England

BBC Music today announces a major initiative, Get Playing, aimed at shining a light on amateur music of all kinds across the nation, and launches a search for the UK’s most inspirational amateur orchestras.

This is Lee Westwood, logging in, after my first couple of months as the adopted composer of the East London Community Band. We've been off to a great start, and whilst there's still plenty to do before our project comes to a head, there's also a little to tell you about, too...

What can YOU do to help preserve creative subjects including music in schools?

The New Year’s Honours list, as usual, includes a number of musicians, the most prominent of which – David Joseph, Chair and CEO of Universal Music; pianist Radu Lupu; conductor Steuart Bedford; violinist Alina Ibragimova; composer Damon Albarn – have received much press coverage already. So let us turn to the less well-known.

Get Men Singing are calling for men and boys to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK through singing together this March.

Do you love the idea of digital scores and rich-media choral apps, or does the thought of losing physical scores make your blood boil?

It is with great sadness that we report the recent death of Roy Carr, a longstanding supporter of Making Music and previous chair of the Yorkshire Regional Committee.

National Learn To Play Day is back for its fifth successive year on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th March 2016.

The Snowman, with live music by a full orchestra – it’s a dream Christmas treat for families, and orchestras all over the country (not to mention all over the world) are getting in on the act.

A government consultation open at the moment looks at making the Ebacc – which does not include arts subjects – compulsory for schools. Here’s what you can do to help protect arts subjects.