Outreach Programme

AN INSPIRING EVENING RECITAL BY HAMPSHIRE YOUNG MUSICIANS
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‍Part of our Outreach Programme provides a platform for Hampshire’s best Secondary School musical students to hone their performance skills. St Mary’s Church Winchfield provided the perfect venue for their 3rd annual concert on Saturday 18th March 2023, hosted by ‘Friends of St Mary’s Winchfield’ as part of the Hampshire Music Service 22/23 concert season. It is a pleasure and a privilege to see and hear these young students play at such an advanced level and to see their confidence grow in front of an unknown audience.
Four of Hampshire’s best Secondary School music students performed a selection of pieces on violin and saxophone, ranging from jazz to classical movements. They all played with great confidence and flair and the intonation in the Bach E Major and A Minor violin concertos was admirably secure. The contrasting saxophone pieces by French, American, and British contemporary composers were performed with great virtuosity and panache.
‘It was a pleasure and a privilege to see and hear these young students play at such an advanced level and to see their confidence grow in front of an unknown audience.’ said Luke Jones, World Music Lead for Hampshire Music Service.  
Tristram Cary, Chairman of Winchfield Festival, said ‘The audience recognised the great dedication and commitment of these young students. The concert was a shining example of how our Winchfield Festival Outreach programme works alongside the Hampshire Music Hub to provide performance opportunities for Hampshire’s most talented students, and at the same time to encourage the appreciation of music in the Winchfield community. This concert was a nice prelude to the main Winchfield Festival which runs from 23^rd June to 1^st July – nine excellent and varied concerts at the height of the summer.'
This wonderful concert was presented by Hampshire Music Services in association with ‘The Friends of S tMary’s Winchfield’, a secular organisation created by local residents to support the fabric of the beautiful Grade 1 listed church and churchyard. https://www.stmaryswinchfield.org.uk‍

Outreach Programme
We are delighted with our Outreach Programme, now in its fourth year, which has the aim of improving music opportunities for pupils in our local schools.  We have partnered with Hampshire Music Services and have funding from our Benefactors, as well as an Arts Council Award for the first time this year, through a successful bid by Hampshire Music Hub.
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Class set of ukuleles provided with the David Kaye Award

Children enjoying drumming on the sets provided by The David Kaye Award

Our scheme provides funding for:

·      Specialist music teachers and additional music lessons for local Key Stage 2 School pupils, aged 7-11 years
·      The purchase of musical instruments to support this teaching
·      Individual awards to schools through The David Kaye Award which provides schools with grants for instruments, resources and training. ‍

Exciting new developments in 2022-2023:
·      Piloting a scheme to provide pupils with an introduction to playing flutes and clarinets
·      Providing an Orchestral Play Day. Nine schools took part in an orchestral workshop and concert, kindly hosted by Calthorpe School. Music provision has dwindled in state schools as highlighted in the 2022 parliamentary report “The Power of Music to Change Lives.” We are working hard to increase music appreciation and musical opportunities for the children in our community.

Hampshire Music Service has said: 'The exciting partnership with Winchfield Festival is now very well established and the outcomes for pupils have been quite extraordinary. Everyone involved in this wonderful Outreach programme has worked so hard. On behalf of the children of Hart, a huge ‘thank you’ from Hampshire County Council's Music Service, to the Benefactors and Winchfield Festival’s Education Outreach Team, for making all this possible.

Do get in touch if you can assist with the funding of our Outreach project. Please use our Contact page to email us. You can also add a contribution the The Winchfield Festival at the end of your ticket purchase if you so wish.‍