Latest News
JUNE 2010
Newsletter
Read the Summer Edition sent to our Subscribers List. If you are interested in receiving an regular update, send David Ketley an email confirming your contact details or you can telephone 01270 569 975. Its a great summary of the events SCYM have been involved with and provides updates on how the performers are progressing.
Mr Edward Timpson M.P. & SCYM
We are delighted to report that Mr Edward Timpson, M.P. has confirmed that he will be presenting the awards for the Young Composer of the Year competition at our concert in Crewe Hall on September 10th, and he has also confirmed that he (and hopefully his wife), will be our special guests at our grand fund raising evening at Wrenbury Hall on November 19th. Mr Timpson has previously expressed great interest in our organisation and has said that he will help us in any way he can. SCYM is extremely grateful to him for his support.
MAY 2010
Support from Keele University
I have been in touch with Keele University and they have offered us the opportunity of attending a concert of our choice at Keele in their Autumn programme. They do have a wide range of top performers ranging from soloists to Orchestras, plus some top Jazz performers. More details later.
SCYM and the Citizenship Ceremony
Once again members of SCYM have been asked by Cheshire East Council to play at the next Citizenship Ceremony at Crewe Hall on 16th of August. This is quite an honour for us, and is an excellent way to bring SCYM and the young musicians involved to the notice of the many V.I.P's involved in the ceremony, plus a generous donation will be given to SCYM to further boost our funds.
SCYM Funding Exam Fees
We stated in our spring newsletter that we intended to help fund exam fees for as many youngsters as possible during 2010, and I am pleased to report that we have been able to pay the full exam fee for 3 young musicians this year so far, and we intend to fund many more throughout the year. So if you think that we can help you, just get in touch and discuss it with us. We always try to help whenever we can.
APRIL 2010
St George's day concert – Nantwich
Our recent St George's day concert was held in the newly refurbished Methodist Church in Nantwich on 23rd of April, which included performers of all ages and abilities as well as a guest appearance by Soprano Gemma Robertson who has been involved with SCYM for the last 4 years.
All the players and singers had a hugely enjoyable evening, and everyone was very impressed with the facilities at the Church as well as the excellent acoustics and lovely appearance of the large room.
Lots of thanks must go to Julie and Sarah Croft, plus the pupils of Wistaston primary School for providing the refreshments during the interval, and to Pat, Tracy and Charlotte who were in charge of tickets and the raffle.
MARCH 2010
Hough Village Hall Open Day
SCYM will be holding an open evening on Friday May 14th at Hough Village Hall. The evening starts at 6pm, and young musicians and their families and friends are invited to come along and play, listen, try a new instrument, or just chat and make some new friends and see how we at SCYM help young musicians in our area.
There will be some older members on hand to help, plus some professional musicians to offer advice to players and singers of any standard.
Food and drink will be available for everyone, and the evening will be very informal with some performances and lots of time to meet and chat to friends old and new. All past performers of SCYM concerts are welcome, and we would also be delighted to welcome friends and supporters of SCYM who are such an important part of our organisation.
JANUARY 2010
Newsletter
Read the January Edition sent to our Subscribers List. If you are interested in receiving an annual update, send David Ketley an email confirming your contact details or you can telephone 01270 569 975. Its a great summary of the events SCYM have been involved with throughout the year and provides updates on how the performers are progressing.
DECEMBER 2009
Laura Stubbs
Congratulations to one of our regular performers - Laura Stubbs, who has recently passed with merit, her grade 8 exam on the Clarinet. Laura is hoping to have a career teaching music and this result is a big step forward towards fulfilling her ambition.
Waitrose Community Matters
Lots of thanks to everybody who went in to the Waitrose store in Sandbach and voted for SCYM in the October Community Matters Charity Competition. We were the outright winners and were presented with a cheque for £540. Many thanks to Waitrose too for organising this very generous scheme to help local charities.
SCYM Christmas Concert at Hough Village Hall
On Friday December 11th the final SCYM concert of the year took place at Hough Village Hall. Although there were fewer performers than last year, those who did perform more than made up for the shortage of numbers by some great playing.
Once again we were able to introduce some new young players, most of whom were very nervous, but all performed wonderfully well, and even enjoyed the experience! A big thanks to Tom Seals who literally came from his sick-bed to play then returned after his usual stylish performance back to the warmth of his bed! A big thanks to everyone who helped on the night, and to all those who have given their time freely throughout the year.
Warmingham W.I. Dec 2nd
The Warmingham W.I. invited players from SCYM to perform in their local village Hall, and a small number of our players went along and entertained the ladies in great style. Although we were few in number, the evening was a resounding success, and all our players enjoyed themselves almost as much as the good ladies of Warmingham!
NOVEMBER 2009
Crewe Hall - November 26th
We were invited to play at Crewe Hall on November 26th at an evening meal organised by Crewe Hall, and 6 of our best young musicians entertained the guests throughout the meal and treated them to some superb performances after the meal, all of which was hugely enjoyed by a small but most appreciative audience. We held a raffle for a voucher for a meal for two at the Hall which was generously donated by Crewe Hall themselves, and raised almost £100 for our funds.
Wrenbury Hall - November 20th
Our first concert at Wrenbury Hall took place on November 20th and was a resounding success. The event was organised in association with Mr Desmond Mullock at Wrenbury Hall, and included a superb meal for 140 people served in the Orangerie. All the performers were also well fed in their own private room, and were royally treated by everyone at Wrenbury. We were delighted to have as our special guest the M.P. for Crewe and Nantwich Mr Edward Timpson, who kindly agreed to present the prizes to the winners of the lucky programme draw.
SEPTEMBER 2009
Capesthorne Hall
SCYM have be invited to play at Capesthorne Hall at their CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR on Saturday 28th November starting at 1.30pm. Performances will be in the Drawing Room at various times during the afternoon, alternating with the Grange School Choir. This is a wonderful opportunity to visit the house and gardens and hear our performers.
To read more about this event or to see what other events are held at Capesthorne Hall, please visit their website at www.capesthorne.com.
Orchard Studios
There may be the opportunity for young performers to demonstrate their instruments for a promotional film to be shown nationally. We're waiting to see if the contract is given the go ahead, but a BIG thank you to John and Alma for thinking of us. Visit the Orchard Studios website at www.orchard-studios.co.uk to read all about their recording studios or find out more about the CD SCYM recorded.
AUGUST 2009
Thank You Letter
Geraldine Hughes, Deputy Superintendent Registrar from the Registration Service sent a letter thanking the performers for their efforts at the Citizenship Awards. Read the thank you letter. (Pdf)
Committee Member Resigns
Sarah Raisbeck has resigned from her post as SCYM Secretary as she heads over to Durham to start a teaching post in September. So a BIG thank you to Sarah for her support over the years and SCYM wish her every success for the future.
SCYM at the Citizenship Awards
SCYM was asked to provide some musicians to perform at the Citizenship awards held at Crewe Hall on August 17th, both before and during the ceremony, and despite this being in the middle of the summer holiday, four of our members, - namely Jessica Adams, Laura Stubbs, Laura Moulton and Lydia Clarke were keen to perform at the event. Supported by helpers David Ketley, Tom Seals and Dave Dawson, the performances went smoothly and were much appreciated by all who attended the ceremony, particularly the organisers from the registrar's office and East Cheshire Council. A generous donation of £100 was made to SCYM funds.
JULY 2009
Nantwich Show - July 29th
This year SCYM were invited to the Nantwich show (which is largest one-day show in the country) to help entertain the crowds with a select group of our talented musicians. The weather was unfortunately exactly as predicted, (wet!) but despite the rain we were able to give four performances during the day using a large "Mornflake Oats" lorry as a stage. All performed extremely well under difficult circumstances and were supported by parents and senior members of SCYM. During the day two young volunteers went round with a collecting bucket, and managed to collect a total of £54, which was a splendid effort as they were up to their knees in mud before the day was over! We distributed hundreds of leaflets and talked to many people, and hopefully we have made some new friends and many more people aware of our existence.
Willaston Festival
The Willaston (Wirral) festival took place on 10/11/12 of July and SCYM were asked to provide some of our musicians for the festivities. We were able to help on the first two days, and Tom Seals went on the 10th to perform on the Piano in his usual inimitable style at their evening concert, and proved to be a great success. On Saturday the 11th, Jessica Adams (flute), and David Lee (Piano) played at the flower festival in Christ Church Willaston village, and performed many times during the day from 11.30am until 4.30pm. They were supported by David Ketley (who accompanied Jessica in some of her pieces), and grateful thanks must go to their families for taking them and supporting them throughout the long day.
APRIL 2009
Concert Visit
Competition finalists, with members of SCYM and their supporters were invited by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra to attend a concert at the Bridgewater Hall on April 28th. A coach was hired for the occasion, and 30 lucky people were taken to hear a wonderful programme of music in one of the finest concert halls in Europe. Everyone enjoyed the evening, and for many of our younger members it was their first ever experience of a classical concert. Lots of thanks must go to the BBC for supporting SCYM and giving us the 12 free tickets and the 18 extras at only £3 each.
MARCH 2009
Photo Shoot at Wrenbury Hall
In preparation of the concert at Wrenbury Hall on Friday 20th November 2009, SCYM founder David Ketley and some of the performers are off to the hall for a photo shoot to help promote the event. This truly will be an evening to remember and as the final details becomes known we'll let you have all the info, so watch this space!
Warmingham W.I.
The Warmingham W.I. have kindly asked SCYM to perform at their Christmas Concert on Wednesday 2nd December 2009. The concert will be held at the Warmingham Village Hall, more details will be provided once the arrangements are formalised.
FEBRUARY 2009
SCYM Supporting St Luke's
SCYM will be playing as part of the St Luke's event at Shavington Church Hall on Thursday 19th March. Everyone is welcome to attend and more information will be available in the Village Link.
Nantwich Show
SCYM have been approached to play in one of the marquees at our local Nantwich Show. This is a fantastic opportunity to play outdoors for our young musicians. We'll provide more details of location at the event closer to the day. Nantwich Show this year will be held on Wednesday 29th July for more information of the show visit their website at www.nantwichshow.co.uk.
Wrenbury Hall
Plans are a foot for a very special evening at Wrenbury Hall. The date for your diary is Friday 20th November 2009. More details will be made available soon. Wrenbury Hall is an idyllic country manor house set in the heart of the beautiful South Cheshire countryside, for more details of the venue please visit their website at www.wrenbury-hall.co.uk.
JANUARY 2009
Crewe & Nantwich Chronicle Competition Winners
The Chronicle once again supported our cause and ran a competition where the lucky winners received a ticket to the January Crewe Hall concert. The 3 lucky winners were; Chris Bunting, Natasha Malbon & Clare Swan.
NOVEMBER 2008
BBC Philharmonic Prize
The BBC Philharmonic have kindly offered all the finalists of the 2009 Young Composer's Competition the opportunity to attend one of their concerts at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on Saturday 28th March.
Together with this very generous prize, they have offered a further 18 tickets (for the same performance) for the nominal price of £3 each. We plan to organise a coach, so for (an estimated) £10 this will include transport to and from the venue and tickets for one of the finest concert halls in Europe to hear one of the finest orchestras anywhere in the world. The lucky finalists will of course be able to go at no cost to themselves.
More details will be available soon, but if you would like to take advantage of this fantastic offer, then please contact David Ketley on 01270 569 975.
OCTOBER 2008
St Luke's Hospice
SCYM together with the Shavington St Luke's Support Group are holding a concert on Thursday 19th March 2009 at 7.30 pm in Saint Mark's Church Hall. Everyone is welcome to come along and hear some great music and support the work of St Luke's. Visit the website to read all about the St Luke's Hospice.
SEPTEMBER 2008
SCYM supporting Harriet Grant
One of the performers at Crewe Hall recently was Harriet Grant, a singer who has never had a singing lesson in her life! As we consider her to be very talented, SCYM has arranged for her to have lessons with Gemma Robertson, and will fund her by paying for her first ten lessons. The announcement was made after her performance, and as Harriet had no idea that this had been arranged, the look on her face was a picture!
SCYM supporting Rhianne Abberley
One of our regular performers, percussionist Rhianne Abberley recently had to return her on-loan Vibraphone to Cheshire County Council, so another one had to be found quite quickly. Fortunately one was located in London which turned out to be a perfect replacement. However as these are extremely expensive instruments, SCYM decided to help, and a cheque for £500 was presented to Rhianne during the interval at the recent concert at Crewe Hall.
Christmas Concert
CONFIRMATION ~ on the 12th December 2008 SCYM will be holding their 1st Christmas Concert at Hough Village Hall. There will be plenty of Christmas tunes to sing along to and refreshments available so make a note in your diary. We'll let you know when the tickets go on sale.
Support from the BBC Philharmonic
The BBC Philharmonic have kindly offered their continued support to SCYM with complimentary tickets to Bridgewater Hall. These tickets will be offered as a prize for some lucky individuals. We'll make further announcements soon.
Waitrose Community Matters
Waitrose in Sandbach has started a new scheme to support local good causes by donating a £1,000 to the winning nomination every month. There are 3 good causes competing every month and we hope that SCYM will be one of them in near future. So if you're in Waitrose and you have the opportunity to vote for us, we'd really appreciate your support.
Congratulations
Two of our regular performers Ian Raisbeck and Katie Smallwood tied the knot recently and SCYM would like to offer our very best wishes.
AUGUST 2008
Christmas Concert
This year we are hoping to organise a Christmas Concert for our young musicians to participate in. Investigations are underway to try and find a suitable venue so more details will follow soon. If anyone has any suggestions, please get in touch.
JULY 2008
Performance at St Mary's Church, Nantwich
Two SCYM regulars, Ian Raisbeck and Katie Smallwood are giving a recital in St Mary's Church Nantwich on Thursday 31st July at Mid-day. They will be performing a variety of pieces including a trumpet concerto written for Ian by SCYM organiser David F Ketley which was premiered recently at an SCYM concert in Crewe Hall.
JUNE 2008
Discovering Brahms & Schumann with the BBC Philharmonic
Saturday 7th June saw SCYM musicians and supporters travelling by coach to Bridgewater Hall. The tickets were courtesy of the BBC Philharmonic, so many thanks. Everyone who attended had a fabulous time and there were plenty of requests for future trips.
MAY 2008
Premier Performance at Crewe Hall
Don't miss the premier performance of David Ketley's Clarinet Sonata at the next Crewe Hall concert on the 16th June. Jamie and Emma Spencer will be performing the piece.
APRIL 2008
Well Done to all Competition Winners
Our furthest entry this year came from Leo Geyer who is 15 years old and is from London. Unfortunately Leo wasn't able to attend the presentation evening or the BBC with us, however he did achieve runner-up in the Senior Section, so we forwarded his runner-up cup. We also heard that he has been accepted at the Trinity College in London to study composition - so very well done.
FEBRUARY 2008
Composer Competiton Entries With The Adjudicator
The entries for the Young Composer's competition have gone to the adjudicator, and there were 3 finalists in the Junior section and 4 in the Seniors. The results will be announced at the Ruskin concert on 24th April, when it is hoped to perform the winning pieces. Entries this year came from as far away as London, and once again the standard was extremely high leaving our adjudicator, the composer Colin Bayliss a difficult task.
Birthday Bash
Thanks to Mrs Royle for inviting members of SCYM to play at a birthday party held recently at Weston Cricket Club. Rhianne Abberley, Tom Seals and SCYM founder David Ketley played as a Jazz Trio much to the delight of the guests.
DECEMBER 2007
Wedding Reception
On the 23rd December, SCYM were invited to play background music during a wedding reception at Crewe Hall. The Delta Brass Quintet took turns with Rhianne Abberley and Edgar Thompson who played a variety of instruments including violin, vibraphone, guitars, mandolin and keyboard. Mrs Nott wrote a thank you letter stating the young musicians made the afternoon very special.
NOVEMBER 2007
Congratulations to Tom Seals!
Tom has been asked to play in Curshaws in Nantwich on Sunday evenings, and we at SCYM are sure that this will be just the first of many invitations to entertain the public in his own distinctive style.
BBC Support
SCYM are pleased to announce that the BBC Philharmonic are supporting our young composer's competition this year, and have invited the 6 finalists plus 4 adults to be present at the Manchester studios at a recording of a programme for Radio 3 which involves interviews with eminent musicians and performances by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
Thanks
The Barthomley W.I. gave the vote of thanks, and the president, (Mrs Goodin) wrote to thank all involved. She wrote, - "may I thank you most sincerely for bringing such talented youngsters to entertain us.... the concert was thoroughly enjoyed by the audience".
| 
