Author Archives: Damian Oxborough

Songs and Cries of Keighley Town!

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A Yorkshire town

Bob Chilcott’s evocative text will ring out around Skipton’s Christchurch this weekend as the finale to KVU’s Autumn Concert Earth has not anything to show more fair:Dull would he be of soul who could pass byA sight so touching in its majesty:This city now doth like a garment wearThe beauty of the morning;Silent, bare.. These are the opening lines of… Read more »

‘Stave’ Off Memory Loss

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Older person reading

Of course, there are no miracle cures for the effects of aging but, according to the National Institute on Aging, “People with some forgetfulness can use a variety of techniques that may help them stay healthy and deal with changes in their memory and mental skills.” At the very top of their list is ‘Learn a new skill‘, and further… Read more »

Christmas Message 2023

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Music on a piano at Christmas time.

As we approach the end of 2023, I just wanted to send you a quick message to say a big thank you for choosing me as your music teacher this year. It’s been a really busy 12 months not least because I moved house over summer. I’ve appreciated how everyone has adapted to my new location, rearranging schedules and figuring… Read more »

Sing Out South Craven – A New Choir!

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This evening will be the opening night of a brand new, mixed voice choir in Glusburn If you enjoy singing then come along this evening to Glusburn Institute Community and Arts Centre for the very first meeting of the ‘Sing Out South Craven’ choir! Absolutely everyone is welcome, whether you’ve been involved in musical performance your whole life or if… Read more »

As with any language, the key to learning an instrument is REGULARITY

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Woman enjoying practising piano

How is learning a musical instrument like learning a language? When I was young I used to hear my parents discussing my musical “talents” with their friends, and reference would often be made of how music and languages go together well. I never really understood why the grown-ups would say this – it just seemed like a trope that got… Read more »

You Choose Your Level of Flexibility

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Two Exciting Changes to ‘Flexi’ Lesson Booking I hope that the changes I’ve put in place above offer students a greater degree of control over how they book and manage their lessons. All of this can be done on the regular booking page, or by using the booking area below:

Books About Music – Free to a good home!

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I’m currently clearing some space in my house ahead of moving across town to East Skipton, and I’ve got lots of stuff related to music that I’ll be giving away. First I’m going through my books, many of which were set texts when I did my BA in Music back in the late 1990’s. But, because they’re mostly about classical… Read more »

Music, like life, is absurd.

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And the sooner we accept this, the sooner we’ll be able to fully enjoy both of them. Last weekend I came across Adam Gopnik’s article in the Observer about his attempts to learn to paint and to drive. It’s full of wisdom about how the process of learning new skills brings its own rewards, especially later in life. For your… Read more »

Wanted: Musicians to Join Skipton Folk / Sea Shanty Band

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The Jack Tars – Come & Join The Crew! We are looking for musicians for our well-established Sea Shanty/ Folk Band based in Skipton. We play traditional and contemporary arrangements of Sea Shanties/Songs from the Golden Age of Sail along with Irish Folk songs. Our music is quite high energy as we want to revive and put our mark on… Read more »

Young Voices Massed Sing

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Young Voices Logo

Probably the most joyous concert ever! This week my son got on a coach with the rest of Skipton Parish Primary Years 5 and 6 and headed for Manchester AO Arena to perform as part of the Young Voices 2023 Choir – the largest children’s school choir in the world! We followed closely behind to watch the concert and we… Read more »