bulletin

Autumn 2013

Welcome to the autumnedition of the CânSing bulletin– and as you will see theCânSing team has been verybusy since our last edition.We have been recording newsongs and filming new, teacher-focused, tutorial videos – formore information please seethe ‘latest resources’ section.I certainly hope you enjoy ournew Christmas resources –please do share recordings ofyour school/choir/groupperforming, we would love toadd these to our website.

This year, another 200 schoolswill participate in CânSingtraining – and we havedelivered several training daysalready this term and othersare planned – if you know of aschool who hasn’t yet engagedwith CânSing – please do getin touch.

No doubt, many of you willhave read the recent ‘Arts inEducation Review’ report andthe recommendations. Wewere pleased to see theCânSing project mentioned sopositively and hope that thisreport will help us to demonstratehow much teachers utilise theresources and training offeredvia the programme.

In the meantime, as we willnot issue another bulletinbefore Christmas, may I wishyou ‘Seasons Greetings’ anda happy 2014!

If you wish to get in touch with me, please emailsuzanne.barnes@castcymru.org.uk.Kind regards, Suzanne,CânSing Project Manager.

Singing on the estateWelsh National Opera’s WrexhamStreet Songs is a three-yearcommunity arts programme runby Wrexham County andCânSing vocal animateur, RuthEvans, also works for the WNOYouth and CommunityDepartment. This gave Ruth agreat opportunity to use CânSingrepertoire for a new WNO FamilyChoir.

Côr Caia Choir is a free familychoir based on the Caia ParkEstate in Wrexham. Bringingtogether children and adults forfun and friendship throughsinging, the choir was formed inApril 2013 and conducted byRuth. The choir gave its first publicperformance in St Joseph’sSchool Wrexham on NationalCânSing day in June,alongside Welsh National Operasinging doctor Zoe Milton-Brown.

The choir performed three items of CânSing repertoire at theconcert: ‘Calypso’, ‘Scoo BeDoo’ and ‘World inUnion’. That samemonth they alsorecorded a CD andtwo of the songs from that recording,

‘Calypso’ and ‘Scoo Be Doo’, are from the CânSing repertoire.

In September, the choir re-started for the year and want torecruit more singers! Côr CaiaChoir returns led by the brilliantmusical director (and CânSinganimateur) Jenny Pearson andaccompanist Annette Bryn Parri.Rehersals are every Tuesday ofterm time (3.30pm–5.00pm, withsnacks) at the Kingsley CircleCommunity Centre, Caia Park.

If you would like any furtherinformation about the choir orwant a free Côr Caia Choir CDplease email WNO Youth andCommunity Producerruth.evans@wno.org.uk

(www.facebook.com/streetsongs)

I was inspired to form a children’schoir after being on a CânSingTraining Day earlier this year.Being a music teacher andmother of four, I found that therewas a gap in the provision in thearea and a lack of opportunitiesfor children to sing together, andto enjoy and socialise throughmusic. Many of the primaryschools in the Conwy Valley are relatively small and rural and under-resourced to form a school choir. With YsgolDyffryn Conwy and RuthOwen, the accompanist’svaluable support, we startedrehearsal in early April this year.We had 52 enthusiastic andtalented children from years 5 to 8 in the first rehearsal at YsgolDyffryn Conwy, Llanrwst, andsince then the choir has gonefrom strength to strength.

Another objective was tosupport the Eisteddfodau andlocal festivals, and earlier thissummer we competed in theNational Eisteddfod at Denbigh.When looking for suitable piecesfor our programme we had tolook no further than the CânSingwebsite and we selected two of

the songs: ‘Song of the Elements’by Robat Arwyn and a translationof ‘Sing out loud’by EinionDafydd. Because ‘Song of theElements’ was specifically aboutchoosing instruments to addcolour to the performance, thiswas also a great opportunity forthe choir’s instrumentalists toshow off their skills and play thetrumpet, trombone and flute asan accompaniment. ‘Sing outloud’ was the challenging optionto complete the programme andthe words of the Welsh anthemworked perfectly with the rhythmof the rap. The experience ofconducting the choir on theNational Eisteddfod’s stage andseeing the choir members’enthusiastic response was simplybreathtaking. As the judges said,‘the children’s faces spokevolumes and the audience’sresponse deafening’!

The CânSing website has been

invaluable to us as instructors andthe children loved the exercisesand fun songs. The fact that theindividual parts can be heard inevery song is very useful as someless experienced learners canlisten and learn the pieces athome and parents are also ableto offer support. Several parentshave praised the website andcommenting they have neverheard their children sing so mucharound the house!

Thank you so much CânSing forthe inspiration and for making allthis possible. The lives of 52children and their parents here in the Conwy Valley have beengreatly enhanced as a result. We are hoping to compete at the North Wales Choral Festival in Llandudno in a few weeks.Many thanks to Lluniau Llwyfanfor their kind permission to use the photograph.

Côr DonIau’r Dyffryn Elin Angharad Davies

Training dates6 NovemberTwilight Session: WNO, Cardiff 11 NovemberRCT: TD2 (English medium)13 NovemberTwilight Session: Ysgol Tan yMarian, Colwyn Bay14 NovemberCardiff/Vale: TD2 (English medium)

Up to date?Are you receiving all the latest information about CânSing?If you’ve changed your email address and wish to keep up to date with all the latest information about CânSing please emailowaingethin@cansing.org.uk with your new address so we canupdate our details.

Do you still remember your username/password?If you’ve forgotten your username or password for using all theCânSing resources please email owaingethin@cansing.org.uk toretrieve your details.

CaST CymruUnit 1, Forest StudiosCeinws, MachynllethPowys SY20 9HA

10/13

Tel: 01654 761568www.castcymru.org.ukwww.cansing.org.uk

Are you following us on Twitter?

Follow us @cansingcymru for all the latest news about

training events and new resources.

The latest tweets can be found on the

home page of our websitewww.cansing.org.uk.

Latest resourcesTo help you and your learners to prepare for yourChristmas activities in school there will be two newChristmas songs/resources on the site very soon!

They are‘Christmas Carol medley’(trad. arr. OsianRowlands) and ’The twelve days of Christmas’(trad. arr. Owain Gethin Davies).

Earlier this month we published a flyer withinformation about all of our Christmas songs/resources. This is also available to download fromour website.

We will also be releasing another five songs forFoundation Phase based on the following themes:School, Measuring, Colours, Planting and Senses.

Following the popularity of our video clips on thewebsite we will be developing 10 new video clipswith tutorials on how to deliver specific warm upactivities. We will also be adding some new beatboxing videos featuring Ed Holden and providingextra support for the song ‘Stand by me’ which isalready on the CânSing website. For moreinformation about the resources please emailsuzanne.barnes@castcymru.org.uk.

Similar songsWe have added a new feature in our song sectionon the website.

When you view any song screen there will be tworecommendations of other similar songs that youcould learn/sing following working on your currentsong. View any song on www.cansing.org.uk to seethis new feature.

Dates, facts and figures:average monthly visits to the CânSing website.

New record!