Benedetti Sessions in Beacon Hall

Three days, 1550 children, led by 40 musicians – testing out one transformed venue.

Last weekend (3-5 November 2023) we put Beacon Hall to the ultimate test, by inviting hundreds of children over three days to make music together, for the Bristol Benedetti Sessions.

We worked with the Benedetti Foundation and the Earthsong Foundaion, to invite young musicians from schools participating in our Earthsong Programme, along with children from across the South West, to join celebrated musician Nicola Benedetti and her team of music tutors and ambassadors, for a weekend of music making and performance.

On Friday 3 November, Year 3 students involved in the Earthsong programme joined young musicians from across the city, for a day of musicianship. Presenter Lucy Drever and percussionist Calum Huggan introduced the pupils to music making through singing, movement and fun – covering pulse, rhythm, pitch and harmony.

Nicola Benedetti and her Foundation joined us in Beacon hall on Saturday and Sunday for the Bristol Benedetti Sessions, hosting young people of all ages and stages and instrumental teachers from across Bristol. The Sessions approach music in a way that inspires fun and enjoyment, a greater sense of togetherness, and a true abandonment of caution, as well as connecting to creativity, rhythm and improvisation.

The Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Orchestras came together on Sunday to work on an arrangement of Paganini’s Caprice No 24 by The Ayoub Sisters for mass string orchestra. Participants also worked on one piece in individual orchestras during the Sessions and received music and tutorial videos in advance to help prepare.

The weekend was also an opportunity for Bristol string teachers to gain professional development from the Benedetti Foundation team. Over the three days, they had the opportunity to forge new relationships with those in similar positions, to inspire, motivate, learn and develop, whilst sharing knowledge and learning from professional musicians and music leaders.

As some of the first young people to sing and play together in our transformed venue, the Benedetti Sessions weekend proved a truly unique inspirational experience for Bristol’s young musicians and our Earthsong schools, and we look forward to welcoming many of them back at Bristol Beacon for generations to come.