film and TV music, and a taste of university-style lectures.

Participants need to:

  • Be 16-24 years old
  • Have a passion for music, have some experience either as a performer or composer and have a basic understanding of music theory;
  •  Submit an application
  • Be able to commit to the full 5 days of study at Goldsmiths (Monday 30th June – Friday 4th July

The deadline for applications is Thursday 5th June.

This is a fantastic free opportunity for young musicians and would gladly accept applications from your musical community.

For further information and the application form, please see this link: http://www.gold.ac.uk/schools-and-colleges/summerschools/musicsummerschool/ or contact:

Jade Whymark
Administrative Assistant
Admissions, Marketing, Outreach & Recruitment
Goldsmiths, University of London
New Cross, London SE14 6NW
T: +44 (0)2077173329
E: j.whymark@gold.ac.uk

Posted on May 25, 2014 by thamesfriend | Comments Off on Musical Summer School

SMC Musicians to perform with the London Symphony Orchestra

Posted on May 8, 2014 by thamesfriend

Sunday 11 May sees the BMW LSO Open Air Classics concert – an opportunity hear outstanding music performed by the LSO in the open air in the heart of London. For free! The performance will feature music by Prokofiev, and the orchestra will be conducted by Valery Gergiev.

Even more exciting – young musicians from THAMES SMC will be among the young people performing along with the LSO as part of the LSO Discovery Programme.

BMW LSO Open Air Classics will be on Sunday May 11 at 6.30pm in Trafalgar Square. For more information about the event see http://www.lso.co.uk/bmw-lso-open-air-classics.

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Raise money for THAMES friends while you shop!

Posted on May 7, 2014 by thamesfriend

Did you know that you can raise money to help  THAMES friends support music making, just by doing your online shopping? And it doesn’t cost you a penny!

By registering with EasyFundRaising, companies you buy from will donate a small percentage of what you spend to THAMES friends!

Just go to http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/thamesfriends/ to sign up, and whether your doing the weekly shop, buying presents, or booking your summer holidays, music making at SMC can benefit!

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All set for another term!

Posted on May 3, 2014 by thamesfriend

SMC starts again for the Summer term on 3 May – culminating in the Summer Concert on 12 July.

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THAMES friends Annual General Meeting

Posted on June 15, 2013 by thamesfriend

As parents will be aware, the THAMES friends charity has recently been set up to raise funds and help support the activities of SMC.

What you may also know is that parents and carers are members of this charity!

As a charity, THAMES friends has Annual General Meetings, which are an opportunity for the trustees to report to members on what’s been going on over the past year. Our first AGM will be on Saturday 29 June, and as members you are all invited. It is 9.30-11.00 at St Paul’s Way Trust School.
The agenda is available as: AGM AGENDA_final

If any member wishes to contribute as a Trustee to the continuing work to establish this important charity, they may put themselves forward for election at the AGM as per the constitution, which is posted in the About Us section. Contact us on enquiries@thamesfriends.org.

Hope to see you at the AGM!

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Spring Concert

Posted on April 27, 2013 by thamesfriend
Tuned Percussion

Tuned Percussion

Once again, the audience was treated to a marvellous Spring Concert at the THAMES Saturday Music Centre. The varied programme showcased some of the smaller ensembles, ranging from African drums to jazz, renaissance music to contemporary music, strings, brass, percussion, and lots more besides!

The interval is always an important part of the programme at SMC concerts! Cakes, were IMG_0991as usual simply delicious, and were generously provided by Simply Delicious (simplydelicious@e29ph.fsnet.co.uk).

The programme ended with a real treat. Supported by THAMES friends, Oompah Brass (http://oompahbrass.wordpress.com) have been guests at SMC over the past few weeks, playing with and inspiring some of our young brass musicians.  This inspirational brass quintet have played venues large and small wowing audiences with their Oompah-style reworkings of rock and pop classics, The Oompahs performed a few numbers, and the concert closed with the Tower Hamlets Massed Brass Enselble and Oompah Brass. Fantastic!

IMG_1010-cropped

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