Birmingham Schools’ Symphony Orchestra has been selected to perform at London’s Royal Albert Hall at the annual Music for Youth Proms on Monday, November 10, 2025. Eighty young musicians, whose ages range from 13 to 19, will take part in the prestigious concert before an audience of around 5,000.

It is the first time since 2014 that Birmingham Schools’ Symphony Orchestra – run by Services For Education’s Music Service – has performed at the Youth Proms and follows other successful performances at the national event by Birmingham school children, most recently in 2024 when the Music Services’ Raga and Tala Ensemble played the Royal Albert Hall stage.

The annual Music for Youth Proms is the culmination of a year-long programme of concerts and performances held throughout the country. More than 1,200 young musicians from across the UK take part in a spectacular concert like no other with Birmingham Schools’ Symphony Orchestra (BSSO) being showcased alongside some of the country’s brightest young jazz bands, chamber groups, bands and singer songwriters.

The Orchestra will be conducted by Daniele Rosina of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, supported by Assistant Conductor William Cheung, performing Mars from The Planets by Gustav Holst and Mambo from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein.

In addition, BSSO will be the anchor orchestra for the night accompanying two massed items for choir including 1,000 young singers taking part in the world premiere of Aileen Sweeney’s Causeway, written especially for the Youth Proms in partnership with BBC Ten Pieces, Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) and the Royal Albert Hall. BBC Ten Pieces is an educational initiative for primary and secondary schools that uses a collection of classical music to inspire creativity.

Birmingham Schools’ Symphony Orchestra is one of more than 100 music ensembles run by award-winning charity Services For Education which delivers the city’s Music Service which each week teaches music to nearly 32,000 children.

Richard Mabbott, Head of the Music Service at Services For Education, said he was thrilled that Birmingham Schools’ Symphony Orchestra had been chosen to perform at the Youth Proms.

“This is a great opportunity for Birmingham’s young musicians to perform at both a prestigious event and in a world-famous concert hall,” said Richard.

“The fact they are also the anchor orchestra will enable Birmingham’s young musicians to support and perform alongside hundreds of young people from throughout the UK. It will be a night they never forget.

“Birmingham can be proud of its schools and their enthusiasm for music which plays such an important part in so many young people’s lives,” he said.

“Young people really benefit from participating in music and the arts which play such an important part in their development – both academically and in developing personal and life-skills,” said Richard.

ENDS

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 £7.1m (2023/2024). Part-funded by the Arts Council, England it also has its own fundraising and subsidised commercial operations.

• Services For Education’s Music Service, one of the largest in the country, works with 98% of Birmingham schools and each year teaches music to nearly 32,000 children – as well as running 113 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. servicesforeducation.co.uk

About Music for Youth

Music for Youth is a national youth music charity working with young people aged 25 and under across the UK. Its vision is to ensure that every young person in the UK can achieve their musical potential by performing the music they love. MfY believes that music, and the chance to participate in high-quality musical activities, should be open to every young person. https://www.mfy.org.uk/about/

In March 2024, Music for Youth announced its move to Birmingham to co-locate at the CBSO Centre. The charity said the new partnership ‘will see MFY and the CBSO working together to help support the City’s vibrant music culture and help make Birmingham a centre for young people’s music’.

The move follows a feasibility study to select a new location as part of Arts Council England’s Transfer Programme. Running parallel to the 2023-26 Investment Programme for National Portfolio Organisations and Investment Principles Support Organisations, the Transfer Programme provides two-year business funding to organisations willing to relocate by 31 October 2024.

Music for Youth said it chose Birmingham ‘for its lively youth culture and our strong existing partnerships with the CBSO, B:Music, local schools, the music service and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.’ Birmingham is already home to Music for Youth’s annual National Festival, welcoming over 6,000 musicians aged 4–21 to take part in performances, masterclasses and workshops across the city.

For further information and for interviews:

Public and media relations for Services For Education:
David Clarke
E: david-c@clarke-associates.co.uk;
M: 07808 735255

Issued on behalf of:

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