Sing a Song of Youth ; There Is Plenty of Evidence That Participating in Music Is Good for Young People -Whether It's for a Future Career or Simply More Fun Than Drugs and Crime. Terry Grimley Looks at Some of the Achievements of Youth Music and Its Partners, Which Will Be Celebrated in Birmingham On Tuesday.

Birmingham Post › June 12, 2004

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Summary

Hundreds of concerts take place at Symphony Hall each year, but there aren't that many for which Tony Blair makes a video sending his personal best wishes. But the The Big Gig, which takes place on Tuesday, promises to be the kind of youthful, resoundingly positive national occasion to which any politician would be pleased to put his name. It celebrates the first five years of the National Foundation for Youth Music -Youth Music for short -by bringing together young performers from projects it has funded right across the country, from the Dumfries Youth Jazz Group to Exeter-based Japanese drumming outfit, Kagemusha Taiko.

City of Birmingham Young Voices will perform with percussionist Evelyn Glennie -one of a trio of star guest performers along with pianist Joanna McGregor and saxophonist Denys Baptiste -and lead a massed choir of voices from around the country.

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Sing a Song of Youth ; There Is Plenty of Evidence That Participating in Music Is Good for Young People -Whether It's for a Future Career or Simply More Fun Than Drugs and Crime. Terry Grimley Looks at Some of the Achievements of Youth Music and Its Partners, Which Will Be Celebrated in Birmingham On Tuesday.

Ahead of Tuesday's main event there is a two-day showcase at Selfridges today and tomorrow, featuring young artists who have worked with Crush Community Arts in projects supported by Youth Music.

The Big Gig -already a sell-out -will be broadcast on Radio 3 next Thursday. It offers the chance to take stock of a remarkable new approach to investing in young people and music. Youth Music receives pounds 10 million a year from the National Lottery (it has the distinction of being the only arts organisation to receive revenue funding from the...

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