On 15th April, thirteen Members from Keynsham & District Mencap Society’s Music Man Project group joined in with other regional MMP groups to perform together at the Royal Albert Hall.

Over 200 musicians with learning disabilities from across the UK took part, accompanied by the Lorraine Kelly Orchestra and massed community choirs from Southend; with the help of special guests, Peter Egan, Classical Reflection and Jonny Buxton.

The musicians performed original songs written by The Music Man Project UK founder, David Stanley. The first act was full of David’s original music, and the second act was new music forming a ‘Space Musical’ theme. The musical aims to get the audience to ‘think of the world we leave behind’ (a title of one of the songs) and to commemorate the fifty years since Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. The performance ended with ‘Last Night of the Proms’ that saw the audience of over 3,000 people on their feet.

Laura Jefferies, Operations Manager, said: “The evening was truly spectacular and such an incredible achievement for our musicians. The musicians worked really hard and attended extra rehearsals in preparation for the concert. This would not have been possible without music leader, Naomi Tarrant, and assistant Holly Rawlings, who put so much work in behind the scenes to make it happen.”

The Music Man Project has only been running for a year – in fact, the Albert Hall concert was exactly one year and one day after it was launched.

Laura Jefferies continued: “It is incredible to see how much this hard-working group have developed. They are testament to the fact that with the right support, encouragement and belief, people with learning disabilities can achieve their highest goals and aspirations. They have already put on a wonderful show and should all be very proud of themselves.”

The Music Man Project Keynsham takes place on Saturday mornings, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Queen’s Road Methodist Centre, Queen’s Road, Keynsham BS31 2NN. For more information, visit: www.keynshammencap.org.uk/music-man-project-keynsham