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Black Cat Music and MusicPracticeRooms.com are delighted to announce their support for the Sevenoaks Young Musician of the Year Competition 2012.

Sevenoaks Young Musician of the Year is a competition open to instrumentalists aged 21 years and under and with a minimum Grade 8. The final heats of the competition will be taking place in March 2012 when the Sevenoaks District Arts Council presents the winner with a Silver Memorial Medal in memory of June Clements who founded the competition in 1995. The winner also has the opportunity of playing a concerto with The Lydian Orchestra and this year it is Margarita Balanas, a 'cellist from Latvia who is at the Purcell School.

Tonbridge based Black Cat Music supplies a comprehensive range of equipment for music, performance, practice and theatre including music stands, orchestral chairs, staging, choral risers, conductor’s equipment and music folders. In addition there is a range of theatre products embracing staging, tiered audience seating, make-up stations, costume racks and instrument storage cabinets.

MusicPracticeRooms.com supplies sound-isolating, modular Music Practice Rooms for schools, recording studios and for home use. MusicPracticeRooms.com is proud to offer superb acoustic performance at an affordable price, enabling musicians to rehearse and perform in controlled acoustic environments.

"I have been thrilled by the service you have shown me. From start to finish you have been friendly and a joy to buy from. I run a company myself and I know how important service is and I hope that my company is as good as yours! " said Jonnie Jones, Chairman of the 2012 Mayfield Festival Committee, commending the service received from Black Cat Music when the festival organisers recently purchased a number of Mighty Bright music stand lights.

The Mayfield Festival of Music & the Arts is one of the highlights of the South East‘s events calendar. This biennial event comprises daily events in the magnificent setting of the historic village of Mayfield, East Sussex and attracts world-class performers from both home and abroad.

Plans are being finalised now for the 23rd Mayfield Festival, which will take place from Friday 4th to Sunday 13th May 2012. Once again the programme promises to be remarkable and comprehensive, featuring internationally renowned solo performers, professional orchestras, sought-after choral groups and some up-and-coming young artists who will make their Festival début. More details regarding the events for 2012 and all booking information will be made available early in the New Year via the Festival’s website, www.mayfieldfestival.co.uk.

“Having retired, I still like to do something in my own area. We have two choirs in our Music Centre - a children's choir and an adult choir, together with numerous bands and orchestras,” said Philip King. The former Head of South Derbyshire Music Service was taking time out from a busy schedule at the Music Centre in South Derbyshire to talk about staging for choirs and in particular Wenger Tourmaster Risers supplied by Black Cat Music. “Singing is a visual thing as well. It may sound nice, but if you can't see people its not so good”, he said.

Now Conductor of the Cantabile Choir, Philip King reflected on the decision to invest in Tourmaster Risers dating back nearly twenty years to a time when as he explained, ”the boxes we were using for staging were difficult to carry around and also they were a bit cumbersome. They just didn't work very well. If parents, in particular come to a concert, they want to see their children performing.” Careful study of the Black Cat catalogue in due course led to the decision to make the investment in Tourmaster Risers.

Talking about the ownership experience of Tourmaster, Philip commented, “storage is minimal really, they fold down easily and we can store them upright. For moving them around we just use a van, its very easy, they are on wheels and so quick to put up it’s unbelievable. The way they have been designed is just great for us, so we use them in many different venues.We can't fault the Tourmaster Risers at all. It is coming up for twenty years now and I am sure they are fit for another twenty. We use them very regularly and there are no faults at all with them. Philip concluded, “Black Cat Music should feel very proud of this product, because we certainly feel that as customers we get a good deal from it.”

The full interview with Philip King and the Tourmaster Risers being used in concert can be viewed on the Black Cat Music video chanel and on YouTube.

Music education and performance equipment specialist Black Cat Music is currently offering Music Folders with an additional discount. This offer only applies during February, so anyone looking to take advantage of this money saving opportunity to kit out their choir or orchestra with a matching set of music folders is urged to act promptly.

The elegant music folders benefit from hardwearing leatherette covers, brass bound corners and hand-stitching, designed to provide protection for music as well as looking smart during concerts. At a modest extra charge music folders can be customised with gold-blocking with the name and crest of the choir, band or orchestra, to further enhance the group identity. There is a choice of styles with expanding pockets or retaining strings for choirs and expanding pockets, pencil pockets and windows for orchestral use. Music folders are available in a choice of three colours – Concert Black, Royal Blue and Cardinal Red.

Full details of this offer are published on the Black Cat Music web site.