Blog

When Alleyn’s School was looking for staging equipment for their new music facility, they turned to Black Cat Music for a Wenger Versalite stage.

The Versalite stage is an advanced, ultra-flexible system that can be configured as a multilevel stage or seated riser. Versalite is an ‘all-in-one system’ that offers strength, durability, and ease of set-up. The heavy-duty construction comprises decks constructed of solid 19mm exterior-grade plywood with a durable phenolic surface that won't curl or peel, which, as an added safety feature, helps prevent tripping. Alleyn's School chose 16 platforms in 4 different sizes plus closure panels for the front, all of which fit together to form a new 8.52m x 4.26m stage to hold the school’s Steinway piano and provide a platform for music and drama performances.

Alleyn's School is an independent co-educational day school situated in Dulwich, south east London, that can trace its theatrical and musical connections back to the original foundation by Edward Alleyn, a prosperous Elizabethan actor manager whose Rose and Fortune Theatres rivalled Shakespeare's Globe.

Tim Kermode, Director of Music at Alleyn’s School, expressed his thanks to Black Cat Music for planning and installation assistance and said, ‘we very much look forward to using the new staging next term.’

Schools and colleges can now benefit from membership of Black Cat Music’s Education Discount Programme.

Not only do schools benefit from a 5% discount on all orders for standard products from Black Cat Music’s comprehensive range of specialist equipment for music performance and education equipment, but they also enjoy advance notice of special offers. By signing up to the scheme - online at www.blackcatmusic.co.uk or by calling 0800 072 7799 - qualifying schools, colleges and universities in the UK will automatically receive a copy of the Education Catalogue published each September, monthly e-mail alerts of special price deals and free mainland UK delivery for orders over £500. And of course professional advice in helping select the right equipment is always available from Black Cat Music, including the loan of sample products for evaluation.

Joining the Education Discount Programme is free and, for a limited period, anyone signing up will receive a high quality Black Cat Music mug!

The 2007~8 Music Education and Performance Equipment catalogue from Black Cat Music has just been published, ready for the start of the new school year. Over twenty new products have been added to last year’s catalogue and the ranges of music stands, chairs and piano stools have been greatly extended. Packed full of everything needed by music departments, the new education catalogue provides a useful single reference source for all types of equipment, from music stands and music folders to chairs and staging.

Showcasing one of the most comprehensive ranges available of music and performance equipment for schools, colleges and universities, conveniently brought together in one easy to use price list and catalogue, products can be ordered by mailing the enclosed order form, by e-mail, Freephone or fax. The catalogue is also available online where purchases can be made using a secure server, 24 hours a day.

Education establishments joining the Education Discount Programme not only enjoy 5% off all standard purchases, but also receive advance notification of Black Cat Music’s special promotion offers each month.

The new catalogue is available either in printed form or on a CD and can be requested from Black Cat Music or online at www.blackcatmusic.co.uk/brochure-request.htm .

Music equipment supplied by Black Cat Music is proving ever more popular with schools, choirs and even the world-famous Proms amongst recent customers.

The Reading Ladies Barbershop Singers, ‘The Barberettes’, who sing a wide range of popular songs in unaccompanied four-part harmony, recently purchased six Tourmaster Risers and back rails from Black Cat Music. With a membership of more than 40 women, the Tourmaster risers have become an essential addition to their equipment, allowing the singers to improve the staging of their performances in a range of venues. The Tourmaster is simple to move and set up, folding easily for transport between concerts.

Kensington Prep School - an independent girls' school situated in the heart of Fulham, with 280 girls from the age of 4 to 11 years - has invested in four sets of four-step Tourmasters complete with back rails, to add to the school’s music and performance facilities.

The King's School, Grantham, traces its history back to 1329, counts Sir Isaac Newton amongst its old boys and offers a flourishing music department with extra curricular musical activities every week. The school has recently invested in 40 Student Chairs, which are generously sized to provide good support and range of movement and also robust and virtually indestructible.

It was Classic 50 and Roughneck music stands in evidence at the ‘Last Night of the Proms’. The Classic 50 has taken the professional and education markets by storm, thanks to its robust, lightweight construction and no fiddly knobs or screws to adjust either. The Roughneck stand is another tough customer, designed to always stand straight without leaning or wobbling and with a desk height adjuster that moves and holds with one easy motion. For the 2007 Proms season eight Wenger Acoustic Shields were ordered and The Royal Philharmonic also ordered six shields.

New from Black Cat Music is the Scherzo Music Stand, which is easy and quick to fold after use and then place in its own carrying bag.

By using an all-aluminium construction, its light weight will be appreciated by anyone who has to regularly carry sheet music, stand and instrument to rehearsal and performances! High quality joints allow the Scherzo to be unfolded and refolded with ease, while a positive locking button allows the desk angle to be adjusted to suit. Desk height is adjustable between 490mm and 1200mm and the whole stand packs down into a tough nylon bag complete with handy carrying handle, just 500mm x 110mm x 60mm in size.

In a major supply contract for the Wenger range of music equipment for the new Cork School of Music, Black Cat Music has been involved in the first education PPP project in Ireland.

With almost 500 ‘Classic 50’ music stands, 300 ‘Symphony’ Chairs, 260 ‘Musician’ Chairs as well as ‘Versalite’ Staging, ‘Tourmaster’ Risers and ‘Resource Centres’ the Cork School of Music’s new purpose-built College which opened in September 2007 is well equipped and providing state-of-the-art facilities for 400 full time students.

With 13,000m2 of space, the project supplied through a public-private partnership includes a library, 52 teaching/practice studios, a 500-seater auditorium, a 100-seater drama theatre and movement room, a professional recording studio, electronic music studio, piano labs, audio lab, music IT lab, double bass studio, harp and harpsichord room, organ room, percussion studio and a post-graduate centre. Other facilities include lecture theatres, classrooms, student common room and offices for student services, staff common room, boardroom, meeting rooms, medical referral centre, a bistro café, as well as public offices and accommodation for the management, teaching and administrative staff.

The new Cork School of Music provides the internationally-renowned staff of Ireland's largest conservatory of music and drama with the very best of facilities to ensure that many more students are able to pursue their studies.

Storing musical instruments safely when not in use is an issue that more and more schools are now addressing with the help of Black Cat Music’s range of standard and custom music storage products. In this month’s issue of Music Teacher, editor Clare Stevens researched and presented an article discussing instrument storage.

In case you missed the article – Safe and Sound - a PDF copy is available here to download. The Black Cat Music range includes systems for storing and organising sheet music, racks for instrument cases and lockable storage cupboards. Black Cat Music also specialises in providing custom designs that maximize the use of available space.

Click here to download a copy of the Music Teacher article [7.7MB].

Staff from Black Cat Music were on hand to handle the many enquiries about the company’s comprehensive range of music accessory products.

Music performance equipment specialist Black Cat Music has recently been appointed master distributor for Wenger Corporation in an agreement covering all European countries, including Russia.

Wenger are recognised as world leaders in fully-guaranteed staging and music performance equipment and Black Cat Music has been the UK & Ireland representative for Wenger’s extensive range for more than 20 years. Thanks to success in these markets the decision was taken to expand the organisation to develop the same service throughout Europe. Popular products will be supplied from warehousing facilities in Rotterdam supporting European distributors.

Teresa Rogers heads up the Tunbridge Wells based sales organisation and explains, “our expert staff are experienced at advising and supplying equipment for the diverse needs of performers, technicians, architects, events companies and teachers alike. With agents in eight European countries, an established supply chain and a European warehouse to ensure fast distribution, we are ready to expand our network into new territories. Whether you are looking for event staging, audience and performance seating, theatre and musical equipment or acoustic solutions, you can rely on Black Cat Music Europe to provide high-quality equipment which is as durable as it is elegant and easy to use.”

Black Cat Music presented a comprehensive range of music and performance equipment on stand H7 at London’s PLASA Show, 7th~10th September. The Black Cat stand will feature equipment for theatre, performance, music, and acoustic treatments.

Theatre products include tiered audience seating, pit filler staging, make-up stations, costume racks and stage boxes. The performance equipment range embraces staging, orchestral chairs, choral risers, seated risers and conductors’ equipment. Some of the music products on show will be from the Black Cat range of music stands and lights, posture chairs, instrument and sheet music storage, choral folders and piano accessories.

Black Cat Acoustics can offer a range of noise control treatments, acoustic shells such as Diva, as well as virtual acoustic environments and music practice rooms.

Black Cat Music is the exclusive representative of Wenger Corporation in the UK and Europe. Wenger is unchallenged as the largest manufacturer of fully-guaranteed music performance equipment in the world. European visitors to PLASA interested in distributing these products are invited to meet the sales team at the show.



Note to editors
The PLASA Show is the leading showcase for new technology within the entertainment, live event, corporate, architectural and installation industries worldwide. The 32nd PLASA Show takes place at Earls Court, London from the 13 - 16 of September 2009.