Make Music Day @ Darlington Market Square - June 21

(Report by Russell)

A long day - the summer solstice, and a big day - a long-in-the-planning nationwide initiative to get as many school children as possible playing an instrument, singing in a choir or in some other way participating in making music. Durham Music Service embraced the idea to the extent that across County Durham and Darlington no fewer than, wait for it...17,500 kids took part! 

Darlington Market Square basked in welcome sunshine as several ensembles performed to an appreciative shirt sleeve order audience. Two sets caught the eye (ear) from BSH's point of view. County Durham Youth Big Band conducted by Shaune Eland presented a short closing programme at the end of a long day. 

From Mais Que Nada to Inside Out to the now familiar commissioned piece by Matt Roberts titled Steam Punk (that's the one with the train whistle effects!), the stars of tomorrow did themselves proud. Several members of the band will be well aware of local lad, trumpeter Matt Roberts and his rise to fame living and working in London. Perhaps one day some of them will follow in his footsteps.

Earlier, Durham Music Service's junior jazz ensemble - the Little Big Band (including no fewer than twenty reeds!) - was put through its paces presenting a balanced set of pop and rock numbers alongside a jazz standard or two. Stevie Wonder's Living for the City, Chicago's 25 or 6 to 4 (a challenging piece, the boys and girls of the orchestra certainly impressed the early evening crowd) and, one for the jazz fans, Just Friends. 

BSH readers know only too well that some of the young - and not so young! - musicians working across the region and beyond honed their skills at music colleges and conservatoires but the preparatory work begins at school and today's Make Music Day demonstrated that despite the damaging effects of austerity measures dedicated teachers can, and do, make a difference.          

Russell