Autumn / Winter 2025 Music

Congratulations on places, it's hard waiting! Also, if you don't get the place you want, there are always other opportunities. That's hard for young people to take (it's hard for adults when we get knocked back for things!). Lots of people on here with experience of different ensembles across the country.
Got my favourite annual Christmas music event in the calendar - playing in a big church orchestra for their carol services. Very different to my own church music (which I still appreciate but it's nice to have the full works occasionally!).

I seem to remember they wouldn't let dd2 do it if she could only do one (we cancelled on NCO mains because she wanted to go on holiday so she never did it). but then maybe i should have pushed harder! Congrats to all - big achievements all round

I have one with a place in residential U12 and one waitlisted for U14. U14 has been pragmatic about it but I think it is hard to be so close but still not quite have managed it.

This Monday (20th Oct) 9am!

Spaces may come up for residential weeks if people have booked holidays so fingers crossed! It’s a great achievement to even get on the waitlist.

I personally think it’s far more appropriate than something like Heathers. Then again my son’s school was in a middle school area so year 9 upwards & my daughter’s school had separate productions for different year groups so I’m probably not thinking there would be 11/12 year olds.

DD got back in for NCO u14s. She's thrilled.

Fingers crossed for movement on waiting lists - particularly for the weekends it is a balancing act for those with weekend school or regular musical activities, and situations do change.

Theres a teen edition for schools. We’ll just have to wait until Monday for the announcement!

DD got into the NCO weekends on brass, she'll be pleased until she realises how much counting is involved! It'll be an amazing first exposure to playing in an orchestra for her

@Comefromaway must admit I'm struggling to imagine a secondary school doing Be More Chill. I LOVE it - but I'm not sure how appropriate it would be!

Thank you for the kind words @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest! Luckily DS took it quite a matter of fact way. He said there are just other kids older and better than him. Hopefully he’ll have more chance next year!

well done @chickentikkasalad and @northerngoldilocks kids. Sounds like a serious achievement to me! No idea how often those places come up but definitely means they hit the required standard! Hope that they're super proud, as they should be!

@Ubertomusicthanks for sharing your experience. Nice to know a place can still come up.

DS also on waiting list.. It’s his first year applying so I think it’s definitely a positive result.
Just not sure how to put it to him yet - staying positive but not holding too much hope.

I don't know about residentials but DD got a place off WL first time we applied for projects.

Good luck!

Possibly We Will Rock You

Be More Chill?

Heathers is not currently available for amateur licence

Apparently it isn’t a rotary phone but a flip phone - DS just called it an “old fashioned phone” lol - which makes me think the musical must be Heathers. The beaker is the poison and the microphone is the TV broadcast. The phone might be because the musical is set in the 80s and a flip phone would make more sense to today’s teens than a car phone would.

The rotary phone makes me think Bye Bye Birdie! The beaker could be because the character Albert is actually a scientist. And the On Air sign could be for the Ed Sullivan show. (I did Bye Bye Birdie at school 😂)

where would the rotary phone come in though?

Our school musical is Legally Blonde this year. Cast list should be out on Friday. Dd hoping for Vivienne but happy to be a delta nu if not!