Another successful year for JAM students in the Jersey Eisteddfod.  Our congratulations go to the following students for their success:

  • Oliver Scott – Overall Junior Instrumental Award 2016, and Winner of the De Quetteville Trophy (piano recital) and Joanna Nelson Trophy (Bach class)
  • Emilie Edelenbos – Winner of the St Cecelia Guild of Strings Cup
  • Esther Cushen and Amy Creed – Winners of the Wendy Falla Piano Award (piano duet)
  • Rebecca Arthur – Winner of the Woodwind Trophy
  • Academy Flutes – Winners of the A.H.Langley Trophy (ensemble)
  • Rebecca Arthur – Winner of the Woodwind Recital Class
  • Isobel Lawson – Winner of the Ray Kitchen Woodwind Cup

Thursday 8th December 2016, 6pm, Liberty Wharf

The academy’s annual busking for the Christmas Appeal took place this year at Liberty Wharf, and over thirty children participated, initially with the strings led by Vanessa Moore and Emmanuelle Dumas, followed by the wind and brass led by Claire and Andrew Harvey.  This year’s busking and retiring collections from the concerts raised over £250 for the Christmas Appeal, well done everyone!

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Wednesday 7th December, 7pm

In addition to a wide range of solos and ensembles including the Junior Brass Ensemble, Cambiata Choir, and Trad Jazz Ensemble, this concert featured the first performance of the new VCJ Sinfonia, an orchestra open to all children in the school and bringing together the younger musicians with the most experienced musicians.  This performance consisted of a ‘graphic score’ introduction, based on improvisation and group collaboration, followed by Holst’s ‘Mars’ from ‘The Planets’.  Congratulations to all the young musicians involved in this wonderful concert.

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3rd and 10th December 2016

As part of the end-of-term events, students from the academy took performances out to the elderly in residential home concerts at Pinewood Residential Home and Palm Springs Nursing Home.

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17th November, 7pm

An informal platform to give all those preparing for ABRSM and Trinity grade exams the opportunity to try out their pieces in front of a friendly audience!

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1st November 2016

An informal platform to give all students entering classes in the Jersey Eisteddfod the opportunity to try out their pieces before the event itself.

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Our congratulations go to the following students for their success in this year’s Eisteddfod:

  • Oliver Scott – Overall Junior Instrumental Award 2016, and Winner of the De Quetteville Trophy (piano recital) and Joanna Nelson Trophy (Bach class)
  • Emilie Edelenbos – Winner of the St Cecelia Guild of Strings Cup
  • Esther Cushen and Amy Creed – Winners of the Wendy Falla Piano Award (piano duet)
  • Rebecca Arthur – Winner of the Woodwind Trophy
  • Academy Flutes – Winners of the A.H.Langley Trophy (ensemble)
  • Rebecca Arthur – Winner of the Woodwind Recital Class
  • Isobel Lawson – Winner of the Ray Kitchen Woodwind Cup

 

21st-22nd October 2016

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This large-scale educational project ran throughout 2016, and reached its climax on October 21st and 22nd at the Jersey Opera House.  The Jersey Academy of Music’s ‘Great War Music Project’ brought together hundreds of children and young musicians and involved many of the island’s schools, operating in partnership with Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester (one of the UK’s leading specialist under-18 music schools), and sponsored by the Jersey Arts Trust.

Children’s Poetry Commission

In February this year, primary school children in Jersey and Manchester were invited to write a poem based on ‘Life in the Trenches’, and over six hundred entries were shortlisted to just twenty from each location.  The Jersey entries were adjudicated by Paul Bisson from Jersey Festival of Words.  These shortlisted poems were sent to leading UK composer Laura Rossi, who had the task of whittling this down to just six poems in total, three from each location.  In early Summer, maestro Rossi set to work composing a new piece for childrens choir and chamber orchestra, and this was completed in July.  Four local schools joined forces to perform this new work, entitled ‘Remember Them’.  Children from Victoria College Preparatory School, Grouville School, Janvrin School, and Samares School, formed a large chorus, and rehearsed all term.  This work received its public premiere on Saturday 22nd October at 11am at the Jersey Opera House, conducted by eminent UK conductor David Lawrence. 

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The work was also performed at a schools concert given to a capacity audience of 550 primary school children on Friday 21st October at 1.30pm.  In addition to this, the forty shortlisted poems from Jersey and Manchester have been collated into a book.

Voices of Remembrance and Battle of the Somme

The second element to the project was built around the Jersey Youth Chamber Orchestra, the youth orchestra comprising the leading young instrumentalists on the island and run by the Jersey Academy of Music in partnership with the Jersey Music Service, and culminated in a public concert on Saturday 22nd October at 7.30pm at the Jersey Opera House.  Two large-scale works by Laura Rossi were performed.  The first, Battle of the Somme, was commissioned by the Imperial War Museum in 2006, and is specially written to accompany live video screening of film footage from World War One.  A giant screen filled the opera house stage, and the orchestra performed alongside the video screening, conducted by Stephen Threlfall, Director of Music at Chetham’s School of Music.

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The climax of the project as a whole is Laura Rossi’s Voices of Remembrance, performed in the second half, and this work intersperses atmospheric music for orchestra and choir alongside poetry reading.  The organisers are thrilled that Vanessa Redgrave will be part of this concert to read the poetry, ten of the most well-known poems from the trenches of the First World War.  The combined choruses of Beaulieu Chamber Choir and the Victoria College Choral Society will join forces with the Jersey Youth Chamber Orchestra and Vanessa Redgrave to bring this work to life, a fitting end to the project as a whole.

 

(photographs courtesy of Dasa Wharton)

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August 2016

The academy worked in partnership with Royal College of Music to bring together the third Jersey International Masterclasses, featuring outstanding music students from all over the UK and worldwide led by a team of internationally recognised professors.  This year’s teaching faculty included Leonid Margarius (piano ), Michael Kugel (viola), Mark Messenger (violin), Viktoria Grigoreva (violin), Maria Taracewicz (piano), among others.  Concerts took place at various places, including a dramatic concert in the Medieval Great Hall at Mont Orgueil Castle, pictured here:

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Local young musicians had the opportunity to participate in a weekend of workshops led by Mark Messenger, leading to a concert at the end for all to perform.

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Our thanks go to the One Foundation for their sponsorship in enabling the Under-18 programme to take place.  Plans are in motion for next year’s Jersey International Masterclasses.

 

Summer Music Course – Musique et Aventure 2016!


Monday 18th – Saturday 23rd July 2016, Jersey Academy of Music


The fun and inspirational summer music course, combining intensive musical study with fun outdoor activities, is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year!  Our excellent faculty of teachers will welcome all for an unforgettable week of music and adventure!  The course is open to the whole island and based at the Jersey Academy of Music, Chateau Vermont, and available for young musicians of all levels aged 9-17.

 

To celebrate our 10th Anniversary this year, one of the course days will be a ‘Secret Surprise Day’ which will involve all the course participants in something very special (parents will be told…but must keep it a secret!).


Each morning from 9am-1pm music tuition takes place, incorporating one-to-one lessons, chamber music coaching, and group workshops. All students will also be involved in Musicianship activities, with elements of Theory and Aural training.  All students also participate in instrumental ensembles, with daily rehearsals and coaching sessions. Concerts will take place during the week, involving both the teaching faculty and the students.





After the music is finished each morning, students can enjoy a picnic lunch on the lawn before the afternoon’s activities.  These will include Blo-carting/Kayaking at St. Brelade’s Bay, Lawn Games at the academy, an afternoon of swimming and fun at the Aquasplash pool with waterslides, and of course our Secret Surprise Day!


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FULL PROGRAMME 2016


Monday 18th July


9am-10am Welcome Presentation (for everyone, including parents, family and friends)

10am-1pm Music Tuition

1pm Lunch (provided)

2pm-6pm Swimming at Jersey Aquasplash


Tuesday 19th July


9am-1pm Music Tuition

1pm Lunch (provided)

2pm-6pm Lawn Games at JAM


Wednesday 20th July


9am-1pm Music Tuition

1pm Lunch (provided)

2pm-6pm Blo-Carting (or Kayaking if no wind!) at St Ouen’s Bay


Thursday 21st July


9am-1pm Music Tuition

1pm Lunch (provided)

2pm Free Afternoon

8pm Georgetown Methodist Church Concert


Friday 22nd July


9am-6pm Secret Surprise Day


Saturday 23rd July


9am-1pm Music Tuition

1pm Lunch (provided)

3pm Musique et Aventure End of Course Concert and Post-Concert Reception


COURSE FEES 2016

 

Full-Programme = £335

(ie music tuition, concerts, and afternoon activities)


Music-Only = £275

(ie – music tuition and concerts, no afternoon activities – but includes the Secret Surprise Day)


 

Application deadline with deposit – 30th June 2016.


Please contact us if you would like us to send you an application form.


Musique et Aventure 2011

 

 

 

9th July 2016

This large-scale annual event is for all children and their families who have lessons at the academy, ranging from the toddler classes right up to A-Level students.  The JAM Summer Fayre and Awards provides the opportunity for everyone to get together and have some musical fun!

Featuring musical stalls, food and drink, concerts, a raffle, bouncy castle, the event concluded with the presentation of trophies and awards to celebrate the dedication of our young musicians.  Congratulations to the following award winners:

  • Piano Award – Amy Creed and Ruben Maric
  • Woodwind Award – Tristan Geissmar and Tallulah Rogers
  • String Award – Emilie Edelenbos
  • Percussion Award – Esther Wilderspin
  • Brass Award – Jonathan Couriard

Huge thanks to all those that helped out on the day!