Blog

New custom music folders delight Australian College

Maureen Cameron, Head of Music at St. Andrews Catholic College, Queensland, Australia enthusing over their new orchestral folders told Black Cat Music, "all arrived and they look absolutely fantastic… our head teacher is so excited about using them at the eisteddfod, she’s booked extra seats already! "

St Andrews opted for customized gold blocking with the college’s name and crest to give a strong identity to the elegant cardinal red leather folders complete with brass bound corners, that provide that extra appeal to orchestral performances. Black Cat Music folders are 305mm x 356mm and include two bottom expanding pockets, plus a useful pencil pocket and can optionally be supplied gold blocked with logos and names of schools, choirs or bands to create group identities.



Black Cat Music publish handy short form catalogue

Specialist music education and performance equipment supplier, Black Cat Music, has just published a new short form catalogue . Bringing together all the most popular products – music stands, folders, chairs, instrument storage, conductor’s equipment and staging – this handy catalogue and price list provides a convenient reference when looking for and buying music performance equipment.

It is worth getting hold of a copy and taking advantage of some discount offers, reading product reviews, discovering the important-to-know benefits for each product then placing your order.

Although the new catalogue provides a useful range of commonly needed products, Black Cat Music also has an extensive range of more specialist music and performance equipment products that can be discovered online at www.blackcatmusic.co.uk. Customers can view product demonstrations by visiting the Black Cat Music channel on www.YouTube.com and searching on ‘blackcatmusiceurope’.



Classic 50 music stands - watch the video

The Black Cat Music Classic 50 music stand has been a best seller year after year. To help anyone new to the product to see why the Classic 50 has been so enduringly popular, there is now a short video that highlights some of the features that may not be easily appreciated in just looking at a catalogue.

Already a top seller, the popular Classic 50 Music Stand is tough enough to handle the hardships of regular classroom use thanks to a formula of advanced polymers offering inherent tensile strength that will not bend or dent like metal stands. Its elegant design makes it quiet and rattle-free during performances. And the scratch resistant desk surface also incorporates a unique recess for keeping pencils in place. The patented one-hand height adjustment of the music desk is simplicity itself, requiring no screw or locking collar adjustments. When the performance, rehearsal or class is over, stands can be stacked on the easy to load Move & Store Cart for transport and convenient, compact storage.

Watch the Classic 50 put through its paces at www.YouTube.com

May price discount on conductor’s stand

During May Black Cat Music are offering the Wenger Preface Conductor’s music stand at a 10% discount compared to the usual price.

Already affordably priced thanks to elegant design and clever engineering, the Preface Conductor’s stand still benefits from plenty of useful features. This stylish conductor's stand enjoys a large desk, a sleek, non-scratch black surface, and dual posts offering superb stability and strength. Although robust it's also extremely lightweight and easy to use and store. The tilting desk permits easy angle adjustment while integrated storage keeps all the conductor's needs nearby and out-of-sight. In fact, it's been exquisitely fine-tuned to give conductors more stand for less money. Plus each stand comes with a 5-year warranty.

For full details of the Preface Conductor’s stand and to take advantage of this special offer visit the Black Cat Music web site.



Headteacher praises school investment in Classic 50s

Glynis Coates, Headteacher of Yalding St Peter & St Paul CEP School says, "we’re really pleased with our music stands – they were a good investment and have saved the school money in the long run. They have undergone a lot of wear and tear and they still work perfectly and look great in concert. "

Glynis Coates continued, "I actually first saw the Classic 50 music stand at another school and asked them where they’d got them. They referred me to Black Cat Music. We have the Wenger Classic 50 Music Stands, which are brilliant – we’ve had them for 4 years now and not one has broken. They still look smart and they don’t weigh very much so they’re easy for the children to use." The Classic 50 music stand has been a best seller year after year for Black Cat Music. It is tough enough to handle the hardships of regular classroom use thanks to a formula of advanced polymers offering inherent tensile strength that will not bend or dent like metal stands. Its elegant design makes it quiet and rattle-free during performances. And the scratch resistant desk surface also incorporates a unique recess for keeping pencils in place. The patented one-hand height adjustment of the music desk is simple to operate, requiring no screw or locking collar adjustments. When the performance, rehearsal or class is over, stands can be compactly stacked away.

Asked why Yalding St Peter & St Paul CEP School opted for the Classic 50, Glynis Coates explained, "I was fed up with music stands that wobble about or look dented and rusty during school concerts. We’re a very busy teaching team and we do lots of musical activities and concerts, and checking all our music stands are working properly before every performance is just another thing to think about. Black Cat Music supply the Wenger music stands, which are sturdily built and come with a five year guarantee. Also we know Black Cat, and we know that if we have any problems with their products (luckily this hasn’t happened yet) they’ll be quick to sort them out for us."

The school also has Choir Music Folders from Black Cat and when asked if she would recommend Black Cat Music the response was an emphatic, "Yes – definitely!"



Music performance equipment on show at Musikschulkongress Mainz

Black Cat Music Europe will be exhibiting a comprehensive range of equipment for music, performance, practice and theatre at Musikschulkongress 2011 taking place at the Congress Centrum Mainz, 20th to 22nd May.

Performance equipment including examples of music stands, orchestral chairs, staging, choral risers, conductor’s equipment and music folders will be on show. In addition Black Cat Music Europe offer a range of theatre products embracing staging, tiered audience seating, make-up stations, costume racks and instrument storage cabinets. Black Cat Music Europe is the Master Distributor in Europe and Russia for Wenger Corporation - a company widely recognised as world leaders in fully guaranteed staging and music performance equipment.

New at the show are Music Practice Rooms offering an affordable and flexible solution to noise problems in schools. Music Practice Rooms allow music teachers and students to rehearse within a controlled environment that minimises the acoustic impact upon other classes. The flexibility of the modular design permits Music Practice Rooms to be configured to fit available spaces.

Expert staff, experienced at advising and supplying equipment for the diverse needs of performers, technicians, architects, events companies and teachers will be available on the stand to demonstrate products and provide advice. Whether looking for musical performance equipment, event staging, audience and performance seating, theatre equipment or acoustic solutions, Black Cat Music Europe can provide high-quality equipment, which is as durable as it is elegant and easy to use.



Black Cat Music at MMA Conference

Reporting on the MMA Conference 2011 that took place at King’s College and St. John’s College Cambridge, 20th to 22nd May, Alice Dagger of Black Cat Music says, “We're delighted with the success of the conference. There has been a great response from Music Directors, both to our music performance equipment and to our new music practice rooms by MusicPracticeRooms.com, which is excellent news. We've also enjoyed the venue and the opportunity to visit Cambridge. I particularly enjoyed the Evensong and dinner at St. John's College.”

Performance equipment including examples of music stands, orchestral chairs, staging, choral risers, conductor’s equipment and music folders was on show. In addition Black Cat Music offer a range of theatre products embracing staging, tiered audience seating, pit filler staging, make-up stations, costume racks and stage boxes. Black Cat Music is the Master Distributor in the UK and Ireland for Wenger Corporation a company widely recognised as world leaders in fully guaranteed staging and music performance equipment.

New at the show were Music Practice Rooms offering an affordable and flexible solution to noise problems in schools. Music Practice Rooms allow music teachers and students to rehearse within a controlled environment that minimises the acoustic impact upon other classes. The flexibility of the modular design permits Music Practice Rooms to be configured to fit available spaces.



Flipform delights The Granville School

The Granville School has a rich heritage of performing arts and offers a varied and extensive programme of Drama and Music.

“To compliment our equipment I was looking for innovative, well-priced, flexible options,” Kate Brown, Speech and Drama at The Granville School explained, “and was delighted to come across the Wenger Flipform sold by Black Cat Music. Comprehensive pictures, dimensions and price details were on their web site and I was invited to visit the Black Cat Music showroom outside Tunbridge Wells. Being able to see the Flipform in its different positions, feel the weight of it and the ease with which it moves on wheels confirmed that it was the right equipment for The Granville.”

Flipform is designed to turn classrooms into exciting educational environments. They flip into whatever shape is called for and go wherever needed. Manufactured from moulded, high-density polyethylene making them virtually indestructible, Flipforms are available with a choice of blue, red, yellow, green or grey top with a grey base, or black top with a black base.

Kate Brown continued, “Black Cat Music also recommended a set of three stage boxes of various sizes that make valued additions to the Flipforms. These pieces are used at The Granville School constantly, in many different contexts both in the classroom and on stage. The variety of levels and shapes it is possible to configure offers all the creative flexibility required to meet our performance and teaching needs and, most importantly, the children love using them.”

Music practice rooms join extensive range of performance equipment at FMS event

Black Cat Music will be exhibiting a comprehensive range of equipment for music, performance, practice and theatre at the FMS Conference 2011 taking place at in Manchester, 17th and 18th June.

New at the show are Music Practice Rooms offering an affordable and flexible solution to noise problems in schools. Music Practice Rooms [www.musicpracticerooms.com] allow music teachers and students to rehearse within a controlled environment that minimises the acoustic impact upon other classes. The flexibility of the modular design permits Music Practice Rooms to be configured to fit available spaces.

Performance equipment including examples of music stands, orchestral chairs, staging, choral risers, conductor’s equipment and music folders will be on show. In addition Black Cat Music offer a range of theatre products embracing tiered audience seating, pit filler staging, make-up stations, costume racks and stage boxes. Black Cat Music is the Master Distributor in the UK and Ireland for Wenger Corporation a company widely recognised as world leaders in fully guaranteed staging and music performance equipment.

Staff, experienced at advising and supplying equipment for the diverse needs of performers, technicians, architects, events companies and teachers will be available on the stand to demonstrate products and provide advice. Whether looking for musical performance equipment, event staging, audience and performance seating, theatre equipment or acoustic solutions, Black Cat Music can provide high-quality equipment, which is as durable as it is elegant and easy to use.



Black Cat Music exhibit at Luxembourg choir competition

Black Cat Music recently exhibited at the Tour des Mélodies choir competition organised by the INECC (L’institut Européen de Chant Choral) as a celebration of singing and choirs in Luxembourg.

A variety of music and performance equipment products were on show, ranging from choral and orchestral music folders to staging for choirs, choral risers, conductor’s stands, podiums and music stands. With the choral competition attracting more than 1,000 singers including groups, ensembles and solo performers singing music of many era, from medieval and baroque through to modern day, it was a full day of competition from 9 o’clock in the morning until midnight at the Centre Cultural de Rencontres in the Abbaye de Neumünster, Luxembourg where the event was staged.

Brigitte Downs, Sales Executive at Black Cat Music, reported: ‘We thoroughly enjoyed the event and were most impressed by the standard of singing. Our products, especially our choir folders and our Tourmaster choral riser, were well received in Luxembourg and we received lots of enquiries from choir conductors and singing teachers’.