Over the weekend, Friary students took part in the Entrust Jazz Festival 2019 at The County Showground, Stafford. As members of Staffordshire Jazz Orchestra East: Milly Bennett (alto sax), Mae Bennett (trombone) and Katie Edwards (alto sax) played items including Baptiste’s ‘Humanism’ and Coleman’s ‘Big Spender’.
Elsewhere, Entrust Music Service Staffordshire was very excited to welcome The National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) who, under the Artistic Direction of Mark Armstrong, gave a glittering performance of big-band Jazz. NYJO is working in partnership with music education providers nationally to ‘support Jazz education for every young person to achieve their jazz potential, no matter their background or postcode’.
Matt Allman, Headteacher, said: “We have had rave reviews about all of our students but a special mention and congratulations must go to Milly Bennett who played a stunning solo improvisation during a collaborative final piece that involved NYJO and three Staffordshire Youth Jazz groups”.
