A new orchestra for SE London

I’m thrilled to be part of a brand new project to launch an orchestra in a ‘pocket’ of SE London which is currently not served by anyone.

This yet-unnamed orchestra will launch in April 2012, with the intention of serving musicians and communities in and around the areas of Beckenham, Bellingham, Catford, Crystal Palace, Elmers End, Forest Hill, Norwood, Penge and Sydenham.

We are actively looking to recruit the first members!

Are you interested? The orchestra will first get together for a repertoire day that will end with an informal ‘open rehearsal’/play-through. This will be at a venue in or around Beckenham, in mid-April 2012. There will be some great music, combined with lunch together and the all-important social at the end of the day!

Interested? So what do you need to do now?

  1. The first thing to do is simply to send us an email (seorchestra@gmail.com) to register your interest – tell us what instrument(s) you play, and anything else relevant, e.g. your experience, why you’re interested etc. As soon as we have fixed the date, venue and schedule, we’ll get back to you with confirmation. But we do need you to get in touch with us soon, because we won’t be able to go ahead if we don’t hear from enough people.
  2. Please also help us to spread the word about the new orchestra with any/all players in your contacts book – send them the link to this page. Word of mouth is so important – and even if it’s not for someone in particular, if you ask them to send it on to their contacts too, then the word gets around even more. Thank you!

If you can help publicise the website – on Facebook, Twitter, emailing friends – then please do so: http://seorchestra.wordpress.com/

I will let you know how we get on!

The last Christmas before the Olympics

Sunday 4 December 2011, 2.30pm

Wathen Hall, Barnes, SW13

Barnes Concert Band

A charity concert in support of local charity FiSH, a neighbourhood voluntary care scheme in Barnes.

John Williams: The Olympic Spirit
Vangelis: Theme from Chariots of Fire
Arnold Steck: Sporting Occasion
Hammond/Bettis: One Moment in Time
John Williams: Olympic Fanfare and Theme
Leroy Anderson: A Christmas Festival
Irving Berlin: I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas
David Barker: Scherzo from A Christmas Suite
Clare Grundman: Three Carols for Christmas
Slade: Merry Christmas Everybody
Leroy Anderson: Sleigh Ride

Young soloists with BCB

On Saturday 10 March 2012 Barnes Concert Band and I will be joined by a number of young soloists from around the area for a special concert.

The band wants to encourage young musicians to reach their potential and share the enjoyment of playing with a concert band. As such, a competition has been running for woodwind, brass and percussion players living in Richmond, Hounslow or Kingston to audition for this opportunity. Auditions are taking place in November 2011, and a winner will be selected from each of the three age categories (<14; 15-16; 17-18).

The concert on 10 March at Richmond Park Academy will feature the winners of the competition, each performing a solo work accompanied by the band. The rest of the programme will be performed by Barnes Concert Band alone, to include:

Leonard Bernstein: Slava!
Ralph Vaughan Williams: Toccata Marziale
John Williams Symphonic Marches
Philip Sparke: Orient Express
Edward Gregson: Festivo
Frank Ticheli: Vesuvius
Morten Lauridsen: O Magnum Mysterium

Kids, alright, etc.

I attended the third and final Music for Youth Schools Prom at the Royal Albert Hall last night as a guest of the promoter – as always a wonderful night of varied music-making from a range of really talented young musicians. Superfluous conductors aside (why have two conductors for two groups on the same stage; why ‘conduct’ a small ensemble with a drummer?) the children were simply marvelous and I can’t recommend it enough as an advert for what inspirational music education can do.