Here is a short video of our first ‘Singing School of the Week’ as part of the hubs ‘Sing Yourself Happy!’ project and weekly broadcasts. You can catch these live on our Facebook page every Wednesday at 2.30pm here

Our first school is the amazing Sitlington Netherton Junior & Infant School where music and singing permeates the whole week. Thank you to Deputy Headteacher and Music Leader, Andrea Rosamond and all of the pupils for their great contributions. Check out the video to see what singing means to the whole school!

If you would like your school to feature then please get in touch and we will let you have more details.

FIVE VIRTUAL MUSIC CENTRES – SATURDAY MORNINGS FROM 9am

At WMS we are continuing to adapt and find new innovative ways of working. While we are not able to run face to face ensembles at the moment due to COVD-19 restrictions and guidance, we took the opportunity to go digital and offer many of our much loved ensembles virtually. These have been successfully running now for several months and are always looking for new members. Please see details below for each Music Centre which you can also follow on Facebook.

Whilst we cannot fully replicate the live face to face ensemble experience, pupils are able to connect with their Music Centre friends, progress with their ensemble playing and try out more advanced groups if they feel ready and comfortable to do so. Music Centre sessions are delivered via Zoom and are currently free of charge.

NEW MEMBERS!
If you are completely new to Music Centre activities and would like further details or how to get involved please get in touch with our Assistant Principal, Amanda Spalding aspalding@wakefield.gov.uk

Manygates MC Facebook

Pontefract MC Facebook

Outwood MC Facebook

Minsthorpe MC Facebook

Horbury & Ossett MC Facebook

 

 

 

Wishing everybody the best in 2021. Just to confirm that after the governments announcements we can confirm that WMS will be moving all provision and tuition online as soon as possible to ensure the safety of everyone involved. The WMS Team and schools will be in touch shortly with more details of online lessons. Some people sadly missed these opportunities last summer so please ensure that we have your most up to date details by emailing music@wakefield.gov.uk

All groups and music centres will continue to run as Virtual Music Centres for this half term. A big thanks to everyone that has worked hard to make these a great experience and to our young musicians for attending!

Watch out for other updates such as our forthcoming lockdown weekly ‘Sing Yourself Happy’ and ‘FitBeat’ Classes! Don’t forget to subscribe to updates and news notification on this website.

Many thanks for your continued support.

Phil and the WMS Team

Here’s the mass performance video of the Christmas Song for Wakefield 2020 ‘We’ll Make It Through’. The song was especially written by Phil Needham & James Lewis for the finale of the WMS Big Sing at Christmas that virtually brought many schools together from across the Wakefield district! This video features some of those recordings and is led by Wakefield ONEVoice Staff Council Choir! The performance also features special guests, Netherton J&I School Singers, Wakefield Youth Choir and Musica Holme Valley Family Pop Choir.

The song has a positive message about making it through the festive period and current times. Dedicated to all those people that cannot be together this Christmas and to those key workers that have helped to keep us safe over the last few months.

A massive thanks to everybody that took part in the Virtual Big Sing on Tuesday! What an amazing turn out and thank you so much for the support and lovely comments. Please join us on Thursday 17th December for the BIG PLAY live on Facebook at 7pm. Just click on the link to find the page and watch the broadcast WMS Big Play at Christmas

The event will be hosted by Phil Needham and Amanda Spalding and will feature musical contributions from young musicians, ensembles and schools across the district, including Wakefield Youth Orchestra. The concert will also be a celebration of all the fantastic music making and projects that have still continued throughout the pandemic over the last few months!

If you don’t manage to join us at the time you will be able to view the concert afterwards.

Wishing everyone a Safe Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

A Christmas Song for Wakefield

Wakefield OneVoice staff council choir are set to record a brand new Christmas song and they need your help. They would like as many people as possible to learn the song and then send in their video recording to contribute to wonderful massive festive recording! The video will be premiered live on Facebook on Tuesday the 15^th December at 1.30pm where the song will also be performed live by thousands of young people from schools across the Wakefield district!

The song ‘We’ll Make It Through’ has been specially written by Phil Needham (Head of the Music Service) and James Lewis (Council Choir Director) and has a real positive message of hope. It’s a song about Christmas this year with a theme that combines the isolation that many people have felt through the pandemic with similar situations that many also face at Christmas. The song takes you on a journey from cold to warmth, dark to light and really lifts your spirits. James and Phil had to fight off Sir Cliff, Sir Geldof and Mr Barlow who were all dead keen to get their hands on the song which they firmly state is staying in Wakefield – at the moment!

So how can you get involved? You can first of all listen to the song and start to learn it on the Wakefield Music Education Hub YouTube channel above. You can then email music@wakefield.gov.uk to find out more and register your interest and we will send out more details of how you can simply get your recording done and submitted even if it is only a short contribution to the song.

You can also join James and Phil for 2 interactive live Zoom sessions to find out more about the song and learn the song in a bit more detail. These are running for about 30 mins on Wednesday 25^th November at 12.30pm and 7.00pm. You can book your place on the link below:

12.30pm Session: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wakefield-song-for-christmas-tickets-128841046037

7pm Session: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wakefield-song-for-christmas-tickets-128842606705

It’s taken a while, a lot of hard work and you didn’t stop believin’ and eventually it’s landed! Another brilliant performance by young musicians in Wakefield from across 5 Music Centres as part of the Big Play 2020! Thank you to everyone that took part and the WMS Music Centre staff for making it happen and of course to Nick Park for knocking it all together. Well done everyone and hold on to that feeling’. Enjoy!

After the success of this year’s Virtual Big Sing throughout the summer term we have decided to run a WMS Big Sing at Christmas on Tuesday the 15th of December 2020 at 1.30pm. This will be broadcast live on Facebook and will last for about 45 mins and like last time will include some fun warm ups and guest appearances in addition to our festive ‘Big Songs’. The repertoire will also include a brand new song written for Wakefield which will be launched just after half term! There will of course be plenty of opportunities for everyone to share and celebrate their contributions on social media too before and after the event. please follow our Big Sing page on Facebook

Wakefield schools and choirs can now register for free here which will also give you access to a OneDrive with supporting resources so you can get learning a couple of the songs straight away!

Keep singing safely and keep smiling!

Phil and the WMS Team

NEW! FIVE VIRTUAL MUSIC CENTRES – SATURDAY MORNINGS FROM 9am

At WMS we are continuing to adapt and find new innovative ways of working. While we are not able to run face to face ensembles at the moment due to COVD-19 restrictions and guidance, we have taken this exciting opportunity to go digital and offer many of our much loved ensembles virtually. Please see details below for each Music Centre which you can also follow on Facebook.

Everybody should have now received an email about these brand new Virtual Music Centres. If you haven’t received an email about how to sign up then please check your junk mail or email aspalding@wakefield.gov.uk for further details and to check that we have your most up to date contacts.

Whilst we cannot fully replicate the live face to face ensemble experience, pupils are able to connect with their Music Centre friends, progress with their ensemble playing and try out more advanced groups if they feel ready and comfortable to do so. Music Centre sessions will normally last for 30 minutes and delivered via Zoom. Details below. All sessions will be free of charge until October Half Term 2020 until we can review the situation.

Don’t worry if you have missed the deadline for this coming Saturday as you will be able to enroll at any point by emailing the sign up documents by the close of play on a Wednesday. Please note you only have to sign up once to join the Music Centre for this half term.

NEW MEMBERS!
If you are completely new to Music Centre activities and would like further details or how to get involved please get in touch with our Assistant Principal, Amanda Spalding on the email above.

Manygates MC Facebook

Pontefract MC Facebook

Outwood MC Facebook

Minsthorpe MC Facebook

Horbury & Ossett MC Facebook

 

 

 

Here’s the brand new lockdown performance of ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ by talented young WMS string players and their teachers. Well done to everybody that took part to make for such a great recording! Thanks again to Mr Nick Park for putting it all together into one big video! #KeepMakingMusic