Yamaha Education News

Liverpool children 'In Harmony' with RLPO

Pictured here: parents, friends and VIPs watching and listening in awe at what these young string players and the Liverpool In Harmony team, led by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (RLPO), had achieved in just 12 weeks

Hearty congratulations to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra's 'In Harmony' project which, just 12 weeks into the project, presented its first concert on 13 July 2009 at Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall, featuring the project's fledgeling string players who are from Faith Primary School in West Everton, one of Liverpool's suburbs.

In Harmony is a community development project which uses music to bring positive change to the lives of very young children in some of the most deprived areas of England and to deliver benefits to the wider community. Inspired by the acclaimed Venezuelan 'Sistema' project, the Scottish Sistema project was the first of its kind to launch in the UK, last year, with three 'In Harmony' pilot projects now also running in Norwich, Lambeth and Liverpool. Led by the RLPO, in partnership with Faith Primary School, the resident-led West Everton Community Council, Liverpool Music Support Service and the musicians, staff and students of Liverpool Hope University, the programme of music activities for Liverpool's In Harmony project is being delivered by professional musicians of the RLPO and Liverpool Music Support Service.

Apart from the many dignitaries supporting this first concert - including parliamentary under-secretary of state for schools, Diana Johnson MP, Darren Henley (Classic FM's MD and chair the the Music Manifesto group) and In Harmony chairman, cellist Julian Lloyd Webber - the audience consisted of lots of parents and friends who were clearly surprised and moved by the commitment and progress of their children in such a short time.

It was evident that the children had been coached superbly and they performed with a conviction and confidence which, as Lloyd Webber said during his address at the concert, was: "nothing short of a miracle!"

Miracle or not, the fact that the Liverpool In Harmony team is working so hard to create the perfect conditions for these young people to flourish will certainly increase the chance of some major transformations among these young people. Even if the UK's In Harmony projects can achieve just a small part of the social change and personal enrichment that their Venezuelan model, 'El Sistema', has demonstrated, 'miracles' will certainly have happened for the children taking part.

For the finale of the concert, members of the RLPO joined the young musicians on stage for an arrangement of Lennon/McCartney's 'Hey Jude', in which the children performed their open-string parts to accompany the professionals. The inspiration that this provides is incalculable. But the standing ovation and the faces of the children at the end of the concert maybe gave us a clue to the potential of this project to change lives. It has already made an astonishing start!

Yamaha has been a long-time supporter of the RLPO's education activities and Chappell's music shop at Yamaha London was pleased to supply instruments for use at the children's school in West Everton. We congratulate Peter Garden and the RLPO team and, of course, the children, their families, schools and communities for their commitment, enthusiasm and support for this exciting project. We'll watch their progress with great interest.

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(Posted 15/7/09)