Welcome to Friends of Bryanston Music - Celebrating and Supporting Music at Bryanston
As an Old Bryanstonian (Forrester 1966), I am delighted to have been asked by the school to be the Patron of Friends of Bryanston Music - a vibrant group open to all who enjoy music and recognise its importance to Bryanston and its community.
Bryanston has always placed the same level of importance on the arts as it has sport and academic studies, and this approach helped me and so many others discover and develop our passion for music. The Tom Wheare Music School is proof, if proof were needed, of that.
The breadth of music-making facilities and performance spaces within the Music School enable a wide range of performances to take place, from small, intimate concerts to the grander-scale Professional Concert Series.
On behalf of Bryanston and the Friends of Bryanston Music, I warmly invite you to come and enjoy a great and varied selection of performances by both talented Bryanston pupils and professional musicians.
Sir Mark Elder CH, CBE
Patron of Friends of Bryanston Music
Live@bry - Live screenings from the Royal Opera House, in the Coade Hall theatre
These performances are open to the public and tickets can be purchased through online booking - tickets.bryanston.co.uk.
Tuesday 8 October, 6.45pm
Opera: Don Giovanni
Thursday 24 October, 7.30pm
Opera: Don Pasquale
Tuesday 17 December, 7.15pm
Ballet: The Nutcracker
Friday 17 January, 7.30pm
Ballet: Sleeping Beauty
As a member of Friends of Bryanston Music, you will receive:
- Termly newsletters updating you on events, including Live@bry
- FBM members-only events.
Don't forget membership is free and open to all, simply complete the online registration form.
You can also find out more on the Friends of Bryanston Music Facebook page.
Weekly music events:
Bryanston Choral Society
Meet every Tuesday during term time at 7.30pm
Elder Concert Hall
All are welcome to this community choir for North Dorset as we get underway for the new season. We will be rehearsing Mozart’s Coronation Mass.
If you would like to attend a session, please contact Sally Clarke at info@bryanstonchoralsociety.co.uk.
Young Musician Showcases
Wednesdays 25 September, 2, 9 and 16 October, and 6 November, 8.15pm
John Eliot Gardiner Recital Room
Come and join us for a glass of wine and a relaxing 45 minutes of music from the finest Bryanston musicians.
Free admission. Prior booking not required.
Play and Listen Concerts
Every Thursday during term time from 26 September, 1.35pm
John Eliot Gardiner Recital Room
A weekly opportunity for pupils who wish to try out new repertoire in a friendly and supportive atmosphere.
Free admission. Prior booking not required.
Forthcoming events:
We have a wonderful programme in place for the autumn term 2019.
September:
Friday 27 September, 7.30pm
The Sons of Pitches
Coade Hall
The Sons of Pitches shot to fame in November 2015 when they were crowned winners of the BBC2 singing contest The Naked Choir, hosted by Gareth Malone. Their combination of soaring solos, impeccable harmonies and stunning beatboxing – mixed with a large dose of comedy – captivated the viewing public’s imagination. They have won multiple awards and their videos have had over two and a half million views on their YouTube channel.
Tickets £15 (£10 for under 18s, pupils and staff) plus booking fee. Book online at tickets.bryanston.co.uk.
October:
Thursday 3 October, 9.30am
Partnerships and Engagement: Music Education Conference
Tom Wheare Music School
Everyone who is interested in the future of music education is invited to join us for a day of learning, discussion and planning. Speakers include Professor Robert Saxton (Oxford University), Bridget Whyte (CEO Music Mark) and Simon Toyne (President of the Music Teachers Association).
£15 (plus booking fee) per delegate. For further information, please contact music@bryanston.co.uk or book online at tickets.bryanston.co.uk.
Thursday 3 October, 7.30pm
GCSE Drama: Pupil-Devised Exam Performances
Robson Fisher
In a landmark event for Bryanston, our first crop of GCSE Drama pupils offer four short pieces of theatre, working from different starting points set by the exam board. They have adopted the varied styles of Theatre in Education for younger pupils, Bertolt Brecht's Epic (political) Theatre and Physical Theatre to best explore their chosen topics of the environment, the scarily growing statistics of knife crime, the experience of dementia and loss of memory, and the often hidden or unrecognised role of child-carers. In addition to some superb acting, sound, set and costume designers have also contributed to the creation of these performances. Expect an entertaining evening of short and intriguingly varied performances.
Admission is free but tickets must be booked online at tickets.bryanston.co.uk.
Monday 7 October, 7.30pm
Salisbury Cathedral School and Bryanston School Chamber Choir
Elder Concert Hall
We are thrilled to be joined by this outstanding local choir for a concert of choral favourites including Brahms’ How Lovely Are Thy Dwellings and Parry’s Blest Pair of Sirens. Conductors and accompanists: David Halls, Will Ings, John Challenger and Graham Scott.
Free admission with a post-concert collection in aid of Blandford Community Kitchen. Prior booking not required.
Tuesday 8 October, 6.30pm
The Border by Afsaneh Gray
Produced by Theatre Centre 
Robson Fisher
“Stranger! Stranger… where are you?!”
Tick tock, the clock moves towards midnight. Life is about to be turned upside down for one small town as the border crossing is sealed shut, dividing here from there, us from them, this from that. In the midst of it all, Stranger, a young girl’s beloved dog, has gone missing. Tick tock. Will Stranger be found before the border closes, or will he be trapped forever on the “wrong” side?
With rumours of dog theft and whispers of runaway immigration, how far will the mayor dare to go in her fight for re-election? Does the refugee boy hold the clue to Stranger’s disappearance? As the bickering and bartering over boundaries moves into the eleventh hour, will one young girl change the course of history in her quest to find her dog?
The Border is an outrageous Brechtian parable that explores the lines we draw between ourselves and other people. Fusing Theatre Centre’s expertise in new writing with energetic staging, The Border will feature a live break-out debate where one girl, her dog and the audience find their voices – and their bark.
Not suitable for under 13s. Tickets £8 (£5 concessions) plus booking fee. Book online at tickets.bryanston.co.uk.
Friday 25 October, 7.30pm
Bryanston in London
Holy Trinity Church, Sloane Square
Our annual extravaganza will feature many of the School’s leading soloists and ensembles. Repertoire includes Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No. 1, Faure’s Elegié and Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2.
Free admission with retiring collection. Prior booking not required.
November:
Tuesday 5 November, 7.30pm
Professor Hilary Coates Piano Masterclass
Elder Concert Hall
Bryanston’s leading pianists are guided in their learning by Hilary Coates, renowned teacher at Wells Cathedral School and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.
For further information, please contact Beanie Bowkett at bmb@bryanston.co.uk.
Wednesday 20, Thursday 21, Friday 22 and Saturday 23 November, 7.30pm
Les Misérables School Edition (Not on Sale)
Coade Hall
Performed entirely by students
A musical by ALAIN BOUBLIL and CLAUDE-MICHEL SCHÖNBERG
School Edition special adaptation licensed by
MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL and CAMERON MACKINTOSH (OVERSEAS) LIMITED
In collaboration with The Blandford School, we are delighted to present the iconic Les Misérables School Edition. Based on Victor Hugo’s novel of the same name, the musical’s powerful portrayal of the life of ex-convict Jean Valjean, who becomes caught up in the valiant but doomed student revolution of 1832 in poverty-stricken Paris, has thrilled and moved audiences ever since its first performance in 1985. Including famous and stirring songs such as I Dreamed a Dream and Bring Him Home, Les Misérables School Edition is an unmissable theatrical experience and this exciting collaboration, involving a huge cast from across both schools, promises to be an epic and memorable show.
Tickets £15 (£12 concessions) plus booking fee. Book online at tickets.bryanston.co.uk.
Early booking is strongly advised.
Wednesday 27 November, 8.15pm
Ensembles Concert
Elder Concert Hall
Free admission. Prior booking not required.
December:
Tuesday 3 December, 8.15pm
Informal Dance Show
Robson Fisher
A chance for pupils to try out their own choreography in front of an informal audience.
Admission is free but tickets must be booked online at tickets.bryanston.co.uk.
Thursday 5 December, 6.30pm
OB and FBM Carol Service
St. Vedas, London
Please join us for this wonderful 45-minute carol service in London, followed by mince pies and mulled wine.
Admission is free but must places must be booked by emailing fbm@bryanston.co.uk.
Early booking is strongly advised.
