Words by Anna Dunwoodie

As Thames Music Group looks towards the future and our 50th year anniversary in 2027, we are also taking little peeks at some of the concerts and activities of the TMG since its beginning in 1977.

At some stage in the 1980’s the committee came up with the idea of having an annual ‘Young Performers’ concert. The performers were all school-age (primary and secondary) students who were taking formal, generally classical music lessons, often outside of school, and in many cases, were also preparing for the annual music exams (Trinity College and Associated Board of Royal Schools) in November of each year. So the timing was just right: the last concert of the year was the ‘Young Performers’ concert and while these young people were polishing up their performances for end of year assessments, they were also able to treat the community to a showcase of young local talent.

The Thames Music Group aims to bring back the ‘Young Performers’ concert on 1 November 2026.  We invite local music teachers to put forward the names of their students who can present two performance ready pieces, at any level from beginner to advanced.

We’re aiming to present a showcase featuring a variety of piano, vocal and orchestral instrument students. We will be relying on the teacher’s recommendation that their student will be performance ready and confident to introduce themselves (if required) using the supplied microphone.

Teachers are invited to submit the details of potential student performers by 20 August, and we’ll get back to you with our selection by 1 September. This still gives the student plenty of time to polish up and prepare for the concert on Sunday 1 November 2026.

The Thames Music Group reserves the right to select some, but not all students, to create a programme with balance of instruments and abilities and keep within a reasonable concert length.

For more details, please visit our website homepage to find information about how to submit your students details.