Next Events
Twango Newsletter September 2009
News Update:
Twango had a great musical time at the World Youth Guitar Festival in August. We went there with a number of young musicians from our Twango ensembles and came back all inspired to start a new exciting school year. For our new members, WYGF is a fantastic guitar festival, organised by a group of world famous guitarists who are enthusiastic about sharing their professional musicianship with the young generation of musicians. Nothing is more motivating for an aspiring young musician to be allowed to work with people who are touring the world giving concerts but who are also very approachable and love teaching. For the festival we stayed at Dean Close School, a private school in Cheltenham with tennis courts, swimming pool and a theatre, fantastic food and nice accommodation and spent the time with about 200 young guitarists from all standards of playing, beginners up to child prodigies or young university students, all working together and sharing their passion for guitar music. Our youngsters got this trip very cheap because of all the work we do during a period of two year to fundraise for the trip, so thanks for all who helped!
We are pleased to tell you that we are now running four Twango groups across the city. With the new term we will start a new Los Twangolitos group side by side with Twango Shirley. Both these groups will be rehearsing at a new venue at Shirley Junior School, 4.20 to 5.20 on Wednesdays. On the Bitterne side we will still be rehearsing with a Twango and a Los Twangolitos group at Bitterne Park Infant School, on Thursdays 3:35-4:45. New members are always welcome!
Meanwhile, a number of guitar events are planned for this and next term:
Important events for the Autumn term
You are invited to join us for a night out in Barcelona!!!
Bitterne Park Secondary School is organising a Spanish Evening on Friday, the16th of October, 7-9.30pm. The school hall will be turned into a Barcelona Street Market with lots of interesting stalls and a café. Our young guitarists will have the exciting opportunity to provide the music to create that Spanish atmosphere.
Twango players, please arrive at school at 6:30, ready for tuning. We will meet you at the main entrance and take you to our backstage room. You will be playing on stage with your ensemble while your parents, should they wish to stay, have a chance to wonder around the stalls, buy some early Christmas presents, or just enjoy relaxing in the café. There is a small entrance fee for those not playing. If you have an acoustic guitar that can be amplified and/ or an amplifier, please feel free to bring it along, as we will need a bit more volume if possible.
Become the future Gary Ryan and join us on our composition workshop:
On November the 4th we will be running our annual Autumn term workshop at Beechwood Junior School, 4:30 – 6:30. We will be guiding our youngsters to compose their own piece of music and develop their improvising skills. We will be asking for a voluntary contribution of £5.- per child at the door to cover the costs of running the workshop. Any extra money we make will go into the Twango funds and will be used to support our next trip to WYGF.
It is now time to start thinking about Christmas. We have the great opportunity to share our Christmas concert with the choir of Beechwood Junior School. For this event we have invited all guitar ensembles currently running in the city, all Twango groups plus Springhill and Beechwood guitar ensemble.
The dress rehearsal will be on the 26th November 4-6 at Beechwood School. Please arrive with time for tuning! We will be rehearsing together with the choir from Beechwood school.
Christmas Concert with big raffle!
6.30 to 8pm 30th November at Beechwood School. Please drop the guitarists off at 5:45 for tuning and seating. Any raffle donations: toys, Christmas things, toiletries, please send them in at rehearsal times for the teachers to collect.
A preview of what is to come in Spring:
Peter Nuttall workshop! Peter has written the Guitarist’s Way books and many of our guitarists are familiar with his music. He is an amazing composer for children and a fabulous teacher. He was the big hit at the WYGF so we have invited him to lead our Spring term ensemble workshop. Date and venue still to be confirmed, but make sure you don’t miss this one!
We are currently looking for more parents to join our parent committee. No, we don’t ask you to work round the clock, but we need some help to run the workshops and concerts and welcome new ideas at our friendly committee meetings. The next committee meeting is on Tuesday, 6th of October, 8:00 pm at 167 Manor Farm Road. If you are interested in joining us, please let me (Christiane) know, so I can get enough biscuits.
Looking forward to seeing everyone on our events
with kind regards
The Twango Team
Graham Cleaver, Martina Zuhlke, Ruth Perfitt, Christiane Charlton
recent Events
WYGF Aug 11-14th.
We had an end of term picnic with rounders.
We played at the Southampton School's Music Association Proms! Together with some members of the Southampton Classical Guitar Society we perfoermed Mela as a community group.
Friday 22nd May, joint Twango concert with Southampton Classical Guitar Society. Oasis school drama theatre, Lordshill (upper school site), 7-9pm. PLayers please arrive at 6.30. Entrance voluntary contribution sugested £3 adults, children free. Raffle.
Special rehearsal of Mela 123 at Bevois Town School, Wed 11th March 5-7pm
Twango (Palladio and Waly Waly) and Twangolitos (Mela?) play at the Southampton Music Festival, Sunday 15th March, Thornden School, 2pm
Twango/litos play Mela at Music for Youth, Thursday 19th March at Taunton's College, Hill Lane 9am.
On Saturday Jan 31st 2009, Twango held a one day workshop at the Underhill Centre, St John's Road, Hedge End. 12.30pm start, with a concert for parents at 3pm. We were delighted to have an inspirational visit from Chinese guitarist Xuefei Yang.
On Thursday 19th Novemember Twango and Twangolitos will be holding a chord workshop at Bevois Town School from 5-7pm, for members only.
On Friday 28th November Twango and Twangolitos will be giving their annual Christmas Concert at the Elim Church, Park Road, Shirley. We are delighted to welcome the Sherborne House Concert Choir to our concert and we will be giving a varied performance together, with the guitarists sometimes accompanying the choir. There will also be a raffle during the interval. Musicians/ choristers to meet at the venue at 6.30 for a run through - the actual concert starts at 7.30. There is no entrance fee to family members who wish to attend - we are simply accepting donations. You will get an opportunity to have a sing song to some of the better known carols. Refreshments will be served in the interval. Our thanks go to the Elim Church for their generous hospitality.
On Thursday 17th July 2008 Twango/Twangolitos held an end of term picnic at Itchen Valley Country Park, 4pm to 6pm. We also played rounders.
Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd of May saw Twango then Twangolitos take part in the Southampton School Music Proms auditions.
On Thursday 22nd May, Twango and Twangolitos and Kerrango and two other guitar ensembles from Beechwood and Bitterne Park schools gave a charity concert for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust at the Church of the Ascension, Cobden Road, Bitterne Park, Southampton. The concert raised £350 for the trust.
On Thursday 26th June Twango played with several other music groups at the SSMA Proms Concert at the Nuffield Theatre, Southampton University.
Then on Sunday June 22nd we held our Twango summer term workshop, with the world famous Eden-Stell guitar duo taking the workshops and ensembles followed by a public concert from 4.00pm until 6.00pm, with children playing in the first half and Eden-Stell playing in the second.