Power of music transforms lives at Highbury Grove, Leycock Primary, Highbury Quadrant and Gillespie Primary

Published: 5 February 2010
by JOSH LOEB

A RADICAL Venezuelan-inspired programme aimed at changing lives by encouraging young people to become musicians will showcase pupils’ talents at a concert in Islington’s Union Chapel next week.

Music First teaches pupils from Highbury Grove, Leycock Primary, Highbury Quadrant and Gillespie Primary schools in the rigours of playing classical music. It aims to help combat anti-social behaviour by teaching young people “respect and appreciation” through the medium of music.

The concert will be staged at the Compton Terrace venue on Thursday.

A partnership between Dame Alice Owen Foundation, Islington Council and Cambridge Education – the private contractor that runs the borough’s schools – Music First gives inner-city children at state schools free access to instruments, grouping them into orchestras where they play together.

Len Cunningham, an arts officer for Cambridge Education, said: “Attendance at our sessions is basically 100 per cent. Music First teaches children to work together – you can’t be a maverick violinist in an orchestra, you have to do your part as a member of the team. In this way, it teaches children about being part of a community.” 

The scheme was co-founded by Bob Pepper, musical director of the English Schools Orchestra. He was inspired by the work of El Sistema, the Venezuelan system of youth orchestras founded in the 1970s, after visiting Caracas and meeting  the virtuoso musician and economist Maestro Abreu.  

El Sistema works with children from some of the poorest areas of Venezuela. It has been credited with pulling thousands out of slum poverty. The model has been exported to other South American countries as well as to the UK. 

Its social approach – children learn in groups rather than alone – inspired Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said’s East-West Divan Orch­estra, in which Israeli and Palestinian musicians play together.

Despite Islington losing out to Lambeth, West Everton, in Liverpool, and Stirling in its bid for government funding for a UK pilot version of El Sistema in 2008, Mr Pepper and his colleagues established Music First, which they hope will one day accommodate thousands of pupils from Islington. 

They are in the process of applying to the Charity Commission, having received some funding from private donors since the scheme was launched last year at the Barbican.

Mr Cunningham said the first concert given by Music First pupils at the Barbican last year had been a “life-changing experience” for some participants. He added: “Last year, we had 100 primary school pupils pass through the programme and they are joined this year by another 100. In addition we have about 75 secondary school pupils.” 

Thursday’s concert will be the first time all the children  participating in the scheme will come together to perform under one roof.

• Tickets for the Music First concert at 5.30pm are £3 on the door.