Introducing the Junior Festival Programme

Thanks to support from Essex County Council Arts and Cultural Fund the 2023 Festival has introduced a junior programme which includes Young Musician Concerts, Children’s workshops and a Junior work experience programme which covers art, design, production and front of house.   Expert help and support from Plume, Maldon’s Community Academy and New Hall School has been invaluable in developing this programme.  See Link to News Release for more information and to register a school or child to attend a workshop or concert, please email themaldonfestival@gmail.com

Children and Schools Workshops

A series of introductory schools workshops offers the Festival’s younger audience the chance to experience what goes on behind the scenes of the Maldon Festivals.  Some of our wonderful performers are offering insights into their instruments and the programmes they have prepared for the festival:  To register your school for the junior please email themaldonfestival@gmail.com

• Tuesday 26th July: School Workshop – an introduction to African Drumming.  Lucky Moyo returns to the Maldon Festival to lead what is traditionally one of the most popular workshops of the fortnight.  Lucky has appeared on tv programmes from Blue Peter to Later with Jools Holland and he is famed for his ability to transmit his enthusiasm and passion for drumming. 
• Friday 30th June: School Workshop -an introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Music. The Blondel players are famous for their enthusiastic introductions to such instruments as the shawm, bagpipe, recorder, fiddle and gittern. These instruments provided the music would have been heard at country fairs and medieval banquets, entertaining our ancestors and accompanying their dances. 
• 1st July Children’s Come and Sing:  Children from local and regional primary schools are invited to come along and sing for fun at this free workshop.   The event starts with a practice session to get everyone warmed up then all the singers will be ready to perform what they have learnt to the family audience.  Getting children involved with choral music is at the heart of the Maldon Festival and this is the perfect opportunity for first timers to give it a go, with help from local singers and choristers.  
• 4th July: School Workshop: An introduction to flutes, lutes and guitars. Professional duo Frets and Flutes sha their fascination with the history of music that combines the flute with stringed and plucked instruments – starting with the historic lute and ending with more contemporary instruments

Children’s Choir and Young Singers Chorus.

From first time singers to aspiring choristers, there’s a chance for everyone to give singing a go at this year’s Festival.  From a Come and Sing event to the Finale, every level of singer is invited to come and join in.   Young people and schools are invited to come and sing with local choristers and choirs in the Festival Finale.  They have a unique chance to perform some of the music from His Majesty King Charles’ Coronation including Zadok The Priest as well as joining a ‘last night of the proms’ style singalong: