We offered youngsters an opportunity to begin a lifelong love affair with music when we hosted an open day at the weekend.

We have been providing instrumental music, theory and singing opportunities for West Norfolk’s talent for the last four decades, and our chair Derek Stringer is hopeful that Saturday’s event will be the start of many more journeys of musical discovery.

“Since the start of the academic year, we’ve had people going into lots of local schools, putting the word out and showcasing the many opportunities that we offer at the centre, so it was great to see so many people come along and enjoy themselves,” he said.

We offer lessons in a wide range of instruments, as well as the opportunity to join a range of vocal and instrumental groups, for all ages and levels of ability. No audition or previous experience is required for entry, just a willingness to learn.

“We had a great turn-out and I’m hoping they were impressed by the showcase of activities that we offered,” Derek continued.  “A lot of our groups performed on the day, playing all different kinds of music, there were try-out sessions, and teachers on hand to talk in more depth to anyone who was interested.

“Everyone who turned up was automatically entered into a raffle to win lessons in the instrument of their choice, so I think we made all our guests as welcome as we could, and as far as I could see, they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.”

Derek added: “One of the centre’s greatest strengths is its people, and so many of them have been part of the place for years, even decades.

“We want to promote the centre as a family venue, and looking around at our staff, it’s clear that this is the case, so if we widened the family circle on Saturday, I would be absolutely delighted.”

Over the last 40 years, countless local musicians have come through our doors to embark on their own musical journeys, all of which are as unique as the individuals involved – and that, says Derek, is the joy of music, and the joy of being part of the centre.  

“Music can be with you for your whole life, it’s a passion you can take anywhere, and which can take you anywhere,” he said. “In a divided world, music is a unifying force, and a bringer of happiness. So if by opening our doors on Saturday, we’ve inspired someone to get involved, we’ve helped to spread that joy and make the world a better place.”