HEXHAM’S social enterprise Core Music will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a concert called ‘Core 10 Live’ at the Queen’s Hall next month.

The community interest company was set up in 2008 by Mike Coleman, whose aim was to make music more accessible.

Since then, over 1,000 musicians have been taught at the store-come-studio, and the enterprise is still teaching over 200 lessons a week during peak times.

The demand for Core Music and its services - musical workshops, tutoring and an instrument store - has brought joy to Mike, especially considering the difficult circumstances the enterprise was founded on.

“We announced our opening the same day the government announced the recession,” Mike said. “It just felt like terrible timing, and we were met with a lot of doubt. There was also uncertainty as to whether a community music project would work, because nothing like it around here had been done at the time. We were never set up to make a huge amount of profit, but the recession made everything much more daunting.”

However, Mike and the team soldiered on and are looking to the future.

Mike said: “What we’d really like to do in the future is devote more time to tackling issues with loneliness and mental health through music. We’d like to find a way to offer support to these people, and are in the process of organising group workshops and music sessions for people of all ages, so that they can find a means of outlet.”

Some of the musicians performing at Core 10 Live began their musical journey at Core Music as children.

Mike said: “We’ve seen children grow up into adults and some have even been inspired to go on and teach themselves, having enjoyed their time being taught here. That is an incredible feeling.”

A group of young musicians who were involved in Core Music as children will perform as a new band, The Alumni.

Music tutors David Halton, George Hutton, Mary Finlinson and Martin Eastwell will also be celebrating their involvement with Core Music by performing in the show.

Youth jazz groups, Tyne Valley Junior Jazz Ensemble and Tyne Valley Youth Big Band, will also be performing, as will Core Music regulars Hexham Village Band, Blue Grass Jazz Band, ukulele band The Uketeers and all female a capella band EnCore.

The finale will feature all the performers alongside the house band, as they play songs requested by Core Music’s long time supporters, as a show of appreciation.

Mike said he was incredibly grateful for the support that Core Music had received.

He said: “We’d love to carry on supporting the local community of Hexham for another 10 years, but we do need continued support to achieve that.”

Core 10 Live will be performed at Queen’s Hall, Hexham on Saturday, October 6 at 7pm. Call (01434) 652477 for tickets.