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Music

Musical News 2 – November 2024

27th November 2024Heather Morgan

We have had 25% of our school community performing in concerts and gigs - it has been an incredible week of celebration.

Six performances in 5 days this week. Concert Band, Junior Wind Band, Brass, Saxidentals, Rock Bands, guitars, all our Larch choirs and ensembles, our senior choirs and singers.

The quality has once again been outstanding, and the stories of nerves, inclusion, smiles, opportunity, team work, joy, community and incredible music has been a joy to be part of.

Few schools in the country have this number of students involved performing to such a high standard. What students get from being part of this cannot easily be described.

A school is built on a community. What an amazing all-through musical community we are.

We are really proud of what our students achieve!

Mark Taylor

Director of Music

Musical News – November 2024

15th November 2024Heather Morgan

We are now in concert season. Concerts, gigs, performances, celebrations. Hundreds of musicians, thousands in the audience. All celebrating our musicians and Simon Balle Music.

Do come and hear what our musicians achieve. Details are below. Being a musicians is about working together, being a team, creating music for others to hear and celebrate. All that work comes together in a beautiful performance.

We must not forget our Carol Services. Amazing community events. Do put the dates in your diaries - once again All Saints' Church will be hosting us.

Stay in touch, help us continue to work together and I hope to see you very soon. Remember, you are part of Team Music as well!

Mark Taylor, Director of Music.

Musical News – October 2024

24th October 2024Heather Morgan

Music is certainly alive at Simon Balle - creating lifelong musicians!

We are so proud of all our musicians - those that joined us this term and those who are working so hard, continuing on their musical journey with us. Our ethos is clear - the more you put in the more you can get out. With practice, with support from home, with a mindset to 'do your best', we can achieve brilliant things, together.

I've been at Simon Balle a long time. This triangle of support and working together is so important and has never changed. Our youngest musicians cannot make progress without support and expectations to practice at home, every week, celebrating every achievement. Our older musicians need nagging, need the support and need to understand their musical pathway so they continue to succeed in music within their busy lives. All students need support and for us to work together. We can't do this for you at home!

Next half term is another time to celebrate our musicians through so many performances. Please have a look at our What's On page and ensure you are ready and have the dates in your diary. We celebrate together - as Team Music. Well, are we not all a musical team and community?

Keep enjoying the music!

Mark Taylor, Director of Music

A large part of our Sixth Form musical experience is our Advanced Musician’s Programme.

AMP is all about high expectations, excellent support and great opportunities in every aspect of our musical learning.

Musicians are expected to embrace the opportunities we offer, including:
◾ Masterclasses
◾ Workshops
◾ Weekly ensembles
◾ Concerts and recitals
◾ Performances out of school
◾ Working with younger musicians
◾ Having opportunities to experience the Guildhall Young Musicians in London (part of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama)
◾Working with the Royal Northern College of Music

This month, our Sixth Form Advanced Musician's had the opportunity to work with Professor Andy Stott, the Head of Popular Music at the Royal Northern College of Music @rncmlive and a group of Year 2 musicians.

During this incredible experience, our students enjoyed live performances, heard about life at a Conservatoire before engaging in song writing workshop.

Our students also had the opportunity to perform and gain feedback to support their own development.

New applicants interested in being part of Team Music at Simon Balle All-through School, are recommended to Register their interest in joining the Sixth Form. You will be invited to join our rehearsals and concerts to experience first hand how amazing our music is. Changing schools can be daunting, so supporting you to already be part of @simonballemusic is very important to us. We will meet with you as part of the interview process and ensure that we can support your individual musical pathway.

Staying connected throughout is vital for musical progression and to start feeling part of Team Music. Click the banner below to read more about Music in the Sixth Form at SBAS - including our Advanced Musicians Programme.

Musical News – June 2024

28th June 2024Heather Morgan

It is always amazing to be part of performances and celebration at this time of year, showcasing what our musicians are achieving. Saffron Hall is next weekend, along with a Yr 2/3 showcase on Tuesday. Oh, and then 120 exams, and a tour. Our team most certainly go above and beyond to create outstanding opportunities for our musicians. If you see one of us asleep in the corner, don't disturb!!

I have one favour to ask everyone. Each time you are proud, tell them! Listen to exam pieces, take a moment. We are all very busy in life, but we should not be too busy to support our young musicians and have a listen to celebrate!

Keep enjoying the music!

Mark Taylor, Director of Music

To finish the year of Rock School, we had our summer gig at the Southern Maltings!

Students performed and played brilliantly, despite the heat! It's really incredible to watch the bands grow in confidence as the year progresses, so we are really excited to see what September holds!

Please see the full set of dates, including the Rock Gigs for next year here: https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/music/rock-school/

It has been an amazing year of Rock School, thank you to the staff who dedicate their time to supporting students and bands, and thank you to the students who are committed to rehearsals! All of your hard work pays off!

Musical News – May 2024

23rd May 2024Heather Morgan

What is incredible about music at Simon Balle is the enthusiasm and musicality of our students. We have so many musicians wanting to be part of Team Music. Hard work, practice and support from home will ensure that students thrive and achieve their potential. I realise I might have said this many times in the past, but with our busy lives, we need more reminding of this than we used to have.

Our musicians are at the heart of what we achieve, with your support. We are a team. We need to constantly communicate and ensure each musician is inspired, knowing what their long term musical aims are.

With so many performances and a tour to come, I know we will have so many more amazing memories that will be made. Together, we can make them incredible memories for life.

Mark Taylor, Director of Music.

An incredible evening with fantastic music from very talented individuals! There was such a variety, including Madness, Taylor Swift, Elton John, The Beatles, and so much more - there really is something for everyone!

The children were amazing, again, you all work so hard and it really pays off, blown away, again.
Thank you, having a reason to play your instrument and not just at lesson times makes it so worthwhile.
Many people around us were also saying how much they enjoy the concert.
Favourite piece was Candyman, love the jazziness of it.

Musical News – March 2024

20th March 2024Heather Morgan

Being proud of our musicians is a daily occurrence at Simon Balle. Every day they never fail to amaze. Surprises, musical achievements, laughs, great music, amazing stories.

This is purely as a result of our ethos and hard work. Hard work from the musicians and you at home. Without your help at home, our musicians would achieve nothing. Without you listening to practice, celebrating, coming to performances and taking an interest, the musicians would be nothing.

Music is a team effort. In every way. When one member lets the team down, the team is affected. It is, above all though, something that requires very hard work. Commitment.

We live in an age where almost everything is instant, achievable, and gratifying, and if it isn't, there's almost always an easy fix. Not so with learning music. It isn't easy, you have to persevere, and you have many ups and downs along the way. But, it's oh so worth it.

Enjoy the music. That your children create. With your support.

Mark Taylor

Director of Music

On Thursday, Brass players from across both the Primary and Secondary phase came together to showcase what they have been working on!

It was a brilliant evening with opportunity for inspiration! You can watch it here!

Last Thursday I performed at the Brass celebration evening in the Brass ensemble. I feel that it came together really well and everyone worked together very hard to produce lots of good music. My highlight of the evening is when I played a solo piece called Lucky to be me. It was such a confidence boosting experience and I am much more comfortable playing on my own in front of an audience.

Millie, Year 10

Big Band Evening 2024 was absolutely amazing! To have each and every musician perform at the standard they achieved was incredible.

The team work, the musicianship, the sense of community, your enjoyment, people coming from far and wide and so much more. Younger musicians watching the older musicians, new musicians joining the experience. These are amazing students performing at such an incredible standard, working so, so hard. Everyone made a huge step up and grew that little bit more.

It was an utterly brilliant evening, and everyone should be so proud! Please enjoy the videos!

I played saxophone in Big Band 2 and violin in Senior Strings, accompanying the Big Band. This was my first Big Band Night, and the atmosphere was unlike any concert I'd been in before! The strings contributed to the sound and tone of the more jazzier Big Band pieces so much, I think the strings should do more with the Big Band. With barely any rehearsals, BB2 went smoothly, offering younger musicians a chance to perform in the Big Band Nights. I loved being part of some ensembles and listening to all of the Big Band songs - I can't pick a favorite! The night never seemed to end!

Holly, Year 8

Congratulations to our Year 2 String players who have completed their Strings Training Programme!

On Tuesday evening, our Year 2 String players showcased their achievement to parents, families and their peers with the support from Mrs Johnson and Mrs Nunn.

Strings is the very beginning of the musical journey in the Larch. Students pick to learn the Cello or the Violin, and begin working towards their Strings Training Programme!

All Year 2 players have been awarded their certificates, what an incredible achievement! We are really proud of our students!

You can watch the full celebration evening here:

We are on Instagram

Merry Christmas from Team Music!

Here is a festive video from our Guitar Platform Ensemble!

#simonballemusic #simonballeallthroughschool #music #hertfordshire #education #teammusic #christmas

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Merry Christmas from Team Music!

Here is a festive video from our Guitar Platform Ensemble!

#simonballemusic #simonballeallthroughschool #music #hertfordshire #education #teammusic #christmas

Enjoy this wonderful extract from some of our Sixth form enrichment musicians. We are one all-through musical school.
#music #simonballemusic #simonballeallthroughschool #hertfordshire #education #christmas #lovelymusic #wow

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Enjoy this wonderful extract from some of our Sixth form enrichment musicians. We are one all-through musical school.
#music #simonballemusic #simonballeallthroughschool #hertfordshire #education #christmas #lovelymusic #wow

Our Junior Wind Band celebrating Christmas. Enjoy!
We are one all-through musical school!

#music #simonballemusic #simonballeallthroughschool #hertfordshire #education #concertband #musiceducation #christmas

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Our Junior Wind Band celebrating Christmas. Enjoy!
We are one all-through musical school!

#music #simonballemusic #simonballeallthroughschool #hertfordshire #education #concertband #musiceducation #christmas

Our incredible Brass Ensemble with their performance of Buyo. A fabulous solo from Nate. We are one musical all-through school.
#music #simonballemusic #simonballeallthroughschool #hertfordshire #education #brassband #brassensemble #trumpet #tuba #trombone #artscouncil #hertfordshiremusic

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Our incredible Brass Ensemble with their performance of Buyo. A fabulous solo from Nate. We are one musical all-through school.
#music #simonballemusic #simonballeallthroughschool #hertfordshire #education #brassband #brassensemble #trumpet #tuba #trombone #artscouncil #hertfordshiremusic

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Musical News – December 2023

21st December 2023Heather Morgan

We are on Instagram

Merry Christmas from Team Music!

Here is a festive video from our Guitar Platform Ensemble!

#simonballemusic #simonballeallthroughschool #music #hertfordshire #education #teammusic #christmas

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Musical News – November 2023

29th November 2023Heather Morgan

At Simon Balle, we are so proud of what our musicians achieve, day after day. We have had so many amazing performances and moments of celebration in recent weeks across all of our music. Increasingly across the country in many schools, music is in decline. At Simon Balle, I am continually reminded what music means to our students, families and community, both in school and in the wider area. Everyone in Team Music is part of this. The recent performances and events have been nothing short of incredible. We have much more to come.

With Christmas around the corner, so are the Carol Services. Details are below, and please put these in your diaries. They are amazing occasions and this year should be even better! I look forward to seeing many of you there, at All Saints' Church.

Finally, we are on Instagram, curating pictures and videos to celebrate our amazing musicians. Please follow us, like and share. Why should we keep everything achieved to ourselves?!!

https://www.instagram.com/simonballemusic

Enjoy the music. Team Music!

Mark Taylor, Director of Music.

It has been fantastic to introduce performances in the Larch KS1 Singing Assembly and KS2 Celebration Assembly. Both Secondary and Larch students have been involved, playing as classes enter the hall. This is an excellent platform for the students allowing them the opportunity to showcase some of the super learning, and hard work that has been going on in their instrumental lessons.

KS1 have also been lucky enough to have a performance from the Year 2-3 choir. They heard 2 songs performed by the choir.

As part of the Celebration Assembly, some of our Larch musicians receive a Larch Star certificate. They are nominated by their instrumental teaching or by Mrs Johnson for an excellent performance in assembly. Our Larch Stars for November are:

Felix WB, Angus M, Felix G, Harry D, Stanley H, Alba W, Emelia M, Alexa T, Jack C, Alec C, Aluna S, Lewis E, Chloe A, Isla J, Marnie W, Mimi T-B, Mason Y, Loris U, Valentina M, Dominic K, Orson B, Isabella C and Evie B! Well done to all

In November, we celebrated Piano Day! Mr Lovell worked tirelessly to ensure all of his students celebrated Piano Day in one way or another, whether this was a performance in the Library at Lunchtime, a performance as part of his Recital Evening, or a video filmed in lessons. 57 pianists took part during the day. Incredible.

It was a brilliant occasion, and we look forward to it again next year!

For now, please enjoy the videos filmed for Piano Day, along with a wonderful variety of performances from the recital evening!

On Wednesday, we celebrated our Singing & Secondary Strings.

There was a variety of performances from James Bond Theme by Senior Strings, Billie Eilish by Chamber Choir and a Hairspray number by Secondary Choir!

Performing can be a daunting experience, and all the students performing here did exceptionally well! They should be really proud!

You can watch the videos from the evening here -

As a member of the cello section in the orchestra, the highlight for me was performing the iconic James Bond theme. Each musician contributed to the symphony of sound, creating an incredible atmosphere. The collective effort of everyone involved made the performance truly remarkable, leaving a lasting impression on both performers and the audience alike.

Chloe, Year 8

We are on Instagram

Merry Christmas from Team Music!

Here is a festive video from our Guitar Platform Ensemble!

#simonballemusic #simonballeallthroughschool #music #hertfordshire #education #teammusic #christmas

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Musical News – September 2023

14th September 2023Heather Morgan

The start of a school year is always one of reflection. Those who have left our immediate musical family, those who are moving up, perhaps realising a long held ambition to have 'their turn'.

It is always amazing how our musicians 'step up'. Take on new challenges, fill gaps in ensembles and adapt to still be part of Team Music. More news on this below, but how our musicians are adapting is brilliant.

I'm also over the moon with how everyone is embracing Practice Pal Music. Over time, this will make life so much easier for all, bringing together information and learning for our instrumental and vocal lessons. It is early days, but the feedback has been brilliant. Thank you. We will be using more features in the coming weeks.

I am also working on new projects and musical opportunities across our work. Details to come as I work them out with the team!

Please have a read of the rest of this newsletter and put the relevant calendar concert dates in your diaries. There is so much going on, so don't miss out!

Mark Taylor,
Director of Music

In June and July, Team Music enjoyed 6 days of musical exams for students throughout the All-through community, from Year 2 - Year 13 with Trinity Classical, Trinity Rock & Pop and Musical Theatre exams. Well over 200 exams in 6 days.

Further to this, 8 Year 12 & Year 13 students achieved diplomas:

DipLCM - Gabriel and Ciara (piano), Sam Portas (drums), Ada (popular vocals), Patrick and Jacob (classical saxophone), - Daniil, (Jazz saxophone).

ALCM - Luke. Saxophone - the music of Charlie Parker. The hardest diploma we have ever had at Simon Balle. We’ve had a few! Luke’s level of musicianship was off the scale.

It is such an achievement taking a Music Exam, and every student rose to the challenge. We are so proud of them, for some it is the beginning of the musical journey, and for others it is a fantastic way to complete their Simon Balle All-Through Journey. Well done to all.

Click the image below to see the results!

Musical News – July 2023

19th July 2023Heather Morgan

A unique, special moment in the history of our school that concluded with a standing ovation for Alison. Pictures will be added shortly and one is attached here.

250 musicians. 500 in the audience. A concert hall literally bouncing with the amazing music that our musicians - students at Simon Balle from Years 2 - 13, plus our adult choir - created.

At Saffron Hall, I sang three songs with Chamber Choir, which I really enjoyed. Tides was my favourite song to sing; I loved how upbeat and positive it was, and the buzzing atmosphere at Saffron under the stage lights elevated the piece even more. As a whole, I thought the Chamber Choir pieces went really well. Ave Maria was particularly tricky, but singing at Saffron made me feel more confident and excited to sing such fantastic pieces. The highlight of the evening for me has to be singing a solo in When I Grow Up with all the choirs and the Larch orchestra. Especially as I was so nervous, looking behind me to see such a wonderful group of performers made me feel confident and proud to be there. It was an incredibly special moment to sing in front of so many people as part of such an amazing musical community.

Sophie, Year 12

I enjoyed performing in both the Senior Choir and Strings Ensemble for the Simon Balle musical Summer Showcase at Saffron Hall.

The atmosphere was incredible and seeing the audience enjoy the performances really made the months of practice worth it.

Performing When I Grow Up was very special because I first sang this piece when I was in Year 2. It was one of the first times the choirs sang as an all-through. This time at Saffron Hall, I was able to perform as a secondary student alongside Larch.

I especially liked the end of the showcase when Mrs Saunders danced bare foot on the stage!

Everyone was up on their feet joining in.

I can’t wait to do it all again!

Summer, Year 7

I am delighted and proud to announce that eight Year 12/13 musicians have achieved a diploma in music.

DipLCM - Gabriel and Ciara (piano), Sam Portas (drums), Ada (popular vocals), Patrick and Jacob (classical saxophone), - Daniil, (Jazz saxophone).

ALCM - Luke. Saxophone - the music of Charlie Parker. The hardest diploma we have ever had at Simon Balle. We’ve had a few! Luke’s level of musicianship was off the scale.

As part of these diplomas, our musicians have performed at the most challenging standard for their age. Charlie Parker, Bebop, Dave Weckl, Beethoven, Bach, Debussy, Philip Glass, french saxophone repertoire and much more. Eight Simon Balle musicians performing at an incredible professional standard. I can't state enough the level of achievement for these musicians. What I do know is that they could only have achieved this at Simon Balle - the distinct ethos, the time provided for us to get it right and the inspiration created throughout our work. This is something to shout from the rooftops.

Joint Choir Item	Under the Sea
Year 2-3 Choir	Sing a Song in Unison
Year 4-6 Choir	Make Your Own Kind of MusicHow far I’ll go - featuring olos from Eva & Toby
Larch String Orchestra	Time to TangoSword Dance Drunken Sailor
Larch Wind & Brass	Shake it offShepherd’s Hey Brain Stew

Music

Wow! What a month!

Our Simon Balle Music Podcast

The Celebration of Wind and Brass Concert showcased our wonderful Brass Ensemble, Saxidentals, Junior Wind and Concert Band!

The Rock Gig was a fantastic evening down at the Southern Maltings in Ware.

The Larch Celebration of Music showcased our amazing Larch Musicians!

Our Guitar Recital showcased Mr Niesyto's fantastic students!

Our Celebration of Singing Concert showcased our incredible singers!

Our Celebration of Strings Concert showcased:

The Hertford Christmas Gala was a real community event!

The Power of an All-through School

Music Enrichment

Year 4 Curriculum

Our Upcoming Events

Our Carol Services are on the last week of term - please click the images below for more details.

Let's get performing!

Piano Recital

Our Piano Recital featuring Year 11, 12 and 13 students was a fantastic evening of performances!

Click the top right corner for more videos!

Music Medal Success!

Some of our Larch Musicians have recently taken a Music Medal exam, we want to say Congratulations to:

Larch Piano Success

Our Larch Pianists have been working hard with Mrs Johnson.

Upcoming Events

We have so many Concerts and Recitals happening in November.

More on our Instagram!

Team Music!

Piano Recital -

A brilliant way to start the year with a piano recitals featuring some of Mr Lovell's students!

Click the top right corner for more videos

Royal Northern College of Music Workshop

Larch Brass Ensemble Performance

Music in the Sixth Form

What's On

Musical June!!

Take Note Gospel Workshop

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Larch Piano Evening

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Mrs Iles' Piano Evening

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Guitar Platform Evening

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Rock Gig

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Diploma Performance & Exams

On the Mic - Episode 2

On the Mic - Episode 2

Our incredible musicians

Trinity Rock & Pop Results - March 2024

Trinity Classical Exam Results - March 2024

Larch Celebration of Music!

Click the top right hand corner for more videos.

Rock Gig!

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Wind & Brass: Pop Hits Edition

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Singing Evening with Ms Kemp

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On the Mic

Episode 1

What's Coming up?

Check out our What's On page for the summer term events!

From piano recitals across the school, to the final Rock Gig!

Tickets are now on sale, and selling fast! The rehearsal schedule has also been published.

Click the image for more details and access to tickets!

Welcome back!

Music Exam Success

A Celebration of Brass

Click in the top corner for more videos!

An Evening with the Simon Balle Big Band

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Year 2 Strings Training Celebration

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A Celebration of Singing & Secondary Strings

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A Piano Evening

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Our Instagram!

What's Coming Up?