Church End Hub Music Affiliated group
September 2025 - New Timetable - Tuesdays 9.30 -11.45 Term Time
9.30 - 10.00 Beginner Violins
10.00 - 10.35 First steps (Age approx. 3-6)
10.35 - 11.05 Home-Ed Community Choir
11.05-11.45 Explorers (Age approx. 7-12)
Music Provision for Home-Educating Families in Bedfordshire
These sessions are mainly attended by home-educated children. Parents join in with some of the sessions, as preferred. Lessons are led by an experienced Music Cooperative teacher (also a long-term home-educator) who has served the local home-ed community music for over 16 years. The Church End setting is ideal for home-educating families with plenty of outdoor space to socialise before and after the lessons. This includes the Community Garden to which we are kindly given access, a beautiful, quiet place for the children to explore. Please contact hfarrow@bedsmusic.coop for further information.
9.30 - 10.00 Beginner Violins (All ages)
This is a brand new class where we will introduce beginners of all ages to the violin. Through an inclusive approach, with younger children guided by parents and older learners working more independently, we will take our first steps in developing facility on this beautiful instrument. We will learn to hold the instruments and control the bow with a sense of freedom and personal expression - to produce beautiful sounds and early skills in playing rhythms and melodies as an ensemble. Learners can progress in the coming months and years into smaller groups or individual tuition as preferred. Please contact hfarrow@bedsmusic.coop for further information.
10.00 - 10.35 First Steps Music Class (Age approx. 3-6)
This is a group for nurturing a first enjoyment of music-making with a focus on creativity, self-expression and fun! We play lots of musical games, sing imaginative songs and explore sounds and ideas through musical story-telling. Through this playful and individualised approach, basic musical skills are simultaneously and carefully introduced; including pitch matching, keeping a steady pulse, notation and building rhythms. Sessions include puppets, movement and actions, story-telling, parachutes, dancing scarves and plenty more. Supervised children can stay and play together in the outdoor spaces after the class and/or join the community choir.
10.35 - 11.05 Home-Ed Community Choir (All ages)
As a dedicated part of our morning’s music-making we join together to sing catchy and beautiful songs in a wide range of styles, sometimes accompanying ourselves with body beats, percussion and our own instruments. Vocal skills and harmonies are taught along the way. This term we have reserved a slot at the Bedford Christmas Tree Festival where we will sing a whole range of repertoire - Christmas songs, rounds, pop, rock, jazz, world songs and your requests! We are also planning a return visit to the retirement home where we like to share the joys and talents of youthful music-making with the wider community.
11.05 - 11.45 Home-Ed Music Explorers (Age approx. 7-11)
These sessions often start with energising and team-building musicianship games. We improvise, listen and compose in groups exploring music from different cultures, times and traditions. Activities are designed to encourage creativity and build musical confidence and experience. Musicianship skills are developed well beyond the Early Steps class and include using and understanding scales, chords, rhythms, structures and much more. Projects are often student-led and lead to imaginative and eclectic group performances where we work to our own strengths. We explore and celebrate a wide range of styles including folk, jazz, pop, world and classical. Bring your own instrument/voice or use one of ours. This is a really friendly and welcoming group; no prior experience is necessary.
Instrumental lessons
It is possible for all home-educated children to book instrumental lessons on most instruments through the Music Cooperative.
There are also large group ‘Learn to play’ sessions at the Saturday Centre. Please apply here.
It is also possible to form smaller, daytime, ‘Learn to Play’ groups for the home-educated. Popular choices are the recorder and violin. Please contact hfarrow@bedsmusic.coop to see what is currently available or initiate a new group.
Prices
Classes to be booked half termly and paid ahead
First Steps Music Class: £5.00 per session (Sibling discount £4.50)
Explorers: £5.00 per session (Sibling discount £4.50)
Learn-to-play on Saturdays: £12.18 monthly over 10 months
Violin Group: TBC depending on numbers
To join in the Community Choir there will be an additional contribution added to the half-termly invoice (Approx £2 p/w determined by the number of participants.) We encourage and hope that most members of Early Steps and Explorers will also join in Community Choir.