Another excellent performance by the Play Strings Academy was heard in the St Peters’ Hall on the 20th March. Traditional English and American Folk Tunes were played alongside Beethoven Trios and Jazz Solos as mountains of cake were sold to raise funds for the group’s planned venture to Bruges, Belgium.

Despite this concert only being the second the group have played, dolce notes from Violins, Violas, Cellos and the Piano were heard as students of the Play Strings Academy expertly displayed their skill to family and friends. Performers of all ages and experience were warmly received by the audience, who eagerly enjoyed the music and the cake simultaneously.

The relaxed concert was to raise money for the Play Strings Academy’s proposed trip to Belgium next year, where students will perform at hotspots in the historic city of Bruges whilst exploring the other cultural attractions, like the famous Chocolate Museum. The drivers of this exciting venture are James and Melinda Greenfield, who have years of teaching and performing experience.

To prepare for this, the Play Strings Academy competed at this year’s Colchester Rotary Festival of Music and Dance at the Headgate theatre in which many students received awards for their performances.

Enraptured attendee Neil Kelly said that the “real enjoy of the concert was not only to hear the beautiful music and enjoy the cake, but to see the performers up close – to participate in their art”.

The hurdles set by the Coronavirus pandemic seem long behind the Play Strings Academy as they go from strength to strength.