The Diocesan Music Scholarship
written by Anna Sellars, Milnthorpe.
I recently had the opportunity to take part in the Lancaster Diocesan Music Summer School. The Summer School is part of a Scholarship, which is aimed at young people from 13 to 25, who can sing or play a musical instrument to any ability.
The idea is to join our young people in the diocese together and incorporate music into the catholic faith. Over the year there are 4 residential. These consist of 3 weekends (1 a term) usually at Brettargh Holt nr Kendal and a 5-day Summer School at Ushaw College nr Durham that this year runs from 4-8 August 2008.
Although I was only able to take part in 1 weekend, I did attend the Summer School. When I arrived everyone was really welcoming and keen to include me into the group. During this time we spent our time writing music parts for the mass, practicing pieces of music on anything from Violins to Electric guitars, learning about the history of church music (now I know it sounds boring, but it’s really not) and taking part in drama & movement sessions.
The Summer School is not all work, we had plenty of free time which we used as sessions to play anything but Church Music, we swapped each other’s instruments, played cricket or rounders with lot’s of cheating, and had time in Durham for shopping. And finally had a concert on Thursday evening when everyone performed at least once. You couldn’t get some people off the stage it was so good.
The Diocesan Music Scholarship is a really motivating and fun loving opportunity for any young person, I will be attending the Summer School again this year and hope that you will to.
If you are interested in further details of the Diocesan Youth Music Scholarship, please contact Maureen Cooper on 01772 828977
Saturday 15 November
