Page 367 - Guildhall Coverage Book 2020-21

MUSIC TEACHER

1 September 2020

Golden opportunities: Centre for Young Musicians

Thomas Lydon
Since it was founded in 1970, London's Centre for Young Musicians has seen more than 50,000
students pass through its doors. Thomas Lydon meets past and present members of the music
school as it marks its half-century.

Time to celebrate: CYM members pose for a commemorative photoshoot

The Centre for Young Musicians (CYM), London's outstanding Saturday music centre and the body
that oversees the London Schools Symphony Orchestra (LSSO), officially celebrated its half-century
during lockdown. The global pandemic meant, of course, that the 10 June birthday concert was a
strictly online affair. Instead of the planned event at the Barbican, the centre mounted an online
showcase of 50 numbers from members of CYM past and present. The evening opened with an
appearance from TV journalist Naga Munchetty, who studied at the CYM for over ten years, and
referred to her experiences performing in the centre's orchestra, band and jazz ensembles as ‘the
most fun and memorable times of my youth’. Performances by students were mixed in with