Music Project

The Centre is very grateful for the sponsorship of Anglo-American, who until 2002 made this programme possible. Funding is now required for the maintenance of the Music Project.

Brief Overview
Since 1975 a weekend programme of instrumental and African music has led to the creation of a number of soloists and musical groups:- A string and woodwind orchestral group, a jazz group, a marimba group. All these groups perform publicly from time to time and are much appreciated musical ambassadors of St Francis.

The Music School’s courses include theory and tuition on instruments ranging from piano, guitar, cello, violin, trumpet, flute, clarinet and drums to traditional African instruments like marimbas as well as orchestral arrangements and performance. The St Francis Music Project has successfully admitted approximately eighty (80) learners annually, all at different levels of ability, who are taught for 6 hours each week. The project owes its continued existence to generous funders over the years and the dedication of the project co-ordinator Gavin Coppenhall and his staff.

A new development is the making of a CD by past learners of the St Francis Music Schools Marimba Group. The Music project can be seen to be very successful due to the strong desire of the students to become musicians, and the quality of the teachers. The five music teachers are highly qualified, and have both skill and experience, combined with an ability to teach seriously yet with a sense of enjoyment, to make the project what it is.

Two aspects of the St Francis Music Project, worth emphasising are that, each learner spends at least an hour a week learning the Theory of Music. Secondly, learners are encouraged to perform in public in order to provide them with valuable experience and enhance their communication and stage skills.