Hampshire Music 2000

Hampshire Music 2000 was a major and visionary Hampshire County Council Millennium initiative, which increased the musical opportunities for young people in Hampshire into the new Millennium, leaving a permanently enriched range of provision.

This successful and innovative project was organised and managed within Hampshire Music Service. A steering group, chaired by Councillor Felicity Hindson, included representative members, officers, Hampshire Music Service staff, Headteachers, and parents.

Hampshire Music 2000 was launched in July 1998 and included three main areas of activity.

By August 2000 Hampshire Music 2000 achieved:

	2000 musical events by school / college, area / county and community ensembles
	acquired 2000 additional instruments for use in schools and ensembles
	enabled 2000 young people to play together in a "Grand Finale" three-day music festival

Two further creative opportunities completed this inspirational project:

A £25,000 major award from the Millennium Festival Fund funded a new composition. This unique commission celebrates Hampshire's heritage and culture through music, and produced a long-lasting legacy to the project's achievements.

A primary school song competition produced the "Hampshire Millennium Songbook" for the musical benefit of future decades of young singers.

The project aims of Hampshire Music 2000 were to:

	build on and expand the range of musical activities in Hampshire, including particular consideration of access to the highest quality musical experiences and inclusiveness for all Hampshire young people.
	increase the numbers of pupils learning to play musical instruments.
	celebrate the commitment of the County Council, and the role of Hampshire Music Service in supporting music for the people of Hampshire.
	reinforce the important place of music in the curriculum of Hampshire schools.
	encourage, support and enrich the musical creativity in Hampshire schools.
	provide a memorable, exciting and musically worthwhile range of events into and beyond the Millennium.
	encourage further development of community links through music within and outside Hampshire.

Activity since its launch in July 1998 Hampshire Music 2000 achieveded:

	Over 2000 musical events - opportunities for joint performances in prestigious venues
	A countywide strategy for concert scheduling to limit the duplication of activities
	More than 2000 musical instruments - increasing the access and equality of opportunity to learn to play
	A termly newsletter to update achievements and raise the profile of the project across the county
	Articles in cross-county publications - Spotlight, Newsline and Governors' Magazine
	£25,000 from the Millennium Festival Fund to support the Millennium composition
	£25,000 from the Dayas award scheme to fund regional events and masterclasses
	£12,500 from Ericsson Mobile Communications to sponsor the Grand Finale
	Support for equipment and workshops in special schools through the purchase of a "Soundbeam"
	Local business donation of instruments
	Photo: IBM donate two trumpets to HM2000
	Promotional goods to spread the project logo and slogan in a child-centred way
	The launch of the Hampshire Gamelan - 21 July 1999, The Great Hall, Winchester
	Photo: The new Hampshire Gamalan
	Performances by five county ensembles at the Royal Festival Hall as part of the National Festival of Music for Youth
	A Winter Prom, 29 November 1999 at The Anvil, Basingstoke
	Hampshire County Youth Orchestra broadcast on Classic FM as part of the second major award through the Sainsbury's Orchestra Series
	A special school celebration of music
	Performances by the County Youth Band and Jazz Orchestra at the Rotary Club annual conference
	Two recorder extravaganzas, bringing together many pupils from primary and secondary schools
	Tours to Switzerland and Italy by county ensembles
	A performance at the Labour Party conference by the County Youth Band
	A joint performance by school, area and community ensembles in Bordon
	A record breaking attempt of Key Stage 1 recorder players
	The Grand Finale three-day festival on 14/15/16 July 2000 at The Anvil

The media coverage from these events brought much credit to Hampshire for its support of this innovative project. The project stimulated strong partnerships between schools, Hampshire Music Service and community ensembles. Many events enabled high quality joint performances in prestigious venues across Hampshire.

These performance opportunities enrich the lives of both performers and audience alike and foster cross-curricular skills of self confidence, self discipline, concentration and motivation. Achievement in music is possible at all ages and at all levels. This inclusiveness and opportunity for lifelong learning allows all participants to realise their musical potential whilst gaining great enjoyment from the involvement in performance.

Hampshire Music 2000 offered the highest quality musical opportunities to the greatest number of people and ensured:

"the future sounds good in Hampshire."

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