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Welcome to the official blog for the 2025 Hertfordshire Schools’ Gala!
Check back for regular monthly posts about the Hertfordshire Schools' Gala 2025, with lots of exciting behind the scenes content, information, and updates.
July 2024
Official Gala poster announcement!
Our official 2025 Gala poster is now live! The Hertfordshire Schools’ Gala celebrates its 30th anniversary and “For the record” will be a celebration of music across the generations, featuring music making from Hertfordshire Music Service and Hertfordshire schools.
Tickets will go on sale on Monday 13 January 2025 via the Royal Albert Hall box office, and a limited number of additional tickets will be sold by HMS from February 2025.
For full details, please visit www.hertsmusicservice.org.uk/HMSGala
Secondary school choirs, dancers and instrumental groups confirmed
All secondary school choirs who will take part in the massed choir, dancers and instrumental groups have been confirmed for the Gala which is very exciting! We are looking forward to seeing all of the secondary school choir leaders at the Gala twilight session on Thursday 24 October led by Gala conductor Rufus Frowde.
We have The Hemel Hempstead School Funk Band performing in our afternoon concert and the winners of the Gala songwriter competition will perform in the evening concert. Thank you to all schools who took time and effort to send in video submissions.
We have (again!) had the largest number of dance applications we’ve ever had and the standard was incredibly high so it was a very difficult decision to pick only 4 dance groups. Thank you to all schools who applied and took time and effort sending in video submissions. The dance groups taking part are Bushey Meads School, Tring School, The Highfield School, and Hitchin Girls School, who have all now been told which songs they’ll be dancing to!
Summer plans
Whilst everyone is having a lovely summer holiday there are lots of plans in the Gala team including vocal recordings of the songs for the teaching packs for schools, working on stage plans, and much more!
Primary, special, and middle school applications
Applications will open on Monday 9 September 2024 and close on Wednesday 23 October 2024. Keep an eye on our website for full details on how schools can apply to get involved!
Gala Youth Focus Group segment #1!
From now until the Gala day in March 2025, we are very pleased to announce that each month, a member of our new Gala Youth Focus Group will be contributing their own segment as part of the Gala blog. Check out our first entry all about one of the group’s personal experiences of performing in the Gala:
I am really excited for the planning and performance of the 2025 Hertfordshire’s School’s Gala. Having performed in previous Gala’s I was motivated to help shape this one and create a performance reflective of young people nowadays. I think that the Gala is a truly incredible experience, inspiring young musicians to achieve their potential. The performances have helped improve my playing stamina as well as managing performance nerves. Rehearsals gave me the opportunity to meet new people and form friendships that I’ve kept up to this day.
Head back to this page for next month’s blog post to find out what’s new with the Gala and more exciting content and updates.
See you next time!
Lucy & Daisy
Hertfordshire Music Service
rahgala@hertfordshire.gov.uk
#HertsSchoolsGala
June 2024
Looking back in time!
As part of our Gala theme, “For the Record”, it’s important we reflect on what has happened in the past. Have a look at some of the programmes for previous events, going back to 1995 – the first Gala!
It’s amazing to see how far this event has come, and the sheer number of people who have been involved over the last 30 years of fantastic music making here at Hertfordshire Music Service.
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If you’ve taken part in the Gala over the last 30 years we’d love to hear about your favourite memories, by emailing rahgala@hertfordshire.gov.uk
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Keep an eye out next month for an exciting announcement about our Gala 2025 programme! We can’t wait to share this with you.
Head back to this page for next month’s blog post to find out what’s new with the Gala and more exciting content and updates.
See you next time!
Lucy & Daisy
Hertfordshire Music Service
rahgala@hertfordshire.gov.uk
#HertsSchoolsGala
May 2024
Welcome to our Gala Youth Focus Group!
Last month saw the inaugural Gala Youth Focus Group meeting!
This was the first time our members had met, and it was great to hear their thoughts and ideas on what story they want to tell at the Hertfordshire Schools’ Gala, especially as a young person today.
The Youth Focus Group are going to be instrumental in providing even more focus on youth voice in the Gala, and how this can influence the storytelling of our programme!
It was interesting to hear how they were all in agreement that it’s ok to not know what their futures might look like in terms of what they want to do when they’re older, but also how music can be used as a tool to be able to live in the moment.
The Youth Focus Group will be helping the Gala team on lots of different areas of the Gala, including staging and programming, lighting, and the overall running of the event.
We can’t wait to hear more from this fantastic group of young people!
Opportunities to get involved with the Hertfordshire Schools’ Gala
Don’t forget we have lots of opportunities and competitions open to get involved with the 2025 Hertfordshire Schools’ Gala!
- The Gala Rapper and Digital Music Producer competitions + all secondary school groups (massed choir, instrumental, and dance) close on Monday 3 June 2024
- The Gala Songwriter competition will close on Friday 30 August 2024
- Watch this space for details on how Primary, Special, and Middle Schools can apply for a place in the massed choir, opening this Autumn
Lots of planning is underway ahead of our special 30th anniversary event, and we can’t share more with you next month.
Head back to this page for next month’s blog post to find out what’s new with the Gala and more exciting content and updates.
See you next time!
Lucy & Daisy
Hertfordshire Music Service
rahgala@hertfordshire.gov.uk
#HertsSchoolsGala
April 2024
Opportunities at the 2025 Hertfordshire Schools’ Gala!
Planning is well underway for the 2025 Hertfordshire Schools’ Gala! With just under a year to go, we are excited to share some details about upcoming opportunities to get involved with the Gala.
Secondary school applications
We’re very pleased to announce that Secondary school applications for the 2025 Gala are now live! Secondary schools can now apply to bring the following:
- massed choir
- instrumental groups/bands
- dance groups
Gala competitions
There are also some exciting opportunities to get involved with our Gala Songwriter, Producer, and Rapper Competitions! We are looking for young people aged 21 or under who live or go school in Hertfordshire to apply. Check out our Gala Competitions page for more information!
- Songwriter Competition
- Digital Music Producer Competition
- Rapper Competition
We can’t wait to see as many of you involved as possible!
Head back to this page for next month’s blog post to find out what’s new with the Gala and more exciting content and updates.
See you next time!
Lucy & Daisy
Hertfordshire Music Service
rahgala@hertfordshire.gov.uk
#HertsSchoolsGala
March 2024
Welcome! Save the Date for Gala 2025
Welcome to the very first post of the official 2025 Hertfordshire Schools’ Gala blog.
Hertfordshire Music Service are very pleased to announce that the 2025 Hertfordshire Schools’ Gala will take place on Sunday 23 March 2025 at the Royal Albert Hall!
Save the date for our special 30th anniversary celebration of this flagship event featuring music making from Hertfordshire Music Service and surrounding schools.
With just over a year to go, we will be posting a new update here every month in the lead up to the Gala on Sunday 23 March 2025, taking you along the journey with us through behind the scenes content, news and updates.
Keep an eye out for information about upcoming projects and competitions, and how you and your school can get involved! You can check out our main 2025 Gala webpage for further details: www.hertsmusicservice.org.uk/HMSGala
Check out our 2023 highlights video
If you’ve never been to a Gala before, take a look at our highlights video from Gala 2023 so you can see what it’s all about at the iconic Royal Albert Hall. The video is linked on this page.
You can see schools singing together in the massed choir, the orchestra, the dancers, winners of the rapper, composer and songwriter competitions, plus many more inspiring young musicians and performers who all made the 2023 Gala incredible!
Head back to this page for next month’s blog post to find out what’s new with the Gala and more exciting content and updates.
See you next time!
Lucy & Daisy
Hertfordshire Music Service
#HertsSchoolsGala
RAH Gala Project Manager: Lucy Buckland
RAH Gala Project Co-ordinator: Daisy Enfield
Email: rahgala@hertfordshire.gov.uk
Tel.: 01992 555093 or 01438 843987