Changing communities through music
Inspired by the hugely successful Venezuelan project El Sistema, In Harmony is a community development project using music to bring positive change to the lives of very young children in the most deprived areas of England, delivering benefits across the wider community.
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic successfully bid to become one of three national pilots for In Harmony England between now and March 2011, funded by the Department for Education. The other 2 pilots are taking place in Lambeth and Norwich.
Diana Johnson, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools, attended the first In Harmony concert at the Phil and said: "It was one of the best things I've done as an MP. It was fabulous to see those young people on stage, after 12 weeks [of lessons], playing with members of the Liverpool Philharmonic. Watching a tiny child, of perhaps five, with their musical instrument onstage, I just thought: Wow! They were so confident, they were all in time, it was just amazing and very moving."
Read the complete interview
View photos from In Harmony Liverpool in the image gallery in the top right.
In Harmony Liverpool
Led by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, In Harmony Liverpool launched in March 2009 along with the Phil’s new rehearsal and education centre in West Everton, Liverpool Phil at the Friary, and is being delivered in partnership with Faith Primary School, resident-led West Everton Community Council, Liverpool Music Support Service and Liverpool Hope University.
Our intention is to have a significant positive impact on the wellbeing, confidence, aspirations and attainment of children at Faith Primary School and in the West Everton community.
Faith Primary School is the only school in West Everton. Every child at Faith is making music every day of the week, working with a team of highly skilled musicians led by Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra violinist, Sally Anne Anderson, as Artistic Director (In Harmony). Student volunteers from Liverpool Hope University and our Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra support the team.
81 children, including Faith Primary School’s Reception class and 11 members of staff including teachers, teaching assistants, school Head Teacher and the school secretary are participating in the daily music activities.
Thursday 23 April 2009 saw the first instrument lessons for the whole school, followed by the first whole school orchestra session the very next day at Liverpool Phil at the Friary, the rehearsal and recording venue located adjacent to Faith Primary School.
On 13 July 2009, the children and staff from Faith School performed at Philharmonic Hall for their debut performance as West Everton Children’s Orchestra, barely 12 weeks after having picked up their instrument for the first time. They performed a programme of 10 pieces to demonstrate their music skills, with a special arrangement of Hey Jude as a finale, performed alongside musicians from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chair of In Harmony, Julian Lloyd Webber.
This significant milestone in the project attracted an audience of over 500, including Schools Minister Diana Johnson MP, Lord Mayor of Liverpool Cllr Mike Storey, parents, carers and families of children at Faith School and guests from the West Everton community.
"It was evident that the children had been coached superbly and they performed with a conviction and confidence which, as [Julian] Lloyd Webber said during his address at the concert, was: "nothing short of a miracle!"
Yamaha Education News
The In Harmony Liverpool Weekly Music Programme
• Shake Up and Sing, singing and movement every morning to get children focussed for school, with many opportunities for children to conduct and lead songs for the rest of the school
• Whole School Singing on Monday afternoons
• Instrumental lessons every Monday and Thursday mornings on violin, viola, cello and double bass for all children and all school staff
• West Everton Children’s Orchestra rehearsals every Friday afternoon at Liverpool Phil at the Friary
• Musicianship sessions every week for every class, including tailored music making sessions for children at Early Years Foundation Stage
• Instrument practice clubs running every lunchtime and after school
In addition to this core programme, the children, staff, parents and the local community attend concerts at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, including full symphony orchestra and smaller ensembles, and the whole school have participated in the Phil’s extensive schools concert programme, which this year reached 22,000 children and young people. Additional programmes take place in school holiday periods (In Harmony Summer School), whilst maintaining regular instrumental tuition and orchestra rehearsals.
100 people including children and community members from West Everton visited the Southbank in April 2009, with front row seats for a performance by El Sistema’s main youth orchestra, the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra. This was inspirational for the West Everton children, who bowed and plucked along with their imaginary violins and cellos, and independently jumped to their feet at the end to give a standing ovation, before meeting the Venezuelan musicians.
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For more information on the programme in West Everton, please contact Zoe Armfield on .
All media enquiries should be directed to Jayne Garrity, Head of Corporate Communications on 0151 210 2895 or .
Watch
Watch this video by Music Manifesto about the In Harmony project in Everton.