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Berkshire Music Trust

The Berkshire Young Musicians Trust (trading as Berkshire Music Trust) is a music education charity operating in Berkshire, United Kingdom.[1]

Berkshire Music Trust
The Berkshire Young Musicians Trust
Formation25 October 1982; 42 years ago (1982-10-25)
Legal statusLimited company, Registered charity
PurposeExtra-curricular music education
HeadquartersReading
Region served
Berkshire
Membership
Private
Jon Carroll
Dawn Wren
Main organ
Board of trustees
Staff~260
Websiteberksmusictrust.org.uk Edit this at Wikidata
Formerly called
Berkshire Maestros

History

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The Berkshire Young Musicians Trust (BYMT) was founded in 1982. Between 2006 and 2023 it traded as Berkshire Maestros,[2] after which it was rebranded the Berkshire Music Trust.[3]

Description

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The charity's aim is to bring music to a wider audience, and encourage children to play a musical instrument, sing, or play music in a group with others.[4]

The charity teaches over 6,000 children in schools, bands, orchestras and choirs, and has centres in Bracknell, Newbury, Windsor, Reading and Wokingham.[5] Tuition covers a wide range of instruments, including vocals, guitar, keyboard, percussion, brass, strings and woodwind in a range of styles, and composition.[6]

Following the renaming ceremony coinciding with 40th birthday celebrations in the summer of 2023, Berkshire Music Trust adopted a new strap-line, "Making Music for Everyone", signalling their intent to expand their offerings to all ages in the Berkshire community, building upon their Parkinson's Sing-along Cafe and Dementia Sing-along Cafe.[7]

Recognition

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In 2024, Berkshire Music Trust was awarded new generation Music Hub status by Arts Council England.[8]

Events

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In 2007, the charity's choir appeared at the BBC Proms,[9] and alongside Southbank Sinfonia at the Windsor Festival.[10] In 2014, the organisation was awarded a grant from the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation.[11] On 1 May 2016, around 1,500 of the Berkshire Maestros students performed a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Primary school choirs from West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead performed songs from musicals such as Mamma Mia!, Oliver! and The Jungle Book.[12]

On 19 October 2018, the Bracknell concert band played to Elizabeth II at The Lexicon, Bracknell.[13] In 2023, the charity's county choir and string ensemble played at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle culminating in a performance of Zadok the Priest.[14]

In 2024, Bracknell, Windsor, Newbury and Reading Senior Wind Bands united to form the Berkshire County Massed Wind Bands, to perform Brian Balmages' Rapture at the Anvil Theatre in Basingstoke.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ "The Berkshire Young Musicians Trust, registered charity no. 284555". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
  2. ^ "Berkshire Maestros - The Berkshire Young Musicians Trust". wokingham.gov.uk. Wokingham Borough Council. 28 October 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  3. ^ Lee, Trish (19 July 2023). "New name for Berkshire Maestros revealed at garden party". newburytoday.co.uk. Newbury Today. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  4. ^ Perrin, Isabella (13 November 2019). "Berkshire Maestros fundraises to bring music to toddlers and babies". bracknellnews.co.uk. Bracknell News. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  5. ^ "Where to find us". berksmusictrust.org.uk. Berkshire Music Trust. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Berkshire Maestros". sloughfamilyservices.org.uk. Slough Borough Council. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  7. ^ "Events outside Reading". whatsonreading.com. Reading Borough Council. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  8. ^ https://rdg.today/berkshire-music-trust-appointed-to-lead-berkshire-music-hub/ [bare URL]
  9. ^ "Prom 57". bbc.co.uk. BBC. 27 August 2007. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  10. ^ "Berkshire Maestros". windsorfestival.com. Windsor Festival. 30 September 2007. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2009.
  11. ^ "Berkshire Maestros". andrewlloydwebberfoundation.com. Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  12. ^ Fisher, Megan (6 May 2016). "More than a thousand Berkshire Maestros children perform at the Royal Albert Hall". getreading.co.uk. Berkshire Live. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  13. ^ Fort, Hugh (19 October 2018). "The Queen visits The Bracknell Lexicon". inyourarea.co.uk. In Your Area. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  14. ^ Creighton, Phil (9 October 2023). "Young musicians raise the roof for festival concert in Windsor Castle". wokingham.today. Wokingham Today. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
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