Community

Since 2003 we have seen unprecedented development both in the quality of our output and the growth of our audiences. Now in our 40th year, and with the lead up to the 2012 Games, this leaves us in a strong position not only to build on the traditional festival, but also to enable and encourage the local community to become more involved with music and the arts.

We have a number of projects being developed and look forward to announcing these as and when they are confirmed. This page will be kept up-to-date with the latest information, so please keep an eye out. Advancements on projects will also be listed in our news items.

Festival Gospel Singers

• The Festival is working with Independent State Schools Partnership (ISSP) and Sing Up! to help provide singing leaders, and showcase opportunities for local choirs created for these projects.
• Ken Burton and Gillian Dibden took the lead on developing the foundations for this project. To that end, a hugely successful series of workshops took place during January 2010, with a full day for students in February at Eton College. The Theme was Gospel Singing. The initiative culminated in a Choir of about 60 students performing in the centre of Windsor during the Spring Festival in March 2010.
• Participating in such events allows young people to experience first hand the energy and thrill of working with others to produce a performance. In addition, the experience of working in the choirs will give students a number of skills which will be readily transferred into their lives at school and at home, and will enhance their appreciation and understanding of music.
• The schools involved in this initial project were: Beechwood School, St Joseph’s Catholic High School, Slough & Eton CofE Business and Enterprise College, Windsor Boys’ School, Heston Community College, Eton College, St George’s School, Windsor Castle.

This introduction will be used as a springboard to stimulate further music-making in these schools and develop choirs in each. We will continue to work with these schools and ISSP in 2010.

Festival in Hospices and Hospitals

• An expansion of the work with Live Music Now! following a successful pilot concert at the Thames Hospicecare in Windsor has been implemented. Musicians have taken live music to people who are confined to specific venues where they are prevented from gaining access to live music.
• This development has included Thames Valley Adventure Playground and both Thames Hospicecare sites.