Education

Bath Philharmonia has a proud record of education and community work during recent seasons including working closely with Critchill Special Needs School in Frome and Three Ways, Hayesfield and Culverhill Schools in Bath. Further afield and often linked to Bath Phil performances, we have led exciting music-creation projects in many schools in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.

Education

Thanks to the ongoing support of Bristol Airport, The Joyce Fletcher Charitable Trust, The Ray Harris Charitable Trust and the Medlock Charitable Trust, Bath Phil is involved with a number of exciting projects serving children in the BANES, Somerset and Wiltshire areas.

Through a substantial grant from Youth Music, musicians from Bath Phil and students from Bath Spa University have begun a hugely exciting project aimed at a group of young people often unable to take part in any musical activity due to their responsibilities as primary carers to a family member. Listen 2 Us is a 8-month project involving BANES and West Wiltshire Young Carers, supporting them and encouraging them to create musical pieces which will then be performed at two showcase performances in Bath Abbey on 29th May (as part of the Bath International Music Festival’s “Party in the City” celebrations) and on 23rd September, as a pre-concert event before the final Bath Phil Summer Classics concert.

Musicians and animateurs from the orchestra will also be involved in projects linked to the Shaldon Festival (Devon) in mid June, Frome Festival (early July) and a special community project in Culverhay involving pre-school, mainstream and special schools along with the neighbouring Residential Home.

As a final contribution to a long and successful collaboration with the Bath-Kaposvar Twinning Association, Jason Thornton and Julie Payne will once again travel to Kaposvar, Hungary where they will hand over a brand new piece of “Soundbeam” Equipment (www.soundbeam.co.uk) which will facilitate music-creation with special needs children and adults in that community.

Community

A couple of weeks before Christmas, and at the request of Bristol Airport, a 10-piece string ensemble from the orchestra and a choir of students from Bath Spa University played and sang in the check-in area of Bristol Airport. Passengers and airport employees alike were treated to some wonderful seasonal and popular pieces and we were also able to gather donations for Children’s Hospice South West at the same time. From there, the players travelled to Brockley Court Residential Home – a home for elderly residents suffering from dementia. It was fascinating to watch what a profound effect these well-known pieces had on all those present – residents, staff and performers.

The final call was at Charlton Farm Hospice where we performed requests from the children, their families and the staff.

In February 2010, we were able to perform at the Launch Party celebrating 100 Years of flight in the South West (forward coaching lounge of Bristol Airport) and after then moving on to give a masterclass to the string-playing undergraduates at Bath Spa, we ended the day performing in the Atrium at The Royal United Hospital.

Quotes:

“.... a very special thank you for coming along to Charlton Farm to provide an absolutely amazing concert for us. It was truly wonderful...” Karen Willis, Head of Fundraising, Children’s Hospice South West

“Thank you so much for such a wonderful performance at the Royal United Hospital.... The atmosphere in the Atrium was completely altered by the music....It was the biggest audience the hospital has ever had for a performance...” Lucetta Johnson, Performing Arts, Royal United Hospital