Once again, Leeds Symphony Orchestra will be performing for Leeds schools.

The annual Leeds Symphony Orchestra Schools’ Concert will take place on Monday 7^th July 2025 at 7.00-9.00pm at Bishop Young CofE Academy.  This free event is suitable for any instrumentalists in your school, together with all KS4 and KS5 Music students.  The concert provides a great opportunity for students to hear a live orchestral performance, together with introductions to the repertoire and the instruments of the orchestra, led by the conductor.

To book your free tickets, please fill out this google form.

During this session you will have an opportunity to meet with other Subject Leaders from across the city to share national and local up-dates. However, the main focus of the session will be led by Dan Francis from RSL Awards.  We will have the opportunity to hear about Key Stage 4 courses and materials, ways in which RSL resources can be used to support Key Stage 3 and how this can aid progression into VQ and GCSE Music.  Dan will also talk about how RSL can support colleagues with the opportunities and challenges of the Model Music Curriculum.

Booking for the session is via Leeds for Learning using this link: https://www.leedsforlearning.co.uk/Event/130856  You will receive the Zoom link automatically when you book on to the course. Please do ensure that your booking has been checked out otherwise you may not receive the link.

As always, we are grateful to Leeds Music Education Partnership (LMEP) for the funding that enables us to offer this session free of charge to up to 2 delegates from ALL Leeds Secondary Schools and Academies.

An inspirational new cinematic film will feature stunning footage of the BBC Philharmonic performing a new selection of orchestral music, representing a wide range of styles and eras relevant to the music curriculum.  Each piece will be introduced by celebrity presenters known to the age group, using an engaging mix of live action and animation.

Reasons to be involved

• Supported by Ofsted, LMEP partners and other leading arts and music organisations
• Opportunity to be part of an inspirational nationwide BBC initiative

Involvement in the project will:

• help schools deliver the music curriculum
• provide a transition opportunity from primary to secondary
• provide cross-curricular stimulus for the performing arts
• encourage creative thinking and independent learning in pupils
• foster collaborative working  and self confidence
• inspire performance opportunities to showcase pupils’ creativity

BBC Resources will include:

• At least to 400 FREE screenings of an exciting and immersive film in cinemas around the UK – local to  us in Leeds are

Cineworld Wakefield, 2 screenings on 6th October at 10.00 and 11.15

Odeon Leeds Bradford 2 screenings on 8th October at 10.00 and 11.30

York City Screen Picturehouse, 8th October at 10.00

• FREE DVD of the Ten Pieces film for UK secondary schools
• lesson plans and background on repertoire and composers
• downloadable audio of the ten pieces
• inspirational films, including masterclasses, to encourage creativity
• arrangements of the repertoire to suit a range of abilities
• cross-curricular resources

Timeline
Phase 1: Inspiration – October 2015

• Register for the project by signing up for the newsletter on the website. You will receive news and links to new classroom resources regularly.
• Attend FREE nationwide screenings of the Ten Pieces Secondary film (NB cinema places are limited)
• Receive FREE DVD of  film (1 copy for each secondary school, you can place your order now)
• Explore educational resources on the Ten Pieces website (available from summer term 2015)
• Link up with your local Ten Pieces Champion (see website for more details)

Phase 2: Exploration and creativity – October 15 to March 16

• Pupils can explore the repertoire further, and develop creative responses inspired by one or all of the pieces in a variety of ways:
• dance
• animation or digital art
• performance poetry
• composition (jazz, world music, folk, classical, pop or coded)

Upload pupils’ creative responses to the Ten Pieces website for possible inclusion in the online showcase(deadline:  Friday 18th March 2016)

Phase 3: Performance – April to July 2016

• hold your own celebratory concert in your school or community take part in finale events hosted by your local Ten Pieces Champion

What people have been saying:

“I believe that the Ten Pieces project has been one of the most significant initiatives within the field of music education.”  Philip Litchfield, Berkshire Maestros

“The YMI (Youth Music Initiative) tutors, teachers and pupils are loving the project….It is such a full, well thought-out structure that has captured the imagination of pupils and their families… an amazing project with fantastic resources!” Gillian Mooney, Falkirk Community Trust

“It has broken barriers that haven’t been broken before.” Emma Coulthard, Cardiff Music Development Service

“I am close to exploding with excitement as the Ten Pieces initiative had such a profound effect on the community, not just the individual pupils. In fact the effect was so powerful that I am in the process of launching instrumental lessons on a scale like no other!” Gaer Primary School, Newport, Wales

Next steps:
Check out the Ten Pieces Secondary repertoire here.
Sign up to the Ten Pieces newsletter here.
Book your FREE tickets to see the Ten Pieces film at a local cinema screening here.
Order your FREE copy of the Ten Pieces film on DVD here.