The Brentwood Buzz

The Coronation of King Charles III is this weekend and this historic event is being celebrated across Brentwood . Conversations about the Coronation, and memories of the last Coronation, are being shared by friends and families across the Borough. Shop windows are full of red, white and blue displays, while musicians from the Brentwood Imperial Youth Band, Brentwood School Big Band and church choirs are rehearsing for the Coronation Festival in King George's Park on Monday 8th June organised by Brentwood Borough Council. The Brentwood Buzz has been to meet some of those involved in the preparations for a Coronation Preparation Special!

S1Ep11 - The Brentwood Buzz has already featured a very talented local musician, Amy Hollingsworth, who is just finishing her studies at the Guildhall School of Music and heading out in the big world of jazz vocals.

But Brentwood is a hotbed of young musical talent, and this week The Brentwood Buzz meets Tom Hodgkinson, an 18 year old student at the Brentwood School. Tom is the 2022 Essex Young Musician of the Year, and his astounding skills in playing the classical guitar have brought him to the attention of none other than John Williams, whose recording of "Cavatina" was very well-known in the 1970s.

Tom's on the brink of the next stage of his musical training, so The Brentwood Buzz headed off to Brentwood School to meet Tom and hear him play.

Anyone who has walked past the Spread Eagle Pub on Queen's Road in Brentwood will be familiar with the wonderful murals which regularly appear on the wall opposite the back entrance to St Thomas's Churchyard. The artist behind these murals is artist Mario Corile (http://www.corile-design.co.uk/) , and a couple of weeks ago I happened to see him painting his latest artwork on the pub wall. It was too good an opportunity to mis so we had a chat about his work and what brings him to Brentwood on a regular basis.

The cheerful and ever-changing displays in the windows of Bennetts Funeral Directors in Brentwood reflect the company's long-standing position and importance in the lives - and deaths - of many Brentwood inhabitants.

But if you think the funeral business involves little more than a long car and some men and women in black suits, you may wish to think again. There are qualifications and regulations, training and a good eye for a good hearse needed. Jane Bennet took over her family's firm more than thirty years ago and had to learn it all from scratch so The Brentwood Buzz has been to meet her and find out some of the finer details of planning a funeral.

A special additional episode of The Brentwood Buzz today, celebrating young entrepreneurs in the town who have been taking part in Brentwood's first 'Make Your Market' event in the Baytree Centre.

The Covid pandemic made many young people take a good look at their lives and passions, and the outcome seems to have been the enthusiastic decision to make, create and sell all kinds of products. Brentwood has never been a place lacking in entrepreneurial vigour, and Brentwood Borough Council have embraced this by bringing 'Make Your Market' to the town and encouraged those aged under 30 to take part.

Things started small today, but they will grow, and there's no doubt The Brentwood Buzz will be talking to the likes of Charlotte (Minus Cloud Nine), Lucy (Amara London) and Lily (DottysCreatives) again in the future as their business careers develop.

S1Ep7 Music, coffee and a hefty dose of nostalgia is what you get at Hey Joe!, Brentwood's only independent record shop. The shop in the Baytree Centre is run by Marc Sardinha, who decided Brentwood was the perfect place for the shop he wanted to open and he moved here three years ago.

This week on The Brentwood Buzz Marc explains why Brentwood offers everything he wants for home and work, and runs through what's hot and what's not in the music scene at the moment. And if Sam Ryder or Depeche Mode tune in to The Brentwood Buzz, Marc would be happy for them to come and play at the shop!

If you'd like to know more about The Brentwood Buzz, or think someone you know would make a brilliant guest, please get in touch at [email protected] or via The Brentwood Buzz on Facebook.

Nestled in the heart of Brentwood's wonderful Crown Street is the Chicken and Frog bookshop, run by Natasha and Jim Radford. The bookshop provides a focus for young readers wanting to find new inspiration, and for adults who want to read something which might be less widely available online or in High Street chains. The shop embraces diversity and everyone is made to feel welcome - unless they are a chicken...

This week The Brentwood Buzz visits the Chicken and Frog to meet owner Natasha Radford to find out what Brentwood, and books, mean to her.

S1Ep5 The Brentwood Buzz has been given exclusive access to rehearsals of a new and original musical, 'If They're Human', by the talented team at Early Door Productions.

Early Doors Productions rehearse and perform in Brentwood, and their latest show, set in a concentration camp in Second World War Germany, promises to challenge audiences when it comes to Brentwood Theatre on 1st-4th March 2023.

S1Ep4 - For those in the know, Brentwood offers a wide range of theatrical and musical opportunities for the youngest learners to the oldest professionals. Brentwood Theatre, the Bardswell Social Club, the Essex Arms are just a few of the venues where actors and musicians meet, act and perform. And that's not even mentioning all the church and school halls hosting rehearsals and performances across the town.

And this week, The Brentwood Buzz is hearing from a young jazz singer who has grown up in the town and is due to front her own show, live at the Ingatestone Community Centre on Saturday 18th February 2023, with the Jon Bennett Big Band.

Amy Hollingsworth learnt her craft through school shows at Warley Primary School, the Ursuline High School and Shenfield High School, as well as Brentwood Theatre and many of the local orchestras and bands. She's now in her final year studying jazz vocals at the Guildhall School of Music.

The Brentwood Buzz is delighted to support Amy - she is a great vocalist and will go far!

You can her some of Amy's amazing vocals on her Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/amymay.hollingsworth