Two charities have joined forces to create a song for the Commonwealth that was inspired by the late Queen Elizabeth’s messages to the Commonwealth nations and territories at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games. Come Together Everybody is a song that celebrates hope in diversity and draws on themes of family, friendship and togetherness.

Come Together Everybody was written by Sarah Baker, Composer in Residence at Birmingham charity Services For Education which brings music and learning to life and which each year teaches music to more than 32,000 Birmingham school children. Birmingham’s Lunar Society – which stimulates ideas, broadens debate and catalyses action – has supported the initiative and funded arranger Bob Vivian to produce instrumental scores for all abilities so that musicians and singers across the world can enjoy performing the song.

Now the resources have been uploaded to Services For Education’s website together with a video of children from Phoenix International School in Malawi and an introduction by Sarah Baker. As a vocal specialist, Sarah enjoys working with children of all ages and passionately believes in the power of music to bring about positive change and to help young people fulfil their potential.

The resources are available at https://www.servicesforeducation.co.uk/blog/music/come-together-everybody/ and the hope is that schools throughout the Commonwealth nations and territories will record and share their performances through Services For Education.

Stuart Birnie, Head of the Music Service at Services For Education, said: “We’d love schools and choirs to use the resources and to record and share their videos. Our hope is that we will be connected in shared music making and that together we can build a brighter future where everyone plays a part.”

 

ENDS

 

Picture caption:

Children from Malawi sing Come Together Everybody composed by Services For Education’s Composer in Residence Sarah Baker

About Services For Education:

An education and training charity based in Birmingham, Services For Education brings music and learning to life.

Services For Education employs more than 200 staff delivering music tuition to children, and expert training and development to teaching and school support staff. It has annual income of £6.9m (Y/E August 2020). Part-funded by the Arts Council, England it also has its own fund-raising and subsidised commercial operations.

• Services For Education’s Music Service, one of the largest in the country, works with 93% of Birmingham schools and each year teaches music to nearly 32,000 children – as well as running 97 free ensembles. It provides 27,000 musical instruments free-of-charge so all children have access to playing and enjoying music together and its Youth Proms at Symphony Hall give 4,000 young musicians the opportunity to perform to an audience of more than 10,000. It also runs music schools, has a world music department, provides private music tuition to all ages as well as working with partners to deliver music and choral opportunities to disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. Its award-winning Online Music Educational Resource was completed and launched free to schools in 2021 to appeal to a young IT-connected audience attracted to learning online and to complement traditional tuition.
• Services For Education’s School Support Service provides expert training and development to teaching and support staff in nearly 600 schools in the West Midlands and increasingly across England, to improve practice and ensure teachers are best equipped to respond to developments in curriculum and policy. As a leading provider of safeguarding education, Services For Education works with 400 schools delivering training in-person and on-line. It also delivers innovative programmes to support the physical and emotional health of children and young people through Health for Life and other community-based activity.

 

Awards

Services For Education has been recognised regionally and nationally for its work:

Asian Business Chamber of Commerce Awards:

• 2022: Outstanding Charity of the Year (winner)

Bett Awards:

• 2022: Transformational Impact (finalist)

Birmingham Awards:

• 2018: Contribution to Education (winner)
• 2021: Excellence in Education (finalist)

Birmingham Post Business Awards:

• 2018: Not-For-Profit Organisation of the Year (finalist)

The Charity Awards:

• 2022: Arts, culture and heritage (winner)

Education Awards:

• 2019: Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community (winner)
• 2021/22: Transforming lives through partnerships (finalist)

Educational Resources Awards:

• 2019: The Educational Book Award (finalist)

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce Annual Awards:

• 2021: Excellence in Contribution to the community (finalist)
• 2021: Excellence in Training and Education (winner)
• 2020: Excellence in Sales & Marketing (finalist)
• 2019: Excellence in Training & Education (winner)
• 2018: Excellence in Training & Education (finalist)

Music & Drama Education Awards:

• 2022: Excellence in Primary/Early Years (Highly Commended)
• 2021: Outstanding Music Education Resource (winner)
• 2021: #Goldstars Awards
• 2020: Excellence in SEND (finalist)

West Midlands Tech Awards:

• 2021: Innovation in Education (winner)

 

Services For Education’s Annual Review for 2022 is available here: https://www.servicesforeducation.co.uk/annual-review-2022/

 

Issued on behalf of:

Services For Education
Unit 3 Holt Court
Holt Street
Birmingham Science Park
Aston
Birmingham B7 4AX

 

For further information on Services For Education:

David Clarke, Clarke Associates, (Public and media relations, Services For Education)

E: david-c@clarke-associates.co.uk;

M: 07808 735255