The inaugural Foyle Foundation Youth Fest saw Barnsley come alive with the sound of youth brass on Friday 28 June, as a number of school bands took the Barnsley Civic stage.
Produced with financial support from The Foyle Foundation, this non-competitive event focused on participation and enjoyment of music. Alongside traditional marches and hymns there were renditions of George Ezra’s “Shotgun” (singing included) and a medley of songs by Sheffield bands (affectionately called “Shedley”) from Sheffield Music Education Hub.
Our Chief Operating Officer, Sarah Baumann, commented: “What a fantastic day the first ever Youth Fest was! Hundreds of children took part, some of the bands giving their debut performance.. A huge thanks must go to The Foyle Foundation for their investment in this event. It was great to see so many young people enjoying music-making.”
Katy Jones, Principal Trombone of The Hallé, and MD of Meltham C of E Primary School, commented: "The children were surprised to see an audience as it was their first time performing outside of school. They were nervous and excited, but also happy and confident because they ‘worked together, played together and worked our socks off’. Thank You BBE for a brilliantly organised and welcoming day for everyone."
In addition to performances, bands took part in practical brass workshops led by the Brass Foundations team where children had the opportunity to learn some new exciting repertoire together. You can see some photos of the day’s fun on the BBE Facebook page.
Next year’s Youth Fest will take place on 4 July in Watford. To stay updated about entries, follow BBE on socials or sign up to the BBE newsletter.