MAY
2022
News
We can now confirm the majority of our planned 2022 concerts and other performances, as follows:
Sunday 8th May (Band Only)
Low Ackworth Community Centre Fun Day 11am - 1pm
Sunday 5th June
Queen's Park Castleford. Queen's Jubilee performance in the bandstand, with Castleford Male Voice Choir, 2pm - 4pm
Friday 24th June
Annual Presentation Concert, Carlton Lanes Shopping Centre, Castleford, 7:30pm. Contact us for tickets (£5 adults, kids free) Includes light refreshments
Saturday 16th July
Sun Court, Spa Theatre, Scarborough, 2pm
Friday 14th October
St Peter's Church, Kirkthorpe, Wakefield, 7:30pm
Exactly two years on from our last public performance...we're back! Our 2021 Christmas Concert will take place on Friday 17th December at 7pm, at Trinity Methodist Church, Powell Street, Castleford WF10 1EL (near Castleford Train Station). To celebrate our return, we're excited to confirm that tickets for this concert will be FREE! Admission will be strictly by pre-booked tickets only, however, so please e-mail cymonline@live.co.uk as soon as possible if you would like to be there.
Rehearsals are now well underway for our Christmas Concert at Trinity Methodist Church in Castleford on 17th December. Here's our band rehearsing 'A Holiday Swing-a-Long' just before half term. Ticket information coming soon!
Our promotional video is now live! A big thank you to Sarah Clarkson for putting it all together. Please follow the link below to watch it, and more importantly, please share it with anyone you think may be interested in joining us.
We're back in full swing now after our enforced break due to the pandemic, and there's never been a better time to join. Contact us for more details. Click here to see the video
Many congratulations to long-time choir member Suzanne on her recent marriage to Jonathan at Rogerthorpe Manor. Here they are, pictured with Peter. Congratulations from everyone at CYM!
More congratulations are due for a member of our choir - this time to Emma Burrow and her husband Matthew on the safe arrival of their daughter Lola Jean. We can't wait to meet her!
Following the recent lifting of many restrictions in England, we are now in a position to confirm a proposed return to rehearsals from early September 2021. Our members have already been informed and will be sent more specific details nearer the time. For any new members interested in joining us, please e-mail cymonline@live.co.uk and we'll send the details on to you too.
As far as performances are concerned, we are currently looking for a venue for our Christmas concert as the Civic Centre is unavailable for the rest of 2021 due to its role as a vaccination centre. Again, more details will be provided as soon as possible, but this is likely to be our only live performance of 2021.
COVID-19 Update - October 2020
The CYM Committee have been busy over the last couple of months looking at ways of getting back to rehearsals as quickly, but as safely as possible. Although this has taken a backward step with the recent announcement of West Yorkshire entering Tier 3 and tonight's confirmation of a four week national lockdown, we are in regular communication with our members with updates on the work we are doing.As well as our members and parents' e-mail mailing list and members only Facebook group, we also have Whatsapp groups for band and choir members. If you are a member and still need to join any of these lists, please contact Phil or Ralph in the usual ways.
To our audiences and supporters...we hope you are all keeping well and can't wait until we can see you again. Although we obviously won't be performing in front of an audience for the remainder of 2020, we'll keep our fingers crossed for at least some type of performance in the first half of 2021!
Colours of the Wind - Virtual Performance
Not to be outdone by the band, some of our choir members have been busy creating a virtual performance of their own, recording their parts for 'Colours of the Wind'. A big thank you and well done to you all, and to Sarah Clarkson once again for putting them all together. You can watch both videos here.
A Thousand Years - Virtual Performance
As well as attempting the CYM Ultimate Quiz (see below) some of our band members have been busy creating a virtual performance of 'A Thousand Years'. A big thank you to everyone who took part and to Sarah Clarkson for putting all the videos together. You can watch the video here. Not to be outdone, the choir are currently attempting a similar performance of 'Colours of the Wind'. Check back here soon to see the result!
The CYM Ultimate Quiz has been created for a little bit of light entertainment while we're in lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic. Although it's primarily aimed at our current membership, there are some questions that may be easier for past members, and we'd love to hear how our friends and supporters do too! Click here to have a go!
CYM Statement - Coronavirus (COVID-19)
18th March 2020. The CYM Committee have unfortunately had to cancel all rehearsals today, for the foreseeable future. Click here to read the full statement.
Following the sad passing of our President Rodney Green in December last year, the CYM Executive Committee recently voted unanimously to appoint current Choir Director Ralph Jaggar as President with immediate effect.
The position of Vice-President for 2020-21 was filled by Secretary Susan Jaggar, and long-serving band and committee member Diane Carlisle accepted an invitation to become a Trustee of Castleford Young Musicians. CYM would like to welcome all three to their new roles.
Happy New Year to all our members, friends and supporters. We hope you've had a great break over the festive holiday and are looking forward to 2020.
Details of our confirmed 2020 events so far are on our events page, including our first get together - our members' social event at Xscape on Friday 10th January. Our first performance of 2020 will be on 20th March with our friends at Featherstone Male Voice Choir.
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our President, Rodney Green on Sunday 1st December after a short illness.
Rodney was one of our founder members, establishing and directing our concert band from 1966 to 1996. On stepping down from this role, he continued to serve CYM as Musical Associate, before taking over as President in 2011.
A service will be held on Friday 13th December (11.30 for an 11.45 start) at Ravensthorpe United Reformed Church, WF13 3AL.
Rodney was very well respected by past and present members of Castleford Young Musicians and will be sadly missed.
A massive thank you to everyone who supported us over the last 12 months by nominating us as their Co-op Local Cause. We raised a fantastic £3016.22, which not only completed our 'Defibrillators for Castleford' appeal, but also enabled us to fund a full set of 115 teddy bears for West Yorkshire Police's 'Talk to the Bear' campaign. One of these bears has been placed in every Primary School in Wakefield, giving children the opportunity to talk to the bear about anything that is worrying them.
The remaining money will go towards future projects supporting children's mental health, including 'Think Like a Pony' for whom we will be performing a fundraising concert in March next year. Look out for more details about the charity and our concert in the new year.
A number of our committee were present at Co-op Castleford for the cheque presentation recently. Thanks once again to everyone who supported us.
Co-op Local Cause - final call!
Our year as a Co-op local cause comes to an end on Saturday 26th October. So far customers of Co-op have raised over £1200 for Castleford Young Musicians, by choosing us as their local cause. HOWEVER, there's still over £4800 that Co-op members in our area haven't yet allocated to a cause! If you or someone you know shops at Co-op, but haven't chosen a charity yet, please consider us as we continue our 2019 fundraising efforts supporting children's mental health, including 'Talk to the Bear' and 'Think Like a Pony'. Thank you.
Our 2020 concert schedule is close to being finalised. Take a look at our events page for details of concerts confirmed so far, including a joint concert with Featherstone Male Voice Choir and a performance in Leeds to raise money for the Children's Charity 'Think Like a Pony'.
2019 Christmas Cabaret Concert
Tickets for our 2019 Christmas Cabaret Concert on 13th December at Castleford Civic Centre went on sale at the end of September for subscribers to our mailing list, but they're now available to the general public on the link below. Priced at just £7 for adults, with kids going free, our tickets remain one of the the best value in the Five Towns. Not only that, there's currently an early bird discount and money off for group bookings!
Our presentation concert in June gave us chance to tell our audience about our current fundraising campaign in support of young people's mental health charities. During the evening we presented 115 teddy bears to West Yorkshire Police's 'Talk to the Bear' campaign. One of these bears will be placed in every Primary School in Wakefield, giving children the opportunity to talk to the bear about anything that is worrying them. After a successful pilot in a local school, we are delighted to support this initiative by funding these bears. Thanks to Sgt Angela Dennison and PC Tony Shand for attending our presentation concert to accept the bears.
Thanks to everyone who supported our Annual Concert on 21st June at Carlton Lanes Shopping Centre. We all enjoyed the night and had some great feedback afterwards. Thanks again to Flavours, Castleford for sponsoring the event and their hospitality (and scones!)
Congratulations to Maxx Lancaster, Jasmine Toal, Ellie White and Chloe Wilson who were all presented with Long Service Awards
Also, special congratulations to band member Alfie Southernwood and choir member Alexi Fairbank, winners of the first John L Dobson Award for Commitment and Attendance. This new award is in memory of the late Mr Dobson, long time supporter of CYM and grandfather of choir member Megan Lakin.
Well done to choir member Alexi Williamson who recently donated some of her hair to the Little Princess Trust, a charity who uses the hair to make wigs for children with cancer who lose their own hair. Thanks to everyone who sponsored her too!
Castleford Young Musicians featured on the BBC Radio Leeds breakfast show on Wednesday 13th February. Band Director Phil Clarkson spoke about our concert band and choir, the fundraising we do (inlcuding our recent defibrillator appeal of course) and how we're on the lookout for new members.
Click here to hear the interview (skip to 1:39:00). For a bonus feature on an unrelated topic with Phil and our Treasurer Richard Forster, skip to 2:53:27!
After just over a year of fundraising, we were very happy to deliver two defibrillators to Carlton Lanes Shopping Centre on Tuesday 12th February, along with an indoor cabinet and a heated outdoor cabinet. A photographer from the Pontefract and Castleford Express was there to mark the occasion, so look out for the photo in the local paper in the next week or so.
The shopping centre will now take responsibility for installing and maintaining the defibrillators, but look out for the grand unveiling once they're in situ.
Castleford Young Musicians are delighted to have been chosen as one of Co-op Castleford's Local Causes for 2018-19.
This means as a member of Co-op, you can choose CYM as your local cause and automatically donate 1% of what you have spent on selected products and services, including food stores and electricals, to Castleford Young Musicians and help boost our Defibrillators for Castleford Appeal. For more information, click here.
CYM are now a registered Learning Destination with the Children's University, so our younger members can earn hours for their Passports to Learning by taking part in rehearsals and concerts. We are also more than happy to invite new members who may be part of the Children's University and want to fill their passports! For more information about the Children's University, visit their website www.childrensuniversity.co.uk
Social media is one of the cheapest, easiest and most effective methods of promotion available to us, but we need your support! Please like and share our pages and posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to help spread the word! Why not keep up to date with all the CYM news and events by joining our mailing list too?! Click here to sign up.
Castleford Young Musicians are always on the lookout for new band and choir members, but we're currently very keen to invite any clarinettists who may wish to join us. There are NO AUDITIONS, so if you're aged between 8 and 25 and are at least grade 1 standard please come down to a rehearsal and see what you think! Contact us for more information.
Our annual patron's scheme 'Friends of CYM' is a great way to support Castleford Young Musicians if you're not musical or you fall outside our membership age range! Memberships renew each August, but between now and the end of January we have a special half-year offer for only £5 (single membership) or just £6 (joint membership). There is no commitment from August 2019, but if you would like to continue supporting us, membership for the following 12 months will be £12 (single) and £15 (joint).
This is an excellent way to help CYM with their fundraising efforts - if you're interested please complete the form on our Friends page. Contact us if you would like more information.
