Concerts

Come to our concerts!

Concerts are held each term in large venues across North Devon. Each ensemble performs a selection of the works they have rehearsed during the term. All students are able to perform as members of one or more ensembles. Taking part in a public performance as part of a full-scale concert is a valuable and exciting experience for young players.

Parents, family members, friends and music teachers find these concerts enjoyable and are urged to come if at all possible. This is your opportunity to hear for yourself how well the students can play and to see how much they enjoy making music together. The concerts are also open to the public; please come along to hear good music played to a high standard by enthusiastic young musicians.

If you would like to reserve a ticket please contact us. Or you can buy a ticket on the door if you prefer.

Forthcoming concerts

The following concerts have been arranged for the 2010 - 2011 season:

Please put these dates in your diary.

Students should look at the news for members page on this website for details of rehearsal times and other arrangements.

Concert programmes

Our Spring concert in 2010 was on 24th March at the Queen's Theatre, Barnstaple. All the North Devon Music centre emsembles performed.

You can read the concert programme here.

You can also read the programmes of our previous concerts on 22nd November 2009 at the Kingsley School Theatre, Bideford and 25th March 2009 at the Queen's Theatre, Barnstaple.

Susa in Northern Italy, west of Turin, is an ancient town nestled in the foothills of the Alps. For over eight years Newport Community School in Barnstaple and several primary schools in the Susa Valley have been exchanging and to date several hundreds of children have visited each other's schools.

In 2008, the towns of Susa and Barnstaple officially twinned underpinning the project started by two teachers, one in each country. The project has now taken on another dynamic dimension with groups of like-minded people planning to visit each other to celebrate our relationship and to forge new friendships.

North Devon Music Centre took the opportunity to travel to Susa for a five-day concert tour starting on 25th October 2009. Two of our ensembles played three concerts in very prestigious venues, including the cathedral in the centre of Susa. One of the concerts raised money for the victims of the L'Aquila earthquake.

Twenty members of the North Devon Guitar Ensemble, led by Des Miles, played a programme of beautifully crafted contemporary music. The eighteen musicians of the North Devon Strings, led by Alicia Stolliday, changed their repertoire to suit each venue and included pieces by Purcell and Morricone.

The group including civic leaders had 50 participants and caused quite a stir in Italy! Downtime treats included a trip into Turin and shopping.

This tour was partly funded by a generous grant of £8000 from the Davie Barnstaple Trust, a charity set up to help local young people. We are very grateful for their support. A small ensemble of musicians from the Music Centre played a special thank-you concert in Barnstaple Guildhall to the trustees, including Mark and Michael Davie.

The chance to play to audiences in Italy was a fantastic and uplifting experience for young musicians from North Devon. Travelling to another country gives young people a chance to see other cultures and exchange ideas and views.

For further information please contact Frances Bell, joint coordinator of this visit via Alicia Stolliday, North Devon Music Centre Leader.

top of page