Autumn / Winter 2025 Music

[northerngoldilocks]

Time for a new thread in time for the new school term!

Come and talk about music lessons, choosing instruments, exams, auditions, specialist schools, orchestras or whatever other music activities are going on. Everyone is welcome, from those with total beginners to those whose children are studying music at advanced levels. Ask for advice or share successes or struggles.

Is there a musical version of Lessons in Chemistry? Or is it a dingbat?

northern, that is an odd thing to do re quartet - maybe they chose repertoire for a previous 1st violinist who then left and now don't want to disappoint the remaining players who had practiced their parts? If so hopefully after this term it will settle back to repertoire the students can play as a quartet.

@thirdfiddle thats what i'm assuming has happened - perhaps they started this rep last term and then their 1st violinist left but they still want to let the others have the chance to perform. Otherwise it will be the oddest quartet for 5!

Is it like a science beaker?

Dd has suggested maybe “Little Shop of Horrors”?

Yes a science beaker. Little Shop of Horrors would be awesome! They did Matilda last year and it was very easy to guess from the clues so they may be trying to be more oblique this year so the announcement is a surprise. DS got a good role last time, playing Bruce in Matilda, so he’s hoping to get another good role this year.

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!

where would the rotary phone come in though?

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 😂)

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.

Be More Chill?

Heathers is not currently available for amateur licence

Possibly We Will Rock You

DD is on the reserve list for u13 NCO residential weeks. No idea how long that list is and how likely it is that anyone doesn’t take up their place, but an improvement on ‘no’ last year!

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

Good luck!

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.

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

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!

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!

@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!

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

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

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.

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.

Great news re NCO @thirdfiddle.

DD was pretty pleased with waitlist - comparatively it’s a big confidence boost for her. Not optimistic re a place as can’t imagine many people won’t accept the residential weeks but will see what happens.

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.