Primary Music Festivals are a series of concerts that have run in Surrey for over 25 years. They are highly regarded events in the school calendar with close to 100 schools taking part each year, joining forces to perform to packed audiences of parents and the general public at venues such as Dorking Halls. Many schools have sung with us for several years and some of the concerts are already full. However there are a few spaces left and we welcome applications from Primary Schools to join us in the 2020 concerts. If you have not joined us before and are considering joining for the first time we encourage you to take that step: in 2020 Surrey Arts is providing a vocal specialist to support a limited number of schools that would like some help in getting to know the music. We appreciate how difficult it can be to organise and staff the rehearsals and we hope that this may go some way to help. Our music co-ordinator, George Jones has responded to popular demand in programming ‘Jake and the Right Genie’ by Richard and Thomas Allain for the 2020 series of concerts.

Surrey Arts singing ensemble for 4 – 8 years olds, Singing Bugs, is moving to Woking Library from Saturday 9 November. The move from Woking Youth Arts Centre in Knaphill where Surrey Arts teach many music lessons including violin, guitar, clarinet and piano, is a great opportunity to develop music in the centre of Woking with the library.

The ensemble uses singing rhymes and musical games so children become aware of pitch, pulse, rhythm, volume and speed. Children learn the musical skills of listening, singing in tune and inner hearing while having fun and making friends. Classes use resources from the Jolly Music syllabus which is based on the principles of Hungarian teacher and composer Kodaly.

The ensemble takes place on Saturday mornings during term time Junior Bugs, 9.40 – 10.20am for 4 – 6 year olds and Senior Bugs, 9.40 – 10.40am for 7 – 8 year olds. The first term is free and £66 thereafter.

To join Singing Bugs please email surreyartsmusic@surreycc.gov.uk.

Educational not-for-profit organisation, Musical Futures is working with family run musical instrument retailer Andertons Music Co. to support Surrey Music Hub with a new music project that will aid more young people in Surrey to learn the guitar. 

Fran Hannan, Managing Director of Musical Futures said, “We are delighted to have been able to connect Surrey Arts with Andertons Music Co to facilitate a generous donation of electric guitars to support the new guitar programme at Surrey Arts.  We hope that that the instruments, coupled with our Musical Futures interactive resources for guitar, will help more children to enjoy making music together.”

Surrey Arts Head of Service, Sarah Lee said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for young people in Surrey to experience learning the guitar. We are delighted to be working with Andertons Music Co. and Musical Futures to provide the resources for high quality learning across the county.”

Jack Cooper, Digital Manager for Andertons Music Co. said “We’ve always tried to positively impact those close to home, helping to make music more accessible where possible.” 

Surrey Arts are delighted to welcome their new Head of Service, Sarah Lee. Sarah was previously Head of Service at Kingston Music Service for 10 years where she undertook a total service transformation increasing the number of people accessing activities and improving the profile of the service. Sarah has a broad range of experience in the Music Education Sector having previously worked as both a classroom and peripatetic teacher.

Sarah says, ‘I am passionate about providing our community with high quality and engaging Arts education and am excited about leading Surrey Arts into the next chapter. I am keen to help shape the future vision for the service so that we have a clear sense of direction and I want to engage with our stakeholders to design our services and activities around their needs. I am passionate about ensuring everyone in the organisation has a voice and can contribute to our strategic development so that we provide the best outcomes for our communities.’