The headmaster Nicholas Chisholm writes: ‘The pressures of growing up as a gifted child are considerable and one of the visionary aims of Yehudi Menuhin was to provide an environment with the atmosphere and support system to help such gifted children to cope. There are not only many external pressures, such as the expectation of teachers and parents, but also many internal ones, particularly perfectionism which can seriously affect a young person’s self-esteem. The curriculum and staffing levels of the school are unusual in order to provide a counterbalance to these pressures and to alleviate them as far as possible.

A small school with many staff is a financial challenge and we are grateful to the D.O.E. and the Arts Council for some support. Any musically gifted young person can attend the school irrespective of financial background, and it is truly comprehensive. We are very aware of our responsibility to the wider community and have made a commitment to bring music and creativity to schools in Surrey, in collaboration with the London Mozart Players. In 2007 three sets of three day projects in schools will go ahead. In addition brass players from the YMS orchestra have been working with a number of schools on a composition project which will culminate in a concert in the Menuhin Hall. Our youngest pupils (aged from 9) have as usual visited several primary schools each term to lead music workshops.’

The YMS puts on an impressive number of fund-raising concerts and recitals each term and over 12,000 people have attended those in the new concert hall since it opened a year ago. It is all in a day’s work for these gifted and delightful young people who are preparing to make music their life’s work.

Other items in the programme are yet to be selected. At the time of going to press the spring term is not far advanced and there is much work to be done before other concert pieces for the Gstadt Festival (and Leamington Hastings) are confirmed.