Spring / Summer 2026 music thread

Congratulations @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest - so impressive! How did you choose euphonium btw? You should definitely find a band - will be amazing fun.

DS is singing in a friend’s wedding soon - in King’s chapel, the only child in a choir made up of adult former choral scholars…no pressure! So we’ve been practising all the music which has been fun, if a little stressful. Also need to record his NCO audition at some point. He’s getting thoroughly sick of the pieces but yet has not perfected them 🤪.

He’s learned 5 from the grade 5 syllabus now, so his teacher has suggested doing grade 5 next term. I think will be good for him as he’s never done an exam and does need to learn all the scales etc, but he will hate working on same pieces for months. When do the face to face ones happen/can we pick the date? The earlier the better!

Congratulations @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest - taking up an instrument as an adult is quite the challenge. Now to find a brass band???

That’s amazing news @achangeofnameisasgoodasarest - congratulations!
Good that your dd has finished for the summer. I hope she has some downtime in her near future!

dd still has a week of school left. She’s just finished a three night run of SIX (teen edition!) which was amazing but exhausting. She has her last chapel service of the school year on Sunday and her g7 singing next Wednesday and then she is DONE! We are limping towards the end of term. Her g8 cello has been put back (no time to practice) which was a bit of a relief.

just got dd2 back from music hogwarts, where as usual they wrung every drop of emotion from the end of term. Now a summer of preparing audition pieces and uni applications awaits.

BUT in much more important music news i got to take my grade 3 euphonium. despite the worst nerves in the world and sightreading in 3/8 (who does that) I have a123 merit.

Took the thing up last November and it’s been so much fun so far. I do concede that I might need a teacher after this though.

Sorry wrong post

Fab, thanks!

@chocolateisnecessary I think from memory it was on the day specified. For the final results I think it was unsuccessful ones first, then successful, all on same day. Can't remember about the interim progession to live audition round that are due in July. Best of luck to everyone waiting. If you don't progress, there will be other opportunities.

Does anyone know if the NYO results tend to come out bang on the day they’ve said or a week or so earlier? Does it vary by instrument or do they all come out at once?

Hi all - just popping up to wave. Hope everyone is ok. We’re out of the NCO projects/Eisteddfod era and entering a LOT of end of term concerts and shows, NCO audition plus another Eisteddfod. And residentials. Homework seems to have increased but the amount of practice really needs to
increase too and it’s a bit 😬😬😬atm. At least the heatwave has stopped for a bit! We had a fan pointed at the harp at one point!

Debra Adamson-Brattland does a 6 week online G5 theory course, the next one starts in September. My ds did his GCSE music with her and says she’s a really good teacher.
debra-adamson-brattland.com/theory/

https://www.celebratewithmusic.co.uk/grade-5-theory-course/

Simon is great - really recommend him. He teaches in a very practical and strategic way. You can join subsequent courses for free if you need to go over it again and he offers follow up marking.

@hannacoolfer this Facebook group has suggestions: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1DJfNmfCBp/?mibextid=wwXIfr

OK - I don't have experience of others as mine did this one as it used to be residential. However Guildhall have one in July. DD was at JD there and the theory tuition (hers was above Grade 5) was good https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/study-with-guildhall/short-courses-summer-schools/find-a-short-course-or-summer-school/essential-music-theory-grade-5

That looks great but we are near London (Watford).

@hannacoolfer I don't know where in the country you are but this is a great course if you could get to gloucester https://glosacadmusic.org/sessions-and-courses/holiday-courses/theory-courses/

I hope it's ok to pop into a long standing thread. My dc plays piano at G5. He has just finished his exam and will be starting g6 in the autumn. he's had terry lessons for 2 terms and is quite ok with grade 5 theory but needs some exam practice and maybe a more intensive going over everything sessions.

Are there any reputable online providers. He is not a beginner but working comfortably at grade 4-5 level.

Wish you all strength @Siriusmuggle ! My DS is ND and his uni years were incredibly stressful. They're kind of adults but not quite...

3% is very close so fingers crossed for the resit and learning from mistakes!

@Siriusmuggle I hope it all works out and they are able to now go off and do the bits they enjoy without the stressful bits.

He doesn'c care and he isn't planning on going to his graduatio even if he does pass. He is 100% focused on the theatre festival he is MDing a show as part of at the moment.

Incredibly he failed on self reflection 🤣 that’s impressive. In reality it was because he didn’t use his mentor or let me or his gran proof read it. If you didn’t already know he has ADHD a quick read of his written work will make it very clear. Lacks structure is how I’d describe it. But on the plus side he’s done extremely well on all 3 practical modules.
Hope you soon have good news @Comefromaway

I'm sorry @Siriusmuggle - hopefully he'll get lots of feedback to know what to focus on this time

That's such a shame. I am very surprised that for th major project they are not allowed to do a practical project like ds was in lieu of a dissertation. Saying that my ds chose a couple of written modules against my better judgment and I'm not convinced he will passed it.

Degree results are in here. Smashed all the practical modules but failed the written project (predictably) by 3%. So despite total marks being comfortably in 2:1 band a resit of the project is needed. Should be awarded a resit as it’s marginal but it’s so much extra stress. Again. That’s 4 years out of 4 this has happened.

Ha yes, I think your DH is probably right since it’s a nice instrument - ours is not in that category! We’ve got one from stringers - their “student outfit” I think - and it was about £250, but they do an even more basic one than that for under £200 and I suspect would be totally fine for a spare.

DS is just 8 and has been on a 1/2 size for about 6 months - he’s tallish for his age (85th centile) and when we got it they said it would probably last til he’s about 9, if that’s any indication whatsoever! I think if you can measure their arm length that will give a better idea.

DD stayed on 1/4 for what seemed forever, a couple of years I think, auditioned with grade 8 pieces on it, and could stay even longer but we needed bigger sound for her rep. 1/2 lasted for a year and a bit. She's in senior school now and still plays 3/4.

It really depends on the child and grows spurts can be unpredictable.

I think for fractional sizes the quality of the instrument you need is defined by the rep you are playing. I was very reluctant to spend a lot even on the main instrument until 1/2. We had Gliga for 1/4, they're decent quality and cost around £300 as far as I remember.