New from the Citadel for their 21st birthday season!

"We’ve something for everyone, with the legendary songwriter Midge Ure on Friday 28th August, Brit award winning Finley Quaye in September, Edgar Jones’ Freepeace plus Mark Morriss of The Bluetones in October, and Squeeze front man Glenn Tilbrook in November.

Blues highlights include, Eddie & the Hotrods, Nine Below Zero, Danny Bryant’s Redeye Band and The Animals & Friends.

Folk fans have An Evening with PJ and Peggy, the Phil Beer Band, Eliza Carthy, plus the up and coming Wirral band Elbow Jane to get excited about.

Everyone at music-net wants to congratulate the Citadel on their fantastic success in securing a Big Lottery award for their Music Mecca project. We're looking forward to hearing all about it at our music-net meeting in October.

It’s a three year project for young people aged 10-18, including those who are disadvantaged or disengaged, to participate in weekly music workshops and access monthly dry bar music events at the Citadel. The project, which will be led by a steering group of young people, will also see a new Citadel interactive website.

Our next meeting is on 8th September and not the 1st september as would be expected - too close to the bank holiday for everyone.

So that's 2 - 3.30 at the Citadel on Tuesday 8th September - all welcome.

St.Helens Council has announced a change to the line-up for Saturdays (August 8th) St.Helens Live Music Festival. Mutya Buena has had to cancel due to filming commitments for her forthcoming new single. However, this does give local artists an increased opportunity to showcase their talent.

One of the country's hottest r&b and hip-hop acts, N-DUBZ, will headline the Festival in Victoria Square, St.Helens.

NDubz will be supported by Chipmunk – the MOBO & UMA Best UK Newcomer award- winning 18 year-old rising star of hip hop and KOF - Liverpool's very own hip hop star. The event will also showcase a selection of local talent from across the North West including Adam Eburne, Lanca, MC Rasp, Anamal and Double Dutch.

Last year a fascinating and unusual programme of violin-based jazz was enjoyed by the Sinfonietta's small but keen Lunchtime Recital public.  Everyone thought the performers deserved a wider hearing, and the result was An Evening of Jazz on Wednesday 8th July, presented by Don May (violin) with Tom Sykes (5-string violin), John Wheatcroft (guitar), John Harper (guitar) and John McCormick (bass).  Their style is virtuoso modern jazz based on "standards" -- tunes most of us know in their unjazzed form, and can follow through the variations (if our brains are equal to it).

**** UPDATE - they beat the record - 582 drummers, raising over £34,000 so far -- congratulations to everyone. ****

Ian Haskell, who was our drum leader at the recent St Helens Festival, is taking an active part in a world record breaking attempt on Monday.

The Stick it to MS event aims to bring together 600 drummers to Birmingham's National Indoor arena on Monday July 13th. Hopefully they'll be pounding their way into the record books. They're sure they can beat the current record of 533 drummers set 3 years ago in the US.

Today will see St Helens Music Net open proceedings in the Music and Performing Arts Pavilion, showcasing the best young talent from local music schools and development programmes.

Compered by Music Net founder and resident crowd pleaser Steve Kinsey, the line up promises to kick things off in suitably raucous style:

Noon Silent Thunder - Blackbrook's finest.
12.30pm St Helens Music Academy presents.
1pm Mr J - Rainhill rock idols.

and then its back to the Music Net Grotto for -
2-4pm The Beating Heart Rhythm Workshop - Djembe drumming with session ace Ian Haskell.

Our workshops came to a grand finale today with the last session. This pilot project was funded by NHS Halton & St Helens through their Bright Ideas funding scheme. We wanted to see if we could demonstrate a link between music and wellbeing. We're just going through all the evaluation forms now, but we already know that everyone who took part had a great time. We were all inspired.

Here's a small section of video showing a small section of one of the sessions:

That's the question posed in this press release, from Warrington - but surely of interest to the Brass fans here in St Helens? Snap up your tickets soon for this very special event:

Brisbane Excelsior Band and Bactiguard Wire Brass are to play a tribute concert for Goff Richards in Warrington, Cheshire on Thursday 10th September 2009.

This is one not to miss ! The top ranked brass band in Australia, Brisbane Excelsior Band, are flying half way around the world to perform at this years British Open brass band contest,. Prior to their performance at the contest they will be performing a concert with Bactiguard Wire Brass at Warrington’s Parr Hall on Thursday 10th September. (for tickets, contact the Parr Hall Box Office directly on 01925 442345).

“Viennese” concerts always draw an audience, but this one by Alan Free and the St. Helens Sinfonietta had more drawing-power than most, and was duly crowded.

It rocketed away with a true Johann Strauss feast – the spectacular Overture to Die Fledermaus, the Tritsch Tratsch Polka, and the magnificent Emperor Waltz, a rich procession of intoxicating tunes with military as well as romantic overtones. The soloist of the evening was the vivacious soprano Debbie Bennett, a native of St. Helens, whose gorgeous voice, flawless technique and fine musicianship are at the service of her supreme talent for communication. The inevitable Vilia (Lehár – magic as always) and Laughing Song (Strauss), both beautifully sung, massaged our sense of being “at home” in this concert. The waltzes and polkas continued.