SWeet! Recorder Consort CIC

THURSDAY 13th NOVEMBER 2025: SWeet! Superstars were made honorary students of the Junior Royal Academy of Music for the day, when they visited the London International Festival of Early Music in Blackheath!

First we heard a wonderful concert given by Junior Royal Academy of Music students, under the direction of their tutor, Barbara Law. Exploring the music of female composers, both past and present, this pioneering programme was very well-received. The Junior Academy students captivated us with their true mastery of our instrument, leaving us breathless and motivated to practice!

Following the concert, we attended a workshop, side-by-side with the Junior Academy students, where Barbara coached us altogether in three pieces by Thomas Weelkes 1576-1623. It was inspirational to see SWeet! students and Junior Academy students making such a warm ensemble sound, and playing so securely together under Barbara’s baton, even though they had only just met.

As a special treat, renowned professional recorder player Erik Bosgraaf visited the workshop and conducted us for a final play-through.

Many thanks to Erik Bosgraaf, Ann Barkway from LIFEM, and especially to Barbara Law for organising everything and making our students feel so welcome!

We are delighted to announce our freshly designed T-shirts and new folders, which were funded by the generous support of our newest funders, the

WALCOT FOUNDATION

Our beautiful new logo was designed by SWeet! student Ella G and voted for by group members during the academic year 2024-2025. It was realised by our Artist-In-Residence
Emma Rhodes – Artist and Illustrator – Home Page

The lighter green colour for our logo and T-shirts, plus the new durable non-tear plastic files, give us a smart, confident look which students love!

Thanks to Choral Music Site: Choral Sheet Music, SATB Vocal Scores & Downloads : Choraline for the files

and Iain Rae at https://erewhon.co.uk/ for the T-shirts.

Photo © 2021 Damian Prestidge (Prestidge Photography)

Celebrating the end of term after the Annual Midwinter Concert on Wednesday
Many, many thanks to the Michael Norwood Memorial Trust who donated x15 music stands, and an anonymous donor from Brixton who gave us the other x5

BBC Sounds Podcast With James Acaster

In March 2019, long before anyone had heard of Covid-19, the immensely talented and lovely James Acaster visited SWeet! and played recorder with our students. This wonderful podcast celebrates our kids, our community and our beautifully versatile little instrument. Enjoy!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p08tqrbp

Our Founding Director Netty Rhodes was recently a guest on Trinity College London’s lunchtime webinar. She discussed SWeet!’s work and how we have adapted our provision in socially distanced times. Please click on the link below to watch. The SWeet! webinar is about half way down the page, but there are plenty of other topics to enjoy too!

https://blog.trinitycollege.co.uk/trinity-music-lunchtime-chats

SWeet! is delighted to announce that Trinity College London has awarded us a grant from their newly-established Music & Drama Access Fund. This award will pay for examination fees, accompanist’s fees and a series of nine lessons for ten SWeet! students in 2020 or early 2021.

We would like to express our gratitude to Trinity College London for this very welcome support at what is a difficult time for everyone. It means that even in lockdown, SWeet! can continue to provide access to instrumental tuition for vulnerable children. Knowing they have the opportunity of taking a national examination gives students something to work towards, bringing real hope for the future.

…we are still practising hard!

SWeet! would like to thank our wonderful supporters at this most difficult of times. Life is different – but we are still making music!

SWeet! students are taking skills lessons via the Zoom app. Everyone is learning ensemble parts individually, and when they are ready, students will have fun playing along to a backing track in their own homes!

We miss each other and our audience very much. We are all looking forward to being together in rehearsal when it is safe again. We hope to be back on a concert platform before too long.

NOMINATE NOW!

https://www.ecclesiastical.com/movement-for-good/12-days

This only takes a minute of your time, and if we get enough nominations over the Christmas period, SWeet! could win £1000 from Ecclesiastical Insurance 12 Days of Giving.
The money would support the musical learning and activities of talented young people who otherwise could not afford to play an instrument.

Click on the link, tick “registration exempt”, cut and paste “SWeet! Recorder Consort CIC 10768189” for the charity name, and fill in your details. It’s so simple and would mean the world to our super young musicians.

THANK YOU!

On Sunday 10th November SWeet! competed in the recorder classes of the Beckenham Festival. Our consorts won The Martin Butler Cup and The Consort Cup, and two of our students jointly won the Sheila Richards Cup for solo performance. The adjudicator especially noted our students’ sensitive playing and super articulation. Everyone achieved an Honours score which is 85/100 and above!

We are super proud of each and every one of our talented and hard-working students who gave of their best to put on this amazing show. Many thanks to the adjudicator Rosanna Whitfield, accompanist Phoebe Yu and organiser Krista Partridge and her wonderful team.

We are very excited because next weekend SWeet! will compete in the Beckenham Festival and preparations are in full swing!
Here are video clips of two students rehearsing solo performances with their amazing accompanist Phoebe Yu. Our Steppingstones (beginner) student plays Turn The Glasses Over (Traditional, arr. Robin Hagues), and our Senior Superstars (advanced) student plays Burlesca alla Rumba (Gordon Jacob)

If you would like to hear more, please come along to support us!
Sunday 10th November 2019 at 9.45am
Marian Vian Primary School,
Shirley Crescent,
Beckenham
BR3 4AZ
£4 entry fee
We look forward to seeing you there!