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Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, visited St. Michael’s Junior Church School in Twerton today (June 6th) to celebrate the transformative work of the Orchestra of Everything Foundation - a Bath-based charity delivering free musical education to children from low-income families.

The Foundation is currently active in three Bath schools - St. Michael’s, St. Andrew’s Church School, and Roundhill Primary - providing over 250 children with free music lessons.  At St. Michael’s alone, every pupil from Year 3 to Year 6 receives tuition in either recorder or ukulele, with more than 80% of those eligible also choosing to learn a second instrument such as drums, guitar, violin, flute and a variety of brass instruments, through individual or small group lessons.

Twerton is in the top 10% of deprived areas nationally with 27.2% of children living in poverty in 2023/24 - significantly higher than the national average of 22%.  The Orchestra of Everything Foundation aims to bridge the affordability gap by ensuring that all children, regardless of background, have access to high-quality music education.

Founded by Jon Gore, a local musical volunteer who runs a range of community orchestras for adults, teenagers and juniors (the Orchestra of Everything),  the Foundation builds on his earlier outreach with children at Widcombe Junior School who receive pupil premium (PP) funding, that is to say schools in receipt of additional government funding due to the disproportionate number of their pupils on free school meals.. He found that while Bath had a wealth of musical opportunities, they were not accessible to those from less advantaged backgrounds.

Recognising the untapped talent among these students, Jon launched the Foundation with support from local schools and early funding, creating a ‘whole school’ model at St. Michael’s where five music teachers deliver a ‘musical tsunami’ every Friday.

The programme has already had a major impact. Headteachers and parents report boosts in children's confidence, focus, and enthusiasm for learning, as well as Friday attendance which had often been stubbornly low. Teachers, too, have grown in confidence and continue the lessons beyond the visiting instructors - going as far as establishing a “musical bus” in the playground to extend the joy of music beyond the classroom.

The Bath MP’s visit included meetings with the school’s headteacher Rebecca Mellor and with Victoria Robinson, Head of Music at Oldfield School and a teacher with the Foundation, whose outreach work helped inspire the Foundation’s creation. 

But the highlight was experiencing first-hand the excitement of “Music Friday” as she watched multiple groups of children learning flute, violin, cornet, tuba, trombone, keyboard and even cello, as well as a whole class practising - of course! - the recorder. What’s more, they are even learning to read sheet music, giving them the  skills for the lifelong joy which playing a musical instrument brings. As a long-time advocate for inclusive music education, Wera has now become a patron of the Foundation, supporting their work and urging the Bath community to support the project through volunteering or donations. 

Jon Gore, Founder of the Orchestra of Everything Foundation, said: 

“It was great to have Wera here to show her the important work we’re doing to make music more accessible. Bath is such a creative city, but these children aren’t often given the opportunity to experience the joy that music and the arts bring.  

“Seeing how much the children at St. Michael’s have grown week on week has been incredibly rewarding. We hope we can secure funding to expand our work into more local schools, and would love to hear from donors and volunteers who can help us do this.” 

Speaking to the importance of music education, Wera said: 

“It’s wonderful to hear that parents and teachers in Bath have seen a real difference in children’s confidence and engagement thanks to the Orchestra of Everything Foundation.

“The Foundation has worked incredibly hard to reintroduce music into children’s lives after years of underfunding left music education in a dire state. I hope the current government learns from this inspiring example and invests in music education across the country.

“We must ensure that all young people, especially those from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds, have access to music and the arts. I am proud to be a patron for the foundation and encourage people to get involved in any way they can and experience the joy themselves!.”