Our Story

Our History

MORABE Rural Music began in 2019 at our founding school, Eyke CE Primary School, a rural Suffolk village school with no specialist music provision at the time.

What started with six donated violins grew slowly and deliberately, shaped by close relationships with children, families and teachers, and a deep understanding of the realities facing rural schools and communities. This long pilot phase allowed the model to be tested, refined and embedded before expanding, and continues to shape how MORABE works today.

Since then, MORABE has become a registered charity (2023) and now works across three rural primary schools, including Eyke, Melton and Orford, delivering thriving Schools and Community Pathway programmes that reach around 400 children, young people and their communities each week. MORABE is also a proud Lead Partner within the Norfolk and Suffolk Music Hub.

Our Work

Our vision is delivered through two interconnected pathways: our Schools Pathway and our Community Pathway. Together, these pathways support musical growth and place music at the heart of rural communities.

Both pathways are delivered weekly through our partner primary schools in Eyke, Orford and Melton, which act as trusted community anchors within their villages. Working within schools enables us to create welcoming community spaces where rurally isolated families and community members can connect meaningfully through music, while also supporting pupils to realise their potential.

From Mini Music in early childhood through to instrumental tuition, ensembles and progression opportunities as young people grow, MORABE supports musical development at every stage. This ensures that high-quality musical opportunity is sustained over time and continues well beyond the school day, when many young people return to remain part of the programme after leaving primary school.