The Southwark Children's Band from London has been awarded £12,000 worth of funding for a concert tour to Paris in 2015.

Southwark was one of many applicants for the funding from London youth travel company, Club Europe, as part of their ‘Proud to Perform’ initiative which enables less advantaged music ensembles to go on tour.

The band is made up of children aged between 7 and 14 and meets every Saturday at the Harris Primary Academy in Peckham Park. The children come from Southwark and the surrounding London boroughs and from a wide range of social backgrounds.

Excited

MD Patty Harper, was delighted to have been awarded the funding, as she told 4BR: "The students are very excited at the prospect of going to Paris. A lot of our students are from less well-off families and have very few opportunities like this."

Patty added: "The tour will give them a sense of what is achievable with hard work and practice and how they can develop their performance skills, stamina and their musicality. I think their perception of what they are capable of will also grow as they see themselves playing to bigger audiences.

They are highly committed to practising and performing and I’m sure this tour will increase their confidence, enjoyment and vision for their musical future."

Assessed

All the applicants for the funding were assessed by a panel of specialists with experience of youth music touring, including Hanh Doan, Head of Music at Beaumont School in St. Albans; Jackie Schneider, a music education specialist, and student Thomas Fisher from Mill County High School High School in Barnet.

Impressed

"We were impressed with Southwark’s independence," commented Jackie Schneider.

"They are worthy recipients of this funding and have managed to sustain themselves as a small charity over many years.

They are a young group and I hope this funding is the start of a long legacy of touring for them and the beginning of a culture change which will raise their overall expectations.

It’s also good to see that the brass band tradition is alive and well in London!"

They are worthy recipients of this funding and have managed to sustain themselves as a small charity over many yearsJackie Schneider.

Support

Club Europe will be supporting and mentoring the group over the period leading up to the tour to Paris in 2015, which will include a performance at Disneyland.

"Normally our tours are paid for by students and parents with some occasional subsidy from schools and music services," explained Club Europe’s Head of Concert Tours Lucy Szymonski.

"We wanted to give an opportunity to a group who had all the drive and ability needed to tour but lacked the financial means to do so.

The tour will be a great platform for Southwark to showcase their talent to new audiences. Who knows where it will lead them!"