Published: 05 Mar 2026

In January 2026, the Down for the Count Swing Orchestra was invited to host workshops and a performance at Northampton School for Boys.

We love giving opportunities to the musicians of tomorrow and helping them achieve their dreams - so we were thrilled when we received a message from the school asking us to come and perform in their theatre and lead their students in workshops.

After discussions between our musical director Mike Paul-Smith and the school's director of music Michelle Yates, we settled on an ambitious plan: a day of workshops and a joint concert where we would integrate students into our Orchestra.

 

"I was so delighted when we were invited to put together this workshop and performance, and couldn't wait to get planning. 

The question I asked myself was 'what would I have wanted to get out of the experience when I was still at school'?

For me, the answer was the opportunity not only to learn from professional musicians, but also to perform alongside them - literally sat next to them.

What better experience could there be for a young musician than getting to play professional music surrounded by professional musicians - especially for string players, who are not often exposed to jazz and swing whilst still at school. 

As soon as that was decided, it was very easy to put everything else together."

Mike Paul-Smith, Musical Director
Down for the Count Swing Orchestra

 

Here's how it worked!

 

Preparations

We planned the joint repertoire carefully, picking songs that were challenging but achievable for the students, with every song chosen for a reason - usually because it taught students something about a certain style of playing.

One of the "musts" was to get the students playing Nelson Riddle. Riddle was the pre-eminent arranger of big band with strings music, but students hardly ever get a chance to play his music - so here was the opportunity for them to play Our Love is Here To Stay from the Songs for Swingin' Lovers album. Cue lots of discussion about vibrato, portamento, dynamics, phrasing, and more!

Conductor Mike also spoke to string section leader Jordan Earnshaw and members of our horn section to select other challenging songs for students - including Ella Fitzgerald's Manhattan, which requires string players to really swing.

We also wanted a song for the school choir to perform - settling on The Rhythm of Life from the film Sweet Charity, as performed by Sammy Davis Jr., and a favourite of our orchestra from our 2025 tours. 

We sent orchestral parts for those songs plus 6 others to the students a few months in advance, so that they could have a look through and be prepared for the day.

 

On the day: workshops

The day itself began with workshops. We split the students into sections - strings, horns, rhythm, and vocals. Each workshop was delivered by a specialist, and students were sat next to our professional musicians to play through the music. The professional musicians were quick to offer tips on technique and style, and we encouraged rotation so that students would get to hear different people play. 

The students involved ranged from year 7 to year 13; many of them have aspirations to study music at degree level.

The students were playing exactly the same music as our orchestra would normally play, and we were blown away by their talent - so much so that conductor Mike decided to add an extra piece to the joint repertoire, Nat King Cole's Stardust. This is a very challenging song for any string player - and the students handled it fantastically.

Rehearsals

After a quick cup of tea, we joined all the sections of the orchestra together onto the stage for a joint rehearsal.

With less than two hours to rehearse 8 songs, we had to move fast - but still had time to keep the educational value high with anecdotes about the songs and musicians.

The performance

After a quick dinner break, it was time for the show! 

The first set of the concert featured: 

• An opening number from Down for the Count Swing Orchestra
• 5 joint numbers performed by Northampton School for Boys students integrated into the Down for the Count Swing Orchestra
• Performances from NSB's two jazz ensembles

In set two, Down for the Count Swing Orchestra took to the stage to deliver our own performance - but there were still opportunities for the students to get involved. Student vocalist Alessia joined us for Georgia on my Mind, and the school string players tackled the tricky Stardust. 

We also featured two "instrumental spotlights" so that the students could enjoy the talents of our musicians. They were treated to Alex Clarke's transcription of a Charlie Parker with Strings number, followed by James Owston recreating bassist Arvell Shaw's How High the Moon.

It was then time for the big finale - we gathered everyone onto the stage (at least 70 musicians) for two showstopping closing numbers, New York New York - featuring our vocalists Marvin Muoneké and Lydia Bell alongside student Dominic - and Rhythm of Life, also featuring the school choir.

Throughout the concert, the education continued as conductor Mike Paul-Smith compèred the show, introducing each song and placing it in it's proper historical context.

 

After the event

The day was inspiring for everyone involved. Everyone in the orchestra loved having the opportunity to impart knowledge and wisdom to younger students, particularly because of the unique nature of our orchestra - there are hardly any jazz ensembles with string sections, and having the opportunity to perform in one is fairly unique for professional musicians, let alone students.

We would like to say a huge thank you to Down for the Count for the fantastic workshop and performance they delivered with our students.

We have worked with numerous professional ensembles over the years, and Down for the Count really stood out for the level of detail, thought, and care that went into planning a tailored experience to suit our students and their areas of interest. It was clear from the outset that Mike and his team were determined to create something that would truly inspire and engage our young musicians.

Giving our students the chance to sit alongside professional musicians and perform together, created an unforgettable opportunity. Experiences like this are incredibly inspiring, and it was wonderful to see our students learning, growing in confidence, and enjoying the music in such an authentic way.

For many of our students - particularly the string players - it was a rare and exciting opportunity to explore jazz and swing in a completely new context. Seeing our students perform professional repertoire surrounded by such talented musicians was both inspiring and memorable.

The energy, enthusiasm, and generosity that the Down for the Count team brought to the workshop and performance made a huge impression on everyone involved. Our students gained so much from the experience, and it is something they will remember for a long time. Thank you again for sharing your expertise, passion, and time with us. It was a truly special experience for our students, and we hope to work together again in the future.

Michelle Yates, Director of Music
Northampton School for Boys

For more information about our schools programme, and to enquire about Down for the Count hosting a workshop at your school, please contact conductor Mike Paul-Smith on mike@downforthecount.co.uk.

 

 

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