Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra come to UK

Eleven Youth / School Bands wanted for Essential Ellington UK workshops

8 January 2011

As part of their exciting forthcoming Barbican residency in July 2012, Jazz at Lincoln Center is working closely with the Barbican – Guildhall Creative Learning Division to give UK Youth Jazz Orchestras and Big Bands the opportunity to take part in the first UK representation of the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Program.

The Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Program is unique among educational resources for high school jazz bands. Each year, Jazz at Lincoln Center transcribes, publishes and distributes charts by Duke Ellington and other seminal big band composers and arrangers, including Benny Carter, Mary Lou Williams, Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie, along with additional educational materials to bands in the U.S., Canada and American schools abroad. Beyond providing these charts, Essentially Ellington also supports its members throughout the school year with a variety of initiatives including teaching guides, the Essentially Ellington website, program newsletters and professional feedback of student performances of the charts.

The aim of Essentially Ellington UK is to provide selected young jazz players, band leaders and conductors the opportunity to work with amazing Jazz at Lincoln Center and UK jazz musicians and develop their knowledge and passion for jazz music, its history and improve their jazz playing skills.

Eleven bands will be selected to participate and receive free resources from Jazz at Lincoln Center. Each selected participating band will receive a half-day visit and big band masterclass from a Jazz at Lincoln Center faculty musician as well as UK based jazz musician, who will advise bands on their big band playing skills. This half-day visit will take place on Wednesday 28th, Thursday 29th or Friday 30th March 2012.

Participating bands will also be given the opportunity to visit the Barbican Centre to perform and work with Jazz at Lincoln Center Faculty Band members by taking part in the Essentially Ellington UK festival.

In order to be selected for this project, big band Leaders will need to commit their ensemble to taking on and learning two of the six Essentially Ellington 2012 titles as well as another chart from a UK composer of their own choice and must also be available to participate in the Essentially Ellington UK event in the Barbican Music Hall on Saturday 14 July 2012.

If you would like your Youth Orchestra or Band to take part in this project, please fill out the attached application document and send back to Jose Martins at the address below or as an e-mail attachment to jose.martinsATgsmd.ac.uk (replace AT with @) by Friday 3rd February 2012. Confirmation of whether you have been successful or not will be sent to you via email by 24th February 2012.

Jose Martins
Barbican – Guildhall Creative Learning
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, 
London EC2Y 8DS

Tel: 020 7382 7199

Email jose.martinsATgsmd.ac.uk (replace AT with @)

Download essential-ellington-letter.doc application form (Word format .doc)