Newsletter July 2025

Thank you !

As we approach the final weeks of the summer term and wrap up another academic year, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our students and families for your wonderful support. We hope you’ve enjoyed learning and growing with us over the past year.

It’s been an exciting and rewarding time, with exam sessions held both here at the Music School and at external centres, memorable performances at the Christmas Tree Festival at St Mary’s Church in December, and our fantastic Gatehouse Show in April.

And the year’s not over yet—there’s still plenty to look forward to, including recorded exams with both Rock School and Trinity and our Summer Concert at St Mary’s Church on Sunday 20th July. More information on how to purchase tickets for the summer concert can be found here.

Direct Debit Payments

For all students continuing lessons with us until the end of term, the final payment to cover lessons taken during the current academic year will be charged on 1st August 2025

Leavers

For any students leaving us at the end of this term, please email laura@staffordmusicschool.co.uk by Friday 11th July. The direct debit will be cancelled after the August payment has been collected.

Fees from 1st September 2025

From 1st September, our new monthly fees will be:

One to One Lessons £60

Yamaha Group Lessons £53

Vocal Group Lessons £40

We will also continue to offer a discount on second courses/family members to support families who learn with us together or for students wanting to learn more than one instrument.

New Classes in September

The next opportunity for a Guitar Taster lesson will be on Friday 5th September at 5.30pm with John. Please get in touch if you would like to reserve a place in this session.

For any aspiring singers, we have spaces now in our Vocal Classes at the times below. To book a taster session in any of these classes, please get in touch.

Mondays 6pm (adults)

Saturday 10am (8-12 years)

Notification of Changes

If you require any change to the current lesson time/day for next term, please email admin@staffordmusicschool.co.uk as soon as possible. We are already in the process of checking our registers for availability in September so that times can be confirmed before the Summer break and any spaces then offered to those on our waiting lists.

Term Dates

We break up for Summer after lessons on Sunday 27th July and will return on Monday 1st September. Full term dates for the year can be found pinned at the top of our Facebook page and also on our website via the link: www.staffordmusicschool.co.uk/docs

Please remember we post regularly to Facebook, Instagram and X (@musicstafford) and any important updates can be found on the news section of our website.

We hope you all enjoy the Summer break and as always, if there are any questions, please get in touch.

Many Thanks

Laura

Principal
Stafford Music School

Summer Performance - Sunday 20th July at St Mary's Church

We are looking forward to our Summer Concert at St Mary’s Church on Sunday 20th July.

This will be an opportunity for our students to showcase their talents in small group and solo performances on Keyboard, Piano, Guitar and Vocals.

Performers should arrive around 2.30pm and we will seat most of the performers towards the front of the church in allocated seats.

We have lots of fantastic performances with a short interval and we expect to be finished no later than 5.15pm.

Please click here for the Programme of performers.

The concert will start at 3pm and tickets are now available to purchase.

Tickets are priced at £10.00 for adults and £5 or children. Performers are free.

Payment can be made via Bank Transfer before Saturday 19th July or by cash on the day.

Bank Details:

Sort Code: 404303
Account Number : 72118068

Please complete the form below to reserve your tickets and we will pass them on at the next lesson or on the day of the concert.

CONCERT Information - Sunday 6th April

CONCERT REGISTRATION – Concert Starts at 3.30pm

• The coffee shop will be open from 2.30pm.

• Performers should once again be dropped off at the stage door to be registered and then escorted backstage to be seated in the theatre.

• Students performing in the first half should arrive at 2.45pm.

• Students for the second half should arrive no later than 3pm. Please see set list below.

• We ask that performers only bring essential items with them to the concert (no large bags or valuables please).

• Parents and Guardians can then enter the theatre through the main doors and take their seats in the theatre.

• During the 20-minute interval, we advise children remain with their chaperones, however if parents/guardians wish to collect children from their chaperones, please ensure they are de registered and then return to their chaperone in readiness for the second half.

• At the end of the Concert, performers will exit the theatre with Chaperones who will de-register them when released to Parents/Guardians from the Writers Room/Coffee Shop.

• Parents/Guardians should bear right at the bottom of the main staircase to enter the Writers room and collect students from their chaperones before exiting via the coffee shop.

• To avoid congestion, we ask that only one Parent or Guardian collects each student.

• A release consent form is available for over 12’s and can be completed by following the link below. This must be completed by Monday 31st March.

  Release Consent Form

• STUDENTS PERFORMING IN ‘BLUEY THEME, ‘HAPPY DAY, SHEPHERDS HEY ’ & ‘LONDON BRIDGE’ are seated with parents and can enter the theatre through the main entrance and take their seats from 3pm.  Please ensure we have been given your seat number so that staff can collect your child for their performance.

• We will not have printed programmes. You can print at home or view on your device.

  Programme 2025

• For outfit suggestions please click here and here.

Gatehouse Main Entrance and Stage Door Access

REHEARSAL Information for Sunday 6th April

CONCERT REHEARSALS AT STAFFORD GATEHOUSE THEATRE

Please read this information carefully

On Sunday 6th April, all songs will be rehearsed at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre between 11am-2pm. Please see drop off and collection times below. 

• Performers should arrive at the stage door at the specified time below and register with Kate and the team. See below for location of stage door.

• Parents and Guardians will be asked to drop off and return at the specified times below to collect their children. Staff will escort performers backstage and into the theatre in readiness for their rehearsal. After rehearsing, they will be released to Parents and Guardians at the stage door.

• Children over the age of 12 can be released unsupervised provided this consent form:  https://forms.gle/4aLZ7j48gd6m34Va7 is completed by Monday 31st March.

• Students performing on more than one song should be collected after their final song.

• We suggest that students who are with us during most of the rehearsals bring a small bottle of water, a book or something to keep occupied and a snack which can be eaten backstage if necessary.

• Food is not allowed in the theatre during rehearsals.

• As stipulated by the Gatehouse, all students must leave after rehearsals and parents cannot be admitted to watch rehearsals.

Please arrive/drop off at the Stage Door.

Sunday 23rd March - Stafford Half Marathon Road Closures

Sunday 23rd March is the date for the annual ‘Stafford Half Marathon’ which means the town will be busy with competitors and spectators and there will also be some road closures in place on Sunday morning. Immediately around the Music School will not be accessible by car so you will need to park up and walk in.

Please see below for the route and more information on Road Closures.

We think best potential parking places could be the Supermarkets, for example Asda or Tesco. 

B&M and Aldi car park access is only closed from 10.15 to 10.45am, so that might be suitable depending on the start of your lesson time. Chell Road will be particularly busy and Sainsbury's car park could be used by a lot of the competitors so it might be best to avoid that area.

Please allow plenty of time to arrive for your lesson this week and call us if you need any help finding your way to us.

GCSE & A LEVEL Music Support Sessions

During the Easter Break we can offer limited spaces for one to one support sessions with John for GSCE or A Level Music. 

Each lesson is charged at our usual rate of £16.95 in advance.

If you would like to book a session, please complete the form below and we will contact you to arrange.

Concert Tickets and Rehearsal Information

Our annual concert returns this year, taking place on Sunday 6th April at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre. There will be one performance at 3.30pm and students will play in groups with teachers on stage to help and conduct.

The concert should last around 1hr 30mins in total with an interval of 20 mins and we will have a variety of musical styles, with singers, guitarists, keyboardists and pianists combined.

Please let us know as soon as possible if you or your child will not take part in the concert so we have an accurate number of students performing.

Child Performance Licenses

We have applied for a license exemption for the concert and most of our students will not need a performance license to take part. If you have received a text reminder to complete our enrolment form, please do this as soon as possible so we have the information required by the council.

If your child has performed on more than 4 days within a 6-month period, your child will require a performance licence. If this applies, please email laura@staffordmusicschool.co.uk

Concert Tickets
Tickets will go on sale from Monday 3rd March at £19.50 per ticket. Tickets can ONLY be purchased directly from the Gatehouse at the Box office situated at the Gatehouse or via the website www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk.

Most of the performers will be seated with chaperones and supervising adults in the theatre in a designated section throughout the concert and will not need to purchase a ticket.

Performers taking part in ‘Shepherds Hey’ ‘Happy Day’, ‘London Bridge’ and ‘Bluey Theme’ will be seated with parents throughout the concert in a designated area of the theatre. You should ask for a ‘performers free ticket’ when booking at the Gatehouse Box Office. These tickets cannot be booked online. Members of staff will escort students from the audience to the backstage area to perform.

Seating Plan
There will be a seating plan in reception and on our website before tickets go on sale. This will indicate what we feel to be the best areas to sit in the audience according to where the performers will be on stage. Please be aware that we do use two levels of risers on stage, so sitting too close to the front may hinder the view of keyboard and guitar students.

Rehearsals
Rehearsals will take place at the Music School in Suite 1 on Sunday 9th March. Please see the timetable below. Parents are welcome to drop off or remain with their children, however please be aware the school does get very busy as lessons will also be taking place in Suite 2.

The following groups will not need to attend the Music School on Sunday 9th March as they will rehearse in class and also at the Gatehouse on the morning of the concerts.

‘Happy Day’ (Georgia’s Saturday 9am class)

‘London Bridge’, (Georgia’s Sunday 10am class)

‘Dance off’ (Georgia’s Monday 6pm class)

‘Shepherds Hey’ (Alison’s Students)

Concert Day Rehearsals

On the day of the concert, there will be short rehearsals between 11.00am – 2pm at the Gatehouse Theatre, to enable sound checks and to give students the opportunity to play through the songs. A timetable will be available on our website from 10th March at www.staffordmusicschool.co.uk/news. It is very important that as many students as possible attend the rehearsals, so that they feel comfortable with the venue and we can ensure the best sound quality.

Photos & Video
We will film the concert and videos will be available to purchase via a digital download as soon as possible after the concerts. If you do not wish your child to be filmed, please let us know.
We ask that there is no flash photography while the students are playing as it can disturb the performance.

Important information regarding the concert will be posted on :
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Staffordmusicschool
Instagram https://instagram.com/musicstafford &
Our website www.staffordmusicschool.co.uk. So please keep an eye on these pages to keep up to date.

We also have a Whatsapp Channel to keep you informed. Search for ‘Stafford Music School’.

Further information will follow regarding registration on the day of the concert.

We are really looking forward to seeing our students perform again at the Gatehouse Theatre. For our new students, there are a few short videos from previous concerts on our YouTube channel to give you an idea of what to expect.

If you have any queries at all, please let us know.
Many Thanks,

Laura Thatcher

Principal, Stafford Music School

REHEARSAL TIMES ON 9TH MARCH AT STAFFORD MUSIC SCHOOL

12.30 FLEETWOOD MAC MEDLEY

1.00 SUSPICIOUS MINDS

1.15 BLUEY THEME

1.30 PRETENDER

1.45 MORE THAN A FEELING

2.00 LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU

2.15 BREAK

2.30 HOLD THE LINE

2.45 RED RIVER ROCK

3.00 FOOTLOOSE

3.15 LOVE ME AGAIN

3.30 SATISFACTION

3.45 BREAK

4.15 BAD GUY

4.30 DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT

4.45 LIFE IS A HIGHWAY

5.00 GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN

5.15 SOMETHING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO HEAVEN

Welcome Back to 2025!

We’re excited to be back after the Christmas break! It has been wonderful to welcome back existing students as well as meeting new students starting their journey with us.

Here’s a quick update for the forthcoming term with dates for your diaries.

Instrumental Classes

A New Year brings new classes and we still have a few spaces for taster lessons for all ages over the coming weeks. Please get in touch if you would like to reserve a space in any of the taster lessons and remember we offer a 10% discount on second courses for students or immediate family members.

Saturday 18th Jan at 2pm

🎹 Yamaha Keyboard or Guitar for beginners (Age 8+)

Wednesday 22nd Jan at 5pm

🎹 Yamaha Junior Keyboard Course for beginners (Age 5-7)

Monday 27th Jan at 2pm

🎸 Adult Guitar Group (all levels welcome, lessons tailored accordingly)

Vocal Classes

🎤 Tuesdays 5pm or Saturdays 10am (Age 8-12)

🎤 Tuesdays 6pm (Age 12+)

Save the Date!

Yamaha / Rock School Exams

📆 Sunday 2nd February @ Stafford Music School

Concert Rehearsals

📆 Sunday 9th March @ Stafford Music School

Annual Concert

📆 Sunday 6th April @ Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

December 2024 Update

Christmas Break… we close after lessons on Sunday 22nd December 2024, reopening on Sunday 5th January 2025

This year in a nutshell… It’s been a busy year of new classes, exam sessions and live music performances. Not to mention new teaching space to allow us to accommodate students patiently waiting for lessons. Thank you to all of our students and families for their support throughout this year.

Our annual concert at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre in March gave many of our students the opportunity to perform with a live band on a large stage.

In September, our Autumn concert at St Mary’s was a great opportunity for soloists and small groups to experience a smaller venue with a more relaxed atmosphere. We were back at St Mary’s on Saturday 7th December for the annual Christmas Tree Festival where we heard more fantastic performances from our students, some of whom have only just started their learning journey with us. 

Many exams have taken place this year both face to face and digitally. Huge congratulations to every student who has enjoyed exam success this year. It takes a great deal of hard work and dedication to go through that process and we’re very proud of all of you. We hope you have enjoyed learning with us this year.  

Charity Donations…. once again, we have been collecting donations of new gifts for adults, children and pets for Hearts and Hands of Stafford to supply to parents in Stafford. We have a box in our reception and can take donations until Sunday 15th December. Our collection will then be delivered to the charity the following day. Thank you so much for all your kind donations so far.  

Dates for your diaries

• Sunday 5th January 2025 - Music School reopens for teaching

• February 2025 (Date TBC) - Yamaha/Rock School Exam Session at the Music School

• Sunday 9th March 2025 from 2pm - Annual Concert Rehearsals at the Music School

• Sunday 6th April 2025 - Annual Concert at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre.

Exam Session… We plan to hold an exam session at the Music School for Yamaha/Rock School exams on Keyboard, Guitar and Vocals in February. We’ll send out further information about this once we have a confirmed date from Rock School. Please let us know if you have any questions regarding exams and remember to speak to your teacher if you need any help or ideas to make practice more fun and improve your confidence.  

New Classes for beginners… we are pleased to announce some brand-new Yamaha classes starting in the New Year.

Saturdays 2pm

Yamaha Play For Keeps with John (Age 8+)

Yamaha Guitar Encounters With Ben (Age 8+)

New Daytime Guitar Class (Adults) - Mondays 2pm with John

We are pleased to be able to offer a daytime guitar class for adults in the New Year. If you’re looking to improve your guitar skills or fulfil a long held ambition to start your journey, John can help.

You can register your interest and book a free taster lesson in either of these classes by completing our form or dropping us a quick email to admin@staffordmusicschool.co.uk

Don’t forget we offer a discount for second course or family member joining us for lessons.

Social Media/Notices… please check in with our pages on Facebook (Stafford Music School) Instagram and X (@musicstafford) and when you are in the Music School, check our noticeboards which have recently been updated to provide a visual guide to all the important information we need to communicate to students and parents.  

Full term dates for the year and other important information such as Terms and Conditions and direct debit information can be on our website by following the link below. 

www.staffordmusicschool.co.uk/docs 

Contact Information…please let us know if any contact details change, particularly mobile numbers and email addresses as these are the main ways in which we will contact you.  

We would like to wish all of our students and their families a restful Christmas break.  

Many Thanks

Laura

Principal

Stafford Music School

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St Mary's Christmas Tree Festival - Saturday 7th December

We are really looking forward to seeing some of our students take part in the Christmas Tree Festival at St Marys Church this Saturday 7th December at 10am.

St Mary’s ask a donation of £5 from each adult visiting the festival. The festival supports Saint Mary's church and the Mayor of Stafford's charities.

Performers should arrive around 9.45am and we will seat most of the performers towards the front of the church in allocated seats.

We have some fantastic performances and we expect to be finished between 10.30am - 10.45am.

The programme is available below for you to print at home or view on your devices.

Christmas Tree Festival 2024

St Mary's Church - Autumn Performance - Sunday 29th September

We are really looking forward to our Autumn Performance at St Marys this Sunday 29th September.

The concert will start at 3pm and tickets are still available to purchase.

You can purchase tickets in advance by completing the form below and making a bank payment or by cash to reception.

Adult Tickets are £10, Child Tickets £5 and performers are FREE!

Ticket order form

Alternatively, you can pay on the door on the day of the concert. We can only accept cash on the day of the concert.

Performers should arrive around 2.30pm and we will seat most of the performers towards the front of the church in allocated seats.

We have lots of fantastic performances with a short interval and we expect to be finished no later than 5.15pm.

The programme is available below for you to print at home or view on your devices.

Autumn Performance 2024 Programme

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Welcome Back!

We’ve had a fantastic first week back at the Music School! Our staff and teachers have enjoyed welcoming back both existing students and new students just starting their musical journey with us.

Many of you will have seen our new and revamped rooms throughout the school and we have lots to look forward to this term.

Here’s what we have coming up this term and beyond :

🎶🎶 Autumn Performance Sunday 29th September at St Marys Church

This will be an opportunity for our students to showcase their talents in small group and solo performances on Keyboard, Piano, Guitar and Vocals.

The concert will start at 3pm and tickets are now available to purchase. Tickets are priced at £10.00 for adults and £5 or children. Performers are free. Complete the form to reserve your tickets, letting us know if you prefer to make a bank payment or pay by cash to reception.

🎹 Free Taster Lessons 🎹

Due to overwhelming demand, we're pleased to announce that we are offering FREE Taster Lessons at the following times :

Yamaha Guitar Encounters (Age 8+)

📅 Saturday 14th September at 4pm

📅 Monday 16th September at 5pm

Yamaha Junior Play for Keeps (5-7 Yrs)

📅 Saturday 14th September at 9am

Yamaha Play for Keeps (7+)

📅 Monday 16th September at 6pm

Vocal Taster Sessions

📅 Mondays at 6pm (Adults)

📅 Tuesdays at 5pm (8-11yrs)

📅 Tuesdays at 6pm (11-16yrs)

📅 Saturdays at 10am (8+)

To reserve a place on any of these sessions, please give us a call or complete the form on our website.

🎄🎶 Christmas Tree Festival 🎶🎄

We are looking forward to taking part in this Annual event at St Mary’s Church. Our talented musicians and singers will perform your favourite Christmas songs and Carols.

📅 Saturday 7th December

🕒 10-10.30am

🏢 St Mary’s Church, ST16 2AP

🎤 Annual Live Band Concert 🎤

Our annual live concert at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre is arranged for Sunday 6th April 2025. Please save the date and if you haven’t done already, make your song suggestions here!

Announcements & Updates:

• 🎶 New Way of Communication with Students and Parents!

  To keep everyone in the loop and enhance the overall learning experience, we’re introducing a new communication method this year through our Whatsapp Channel. We will post important updates here in additional to on our website and social media pages. Please follow using the link below : Stafford Music School Channel

• Email Notifications: Information from Reception will be sent from admin@staffordmusicschool.co.uk. Sometimes these emails can find their way into spam folders so its a good idea to add this email address to your contacts.

• Social Media: For updates, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. We also have TikTok!

We’re really looking forward to another exciting year of learning and making music. As always, if you have any questions, please get in touch!

Autumn Performance - Sunday 29th September 2024

We are looking forward to our Autumn Concert at St Mary’s Church on Sunday 29th September.

This will be an opportunity for our students to showcase their talents in small group and solo performances on Keyboard, Piano, Guitar and Vocals.

The concert will start at 3pm and tickets are now available to purchase. Tickets are priced at £10.00 for adults and £5 or children. Performers are free.

Payment can be made via Bank Transfer or by cash to reception.

Bank Details:

Sort Code: 404303
Account Number : 72118068

Please complete the form below to reserve your tickets and we will pass them on at the next lesson.

Newsletter June 2024

As we enter the final weeks of the Summer term and the end of another academic year, we'd like to say thank you to all of our students and families for your continued support this year. We hope you have enjoyed learning and progressing with us.

We have had an exciting and successful year with exam sessions both at the Music School and external centres, performances at the Christmas Tree Festival at St Mary’s Church in December and our fantastic Gatehouse Show in March. There’s still more to come before we break up, with a Rock School Exam session on Sunday 14th July. When we return after the summer break, we will have the Autumn Concert at St Mary’s on Sunday 29th September to look forward to.

Direct Debit Payments

For all students continuing lessons with us until the end of term, the final payment to cover lessons taken during the current academic year will be charged on 1st August 2024.

Leavers

For any students leaving us at the end of this term, please email laura@staffordmusicschool.co.uk by Friday 5th July. The direct debit will be cancelled after the August payment has been collected.

Fee Increase from 1st September 2024

After careful consideration, we've decided to adjust our fees slightly due to an increase in running costs. This adjustment is necessary to ensure we can continue providing you with the highest quality lessons and maintaining the excellent standard of teaching you’ve come to expect. Discounted rates will still apply for a second course or immediate family member.

From 1st September, our new monthly fees will be:

One to One Lessons £56.50

Yamaha Group Lessons £50

Vocal Group Lessons £37

New Classes in September

There are currently a couple of spaces left for a Guitar Taster lesson with Ben on Saturday 29th June at 4pm. Please get in touch if you would like to reserve a place in this session. The class will start when we reopen after the summer break.

For any aspiring singers, we have spaces now in our Vocal Classes at the times below. To book a taster session in any of these classes, please get in touch.

Mondays 6pm (adults)

Tuesday 4.30pm (7-11years) This class will run from 5pm in September

Saturday 10am (8-12 years)

Some of our other teachers will also be increasing their working days and times in September and we encourage anyone who is looking for guitar, keyboard, piano or vocal lessons on Mondays and Tuesdays to get in touch.

Notification of Changes

If you require any change to the current lesson time/day for next term, please email admin@staffordmusicschool.co.uk by Monday 1st July. After this date, we will start to check our registers for availability in September so that times can be confirmed before the Summer break and any spaces then offered to those on our waiting lists.

Music School Events 2023/2024

Next year’s annual concert is already scheduled for Sunday 6th April 2025 at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre. Please save the date in your diaries!

We break up for Summer after lessons on Sunday 28th July and will return on Monday 2nd September. Full term dates for the year can be found pinned at the top of our Facebook page and also on our website via the link: www.staffordmusicschool.co.uk/docs

Please remember we post regularly to Facebook, Instagram and X (@musicstafford) and any important updates can be found on the news section of our website.

We hope you all enjoy the Summer break and as always, if there are any questions, please get in touch.

Many Thanks

Laura

Principal
Stafford Music School

CONCERT PROGRAMME 2024

Please click the button BELOW to view the Programme for our Annual Concert on Sunday.

We will not be printing copies for the day of the concert so please save this file to your device to view during the show or if you wish, you can print at home.

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday - please remember that Rehearsals are at the Gatehouse and performers should arrive at the Stage door. Further information can be found in the news section of the website.

CONCERT Information - Sunday 24th March

CONCERT REGISTRATION – Concert Starts at 3.30pm

• The coffee shop will be open from 2.30pm.

• Performers should once again be dropped off at the stage door to be registered and then escorted backstage to be seated in the theatre.

• Students performing in the first half should arrive at 2.45pm.

• Students for the second half should arrive no later than 3pm. Please see set list below.

• We ask that performers only bring essential items with them to the concert (no large bags or valuables please).

• Parents and Guardians can then enter the theatre through the main doors and take their seats in the theatre.

• During the 20-minute interval, we advise children remain with their chaperones, however if parents/guardians wish to collect children from their chaperones, please ensure they are de registered and then return to their chaperone in readiness for the second half.

• At the end of the Concert, performers will exit the theatre with Chaperones who will de-register them when released to Parents/Guardians from the Writers Room/Coffee Shop.

• Parents/Guardians should bear right at the bottom of the main staircase to enter the Writers room and collect students from their chaperones before exiting via the coffee shop.

• To avoid congestion, we ask that only one Parent or Guardian collects each student.

• STUDENTS PERFORMING IN ‘FLY FAR SPACESHIP’ & ‘FLINTSTONES’ are seated with parents and can enter the theatre through the main entrance and take their seats from 3pm.  Please ensure we have been given your seat number so that staff can collect your child for their performance.

Gatehouse Main Entrance and Stage Door Access

Concert Outfit ideas 2024!

Click here for a short Video to show some suggestions for this years show!

REHEARSAL Information for Sunday 24th March

CONCERT REHEARSALS AT STAFFORD GATEHOUSE THEATRE

Please read this information carefully

On Sunday 24th March, all songs will be rehearsed at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre between 10.45am-2.10pm. Please see drop off and collection times below. 

• Performers should arrive at the stage door at the specified time below and register with Kate and the team. See below for location of stage door.

• Parents and Guardians will be asked to drop off and return at the specified times below to collect their children. Staff will escort performers backstage and into the theatre in readiness for their rehearsal. After rehearsing, they will be released to Parents and Guardians at the stage door.

• Children over the age of 12 can be released unsupervised provided this consent form:  https://forms.gle/4aLZ7j48gd6m34Va7 is completed by Monday 18th March.

• Students performing on more than one song should be collected after their final song.

• We suggest that students who are with us during most of the rehearsals bring a small bottle of water, a book or something to keep occupied and a snack which can be eaten backstage if necessary.

• Food is not allowed in the theatre during rehearsals.

• As stipulated by the Gatehouse, all students must leave after rehearsals and parents cannot be admitted to watch rehearsals.

Please arrive/drop off at the Stage Door.

Rehearsals at Stafford Gatehouse - Drop off & Collection times

Concert Ticket Link & Stafford Gatehouse Seating Plan

Our Annual Concert will take place at 3.30pm on Sunday 24th March at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre.

Rehearsals at the Music School will take place on Sunday 3rd March.

Tickets can only be purchased direct from the box office at the Gatehouse or via their website and will go on sale at 10am on Monday 26th February.

Please see the image below which may help you when deciding which seats to purchase in the audience. Please be aware that we use two levels of Risers on stage.

Seating Plan

Performers in ‘Fly Far Spaceship’ and ‘Flintstones’ will be seated with parents in the area marked on the plan. When purchasing these tickets, please ask Gatehouse staff for a ‘performers free ticket’, giving your child’s name, to ensure the children performing are seated in the correct place for us to collect them for their performance. After purchasing your tickets, please advise us which seat numbers you will be seated in. You will need to speak the Gatehouse staff directly on the telephone or in person to order these tickets and will be unable to purchase them online.

We hope you are looking forward to the concerts. Rehearsal timetables for the 24th March will be available on the website from Monday 4th March.

If you have any questions at all, please give us a call.

Concert Rehearsals & Ticket Information

Our annual concert returns this year, taking place on Sunday 24th March at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre. There will be one performance at 3.30pm and students will play in groups with teachers on stage to help and conduct.

The concert should last around 1hr 30mins in total with an interval of 20 mins and we will have a variety of musical styles, with singers, guitarists, keyboardists and pianists combined.

Please let us know as soon as possible if you or your child will not take part in the concert so we have an accurate number of students performing.

Child Performance Licenses

We have applied for a license exemption for the concert and most of our students will not need a performance license to take part. If you have received a text reminder to complete our enrolment form, please do this as soon as possible so we have the information required by the council.

Concert Tickets
Tickets will go on sale from Monday 26th February and further information regarding ticket prices will follow ahead of the release date. Tickets can ONLY be purchased directly from the Gatehouse at the Box office situated at the Gatehouse or via the website www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk.

Most of the performers will be seated with chaperones and supervising adults in the theatre in a designated section throughout the concert and will not need to purchase a ticket.

Performers taking part in ‘Fly Far Spaceship’ and ‘Flintstones’ will be seated with parents throughout the concert in a designated area of the theatre. You should ask for a ‘performers free ticket’ when booking at the Gatehouse Box Office. Members of staff will escort students from the audience to the backstage area to perform.

Seating Plan
There will be a seating plan in reception and on our website before tickets go on sale. This will indicate what we feel to be the best areas to sit in the audience according to where the performers will be on stage. Please be aware that we do use two levels of risers on stage, so sitting too close to the front may hinder the view of keyboard and guitar students.

Rehearsals
Rehearsals will take place at the Music School on Sunday 3rd March. Please see the timetable below. Parents are welcome to drop off or remain with their children, however please be aware the school does get very busy.  

The following groups will not need to attend the Music School on Sunday 3rd March as they will rehearse in class and also at the Gatehouse on the morning of the concerts.

‘Super Mario’ (Georgia’s Students)

‘Fly Far Spaceship, (Rhia’s Sunday 10am Class)

‘Ode to Joy (Rhia’s 11am Sunday class)

‘On the Beach’ (Georgia’s Tuesday 5pm class)

‘Flintstones’ (Alison’s Students)

Concert Day Rehearsals

On the day of the concert, there will be short rehearsals between 11.00am – 2pm at the Gatehouse Theatre, to enable sound checks and to give students the opportunity to play through the songs. A timetable will be available on our website from 1st March at www.staffordmusicschool.co.uk/news. It is very important that as many students as possible attend the rehearsals, so that they feel comfortable with the venue and we can ensure the best sound quality.

Photos & Video
We will film the concert and videos will be available to purchase via a digital download as soon as possible after the concerts. If you do not wish your child to be filmed, please let us know.
We ask that there is no flash photography while the students are playing as it can disturb the performance.

Important information regarding the concert will be posted on :
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Staffordmusicschool
Instagram https://instagram.com/musicstafford &
Our website www.staffordmusicschool.co.uk. So please keep an eye on these pages to keep up to date.

Further information will follow in March regarding registration on the day of the concert.

We are really looking forward to seeing our students perform again at the Gatehouse Theatre. For our new students, there are a few short videos from previous concerts on our YouTube channel to give you an idea of what to expect.

If you have any queries at all, please let us know.
Many Thanks,

Laura Thatcher

Principal, Stafford Music School

Rehearsals - Sunday 3rd March at Stafford Music School

2.15 Green Onions

2.30 Boogie Wonderland

2.50 We are Family

3.05 Mercy

3.20 Taylor Swift

3.35 Dance the Night

3.50 California Dreaming

4.05 BREAK

4.30 Seasons of Love

4.45 Hard to Handle

5.00 Town Called Malice

5.15 Reach for the Stars

5.30 BREAK

5.45 Three little birds

6.00 Soul Limbo

6.15 Power of Love

6.30 Hotel California