Last month, we hosted our much-anticipated Big Jazz Weekend, a vibrant celebration of music and community that brought over 500 jazz lovers together from all over the country! It was a joy to see our jazz community come together—to play, listen, and support one another—in shared passion. The Centre was abuzz with energy with workshops and performances, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for everyone who came. Here are some of the highlights!
- Friday night with Jazz Factory – a cosy night at the bar, Jazz Factory, a jazz workshop for adults based at WMC, were joined by jazz greats Iain Ballamy and Gareth Williams
- Workshops – Nikki Iles shined her magic on over 20 musicians aged 14 – 71 years old – giving all the top tips for playing in a rhythm section. Pete Churchill led a one-hour workshop, teaching the uplifting ‘Dig Deep’ to 15 singers, who went on to perform in the finale concert.
- Rising Stage – young bands and individuals shared their infectious tunes in the bar foyer before the Nikki Iles concert.
- The Finale! After two weekends of rehearsals, our youth jazz orchestra combined forces with WMC Chorus and soloist Sam Hitchcock to share some of Nikki Iles and Pete Churchill’s most uplifting and joyful compositions and arrangements.
The spotlight was focussed on our young jazz musicians throughout the weekend, demonstrating their remarkable talent and dedication. On Saturday night, they captivated audiences with their Rising Stage performances, ahead of the Nikki Iles Jazz Orchestra concert and the weekend culminated in a breathtaking finale concert, where they took to the stage with confidence, in a shared performance with the WMC Chorus, led by jazz educator Pete Churchill. From choosing their repertoire to shaping their performances, the young players had the freedom to express themselves and showcase their creativity. It was a joy to see their hard work come to life on stage.
A true highlight of the weekend was celebrating the incomparable Mike Daniels, whose tireless dedication over three days left a magical imprint on every aspect of the event. Mike didn’t sit down for a moment, spreading his enthusiasm and expertise throughout, and his contributions were a cornerstone of the weekend’s success. Alongside Mike’s efforts, we were privileged to have some extraordinary professional musicians join us, including the phenomenal Nikki Iles and her Jazz Orchestra. Their headline performance was a standout moment, but their impact extended far beyond the stage. Through workshops and rehearsals, Nikki and Pete Churchill generously shared their knowledge and experience, inspiring the next generation of jazz musicians.
Cassie Tait, Head of Creative Learning and Community Engagement said “It was particularly rewarding to witness the many ways people of all ages and experience were connecting and learning from each other across the weekend – bringing together our fantastic jazz community with Mike Daniels at the heart of it all.”
We were also proud to continue our £20 for 20 years fundraising campaign in honour of Mike Daniels’ incredible 20 years of dedication to youth music education. Jazz fans were invited to donate £20 to mark each of the 20 years of leadership Mike has provided to our jazz programme, supporting the youth orchestras and helping to ensure the continued success of our youth music programs for the next 20 years. There’s still time to donate using the donation slider below:
From start to finish, the Big Jazz Weekend was a resounding success. Every event was full of energy, with a buzzing atmosphere that drew in both regular participants and newcomers to our programme. It was wonderful to see so many new faces discovering the joy of jazz at WMC. We would like to thank everyone who made the Big Jazz Weekend such a memorable occasion—the musicians, educators, volunteers, and of course, our audiences. Thank you to everyone who joined us, and we can’t wait to see you at the next one!
