Northern Bass Education Network

15/11/2023

This Sunday 19 November, RNCM Young Basses joins forces with their mighty Young Viola companions for a session not to miss as they embark on putting together one of the greatest Pop Rock songs - 'Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen!

There are still spaces on these wonderful workshops, which will start off as two separate workshops before joining forces! They will also be joined by a pop rock band made up of RNCM students from the Popular Music degree course.
Young Basses and Young Violas run from 10:00am-1:00pm and are for ages 5-18. We welcome all abilities!

To sign up to this Sunday's joint workshop please email [email protected].

29/09/2023

The next RNCM Young Basses workshop will take place on Sunday October 8th from 10-1.

The sessions will be led by Geth Griffith (RNCM, LIPA, & freelance bassist), Rachel Meerloo (Hallé, Chethams, & RNCM) and students from the Royal Northern College of music. Anyone of school age is welcome to attend, regardless of ability or experience.

Participants will get play the actual bass parts from the Star Wars films and the musical Wicked. Expect to find Darth Vader’s Imperial March, Princess Leia’s theme, and the iconic songs Defying Gravity and No One Mourns the Wicked. There will also be a live solo performance, sessions on chamber music. At the end we will perform a bass ensemble piece by David Hayes called The Great Wall of China. For more information please contact Hannah Bayley [email protected]

We look forward to seeing you there!

07/07/2023

Our final two RNCM - Royal Northern College of Music Young Projects of the academic year take place this Sunday from 10:00am-1:00pm and there is still time to sign up!

RNCM Young Basses
RNCM Young Horns
RNCM Young Violas

All three projects are for ages 5-18 and we welcome all abilities. Each workshop is standalone and this Sunday, Young Basses and Young Violas will also be joining together to play a special arrangement of the 2nd movement of Ravel’s monumental String Quartet!
Email [email protected] to book on and find out more about RNCM Young Projects here: https://www.rncm.ac.uk/engage/young-projects/

16/05/2023

The next RNCM Young Basses will take place this Sunday 21st May from 10:00am-1:00pm.

Our standalone workshops are for ages 5-18 and we welcome all abilities.

There will be a variety of sessions led by Geth Griffith (RNCM and LIPA tutor) and Rachel Meerloo (Hallé bassist and RNCM tutor). All attendees will get the chance to play alongside undergraduate string quartets from the RNCM as they learn about music from the Baroque era. We will look into the history of the double bass and everyone will get the chance to try out a traditional violone - a traditional bass instrument which has gut strings.

There will also be sessions on jazz and extended techniques, a massed bass ensemble and performances by undergraduate double bassists preparing for their final recitals.

Email [email protected] to book a place!

Find out more about our fantastic workshops here: https://www.rncm.ac.uk/engage/young-projects/rncm-young-basses/

Our final RNCM Young Basses of the academic year will take place on Sunday 9th July 2023. A date for the diary!

22/03/2023

We have an AMAZING Young Basses workshop this Sunday 26th March, 10:00am-1:00pm at the RNCM. FREE to attend and welcoming all abilities!

It is definitely one not to miss for any young person playing the double bass. Spread the word!

The theme is new music! Participants will play lots of orchestral pieces and jazz music looking at some of the latest music to be composed.
There is a Composition Competition which everyone is invited to enter. You can perform a piece that you have written and get feedback from composer, vocalist and artistic director Dr Laura Bowler. Laura teaches composition at both the Guildhall School for Music and Drama and also the Royal Northern College of Music. She has been commissioned across the globe by ensembles and orchestras including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, ROH2, Opera Holland Park, The Opera Group, Manchester Camerata, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Quatuor Bozzini (Canada), Ensemble Phace (Austria), Ensemble Linea (France) and Omega Ensemble (Australia). In 2022 she was announced as a recipient of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for Artists.
There will be a Live Performance of a piece for double bass and vocals written by Laura.. Laura will perform the work alongside Hallé bassist and RNCM tutor Rachel Meerloo. Students will get to see the score and ask questions to Laura and Rachel about the performance.
As well as taking part in sessions on orchestral and jazz playing students will create and perform a new piece for double bass ensemble in one morning! This will be led by double bassist and creative practitioner Ria Nolan. Ria is a freelance player who works with the BBC Concert Orchestra, RTE Concert Orchestra, Sinfonia Cymru, the Hallé and Welsh National Opera.
We will also be joined by local luthier Neal Hepplestone who will present some new instruments that he has just finished! Neal is located in Mirfield, West Yorkshire. He started making instruments in 2011 and is a graduate of Newark School of Violin Making. He set up his own workshop in 2016 and now works with musicians, orchestras, education services and organisations across the UK and Europe. He has written articles for The Strad and Classical
Music Magazine and appeared as a guest on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch.

19/01/2023

There is still time to sign up to RNCM Young Basses this Sunday 22nd January, 10:00am-1:00pm.

Our fantastic standalone workshop is for ages 5-18 is FREE to attend and welcomes all abilities! From complete beginners to post grade 8 there will be something to challenge everyone.

This Sunday there will a focus on chamber music. All the participants will rehearse and then perform pieces in small groups. There will also be some solo performances, jazz music sessions and the return of the Bow Olympics. There will be a concert for families and friends to attend at 12:30. We will also be launching a composition competition - all will be revealed this Sunday!

To book your place contact Hannah Bayley at [email protected]

We look forward to welcoming you all to Young Basses in 2023!

30/10/2022

The next RNCM Young Basses session will take place on Sunday November 27th, 10am-1pm at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester. The theme is Music from the Shows! Participants will play excerpts from the shows West Side Story, Oliver and Wicked along with the original soundtracks. There will also be chamber music arrangements of various show themes created by Ashley Frampton of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

At the end of the morning the Young Basses will perform the song When I Grow Up from the musical Matilda. They will play the actual bass part from the West End production (simplified for younger students) together with singers and a 16-piece show band made up of RNCM undergraduates. This will be a great opportunity for them to experience how bands rehearse and perform, playing to parents at 12:45. The younger students will have a long break from 11:30-12 but will then stay until 1pm so that they can take part in the performance.

Our special guest will be Georgina Rosana Crowe, a freelance musician and animateur who is currently on a year-long residency at Cheadle Hulme School. She is a founder and co-director of the prestigious Outreach Opera company and has a wealth of theatre experience. There will also be solo performances from leading RNCM double bass students.

Admission is free! All double bass students of school age are welcome. From complete beginners to post grade 8 there will be something to challenge everyone. To book your place contact Hannah Bayley at [email protected]

We look forward to seeing you there!

10/10/2021

Great opportunity. Check it out. They are accepting late applications.

15/11/2020

The November edition of RNCM Young Basses Online is now available. There is content from Gemma Ashcroft (Chethams), Rachel Meerloo (Hallé) Geth Griffith (RNCM) plus freelancers Ben Burnley and Gemma Murray. If you you would like to take part then contact Bryony Taylor: [email protected]

https://youtu.be/W_gRmu3bxrU

01/11/2020

The next edition of RNCM Young Basses will be released on Sunday 15th November. We are busy filming and editing this week! If you would like to take part then please contact Bryony Taylor: [email protected] who will email you the link.

In the meantime don’t miss the October edition which is only available for two more weeks. Here is one of the sessions from tutor Gemma Ashcroft testing you on your bow skills:

This video is about Bow Olympics 1