Thursday 3rd April 2025, Windsor Castle
We were astounded and delighted in about equal measure when we learned that YLSS had been invited to attend a reception at Windsor Castle hosted by His Majesty King Charles III to recognise and celebrate music making in communities across the UK, an event also attended by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Three of our Trustees, Sue, Steve and Simon, were among the 350 guests who together represented a diverse range of organisations and included leaders of community music groups and music-related projects.
It was a huge honour and privilege for us to represent YLSS and, more broadly, all Late Starters groups that provide adults with a friendly and supportive space to take up an instrument later in life or return to playing after a break, perhaps due to establishing a career or raising a family, and we hope we might have made a small contribution to raising awareness of these groups and their importance in providing opportunities for adults to make music together fostering a sense of belonging and improving mental wellbeing.
We did invite the King to attend a rehearsal should he ever find himself in Leeds on a Saturday morning, but he said he hadn’t had much time to practice the cello lately - no problem we said! |
