National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain

Winter concert reviews!

2012-01-16T09:01:00.000-08:00

Here's what the critics made of our well-received concerts in Liverpool and London.

Conductor Paul Daniel
Cello Natalie Clein

Mark-Anthony Turnage Hammered Out
Elgar Cello Concerto
Walton Symphony No 1
Anna Meredith HandsFree

Liverpool Echo – Catherine Jones
“The youth of today get a bad rap. But the NYO, all 164 of them, are representative of the silent majority of decent, polite, hard-working and talented kids. The ‘made in Britain’ programme was chosen to play to their strengths – a heart-thudding level of sound you can only get with massed ranks that include 29 brass players, 14 double basses and seven percussionists among them, but also control and delicacy, and above all youthful energy. In Anna Meredith’s Handsfree, part of the 20x12 commissions for the Olympics, the players become percussive instruments themselves, their rhythmic clapping and vocal ‘shum’ and hum rising from knees to torso to head, with a sway, a slap and a click of the fingers. Clever, intricate and impressively done from memory.”

The Guardian – Tim Ashley
“A piece for orchestral players but with no instruments sounds like a perplexing contradiction in terms. Pitched somewhere between classical and performance art, it's essentially a work about body percussion, fantastically planned and choreographed. It's a tour de force for the NYO, who performed it from memory and were greeted with a standing ovation, richly deserved. Natalie Clein was the declamatory yet lyrical soloist in the Elgar, a performance that was admirably unsentimental if a bit deliberate and over-controlled. The Walton, though, was wonderful. Like HandsFree, the piece is rooted in rhythmic complexity, and the performance generated a comparable sense of edge-of-your-seat excitement. Daniel shaped it superbly well, and the playing was outstanding.”

Classical Source blog – Colin Anderson
“Fresh from Liverpool, Paul Daniel and a fired up National Youth Orchestra (including piano, a couple of saxophones, bass guitar and plentiful percussion) swaggered through syncopations and changes of time-signature, totally immersed in Turnage’s clangourous, gawky and rowdy euphoria.After the interval there was a simply stunning – tension-filled and incident-packed – account of William Walton’s celebrated First Symphony. This was the NYO playing like a coiled spring. Paul Daniel was a master of the piece and of the NYO, a prime example of living the music and being attentive to his young charges. [It]… bristled with energy and heartache, impulses and opened-out rhetoric. The players were at-one with Walton’s emotional outpouring, the large number of strings producing tone of depth and lustre, yet never overpowering the woodwinds. The scherzo was fully Presto, with plenty of the requested malice, too – and superbly incisive timpani.With the slow movement, launched by a very expressive flute solo from Luke O’Toole, Daniel traded Andante for a daring adagio, the suggested-melancholic music ebbing and flowing … sentimentality avoided. The coda faded to absolute silence – a wonderful moment – out of which Daniel conjured the blistering finale.”

The Independent – Edward Seckerson
“[Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Hammered Out is] a brute of an opener for 165 feisty youngsters to do business with and they whacked out its streety vamping with a whole lot more grungy intent than the BBC Symphony did at its shaky Prom premiere in 2010. The second half of the concert delivered in spades. Getting this juggernaut of a band around Walton’s First Symphony can be no mean feet but Paul Daniel pulled it off, harnessing all that brass power (three monster bass tubas) towards ever more seismic climaxes and revelling in the diabolical tattoos of a terrific timpanist in the scherzo. How strangely exotic the flute-led slow movement sounded after that. You don’t usually dare follow Walton 1 but not every Handsfree set is attached to a mobile phone and, with instruments dispensed with, Anna Meredith’s wicked closer had the NYO players clapping, slapping, beat-boxing their way to the Cultural Olympiad.”

The Times – Richard Morrison
“The year is only a week old, but I will be amazed if I hear a more original orchestral piece in 2012 than Anna Meredith’s HandsFree. Although written for the National Youth Orchestra, it doesn’t use a single instrument. Instead, it requires the 150 NYO members to clap, click, stamp, sway, beatbox, hum and growl. It’s a bizarre but exhilarating ten-minute exercise that’s a bit like synchronised swimming without water, or a North Korean gymnastic displays without the totalitarian ideology. Some observers worry that such “gimmicks” are distracting the NYO from its core purpose of training Britain’s best young musicians to play orchestral repertoire at the highest possible level. The NYO’s next project — a collaboration with the folk band Bellowhead — hardly offers reassurance. But I found Meredith’s piece not only mesmerising, but as good a demonstration of the NYO’s teamwork and virtuosity as the feisty if rather hard-driven performance of Walton’s First Symphony that preceded it. And the concert, conducted by Paul Daniel, also included a beautifully nuanced performance of Elgar’s Cello Concerto from Natalie Clein, as well as Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Beyoncé- infused stomp Hammered Out.”

Evening Standard – Barry Millington
“With Walton's Symphony No. 1 we heard what the orchestra was capable of and it was exhilarating. Sheer weight of numbers (10 horns, eight trumpets and seven each of the winds) produced the necessary tone, while Daniel was able to galvanise the players with machine-gun rhythms and tension-filled climaxes. The orchestra then put its instruments down for Anna Meredith's Handsfree, a piece that combines intricate clapping rhythms, beatboxing techniques and "body percussion". Commissioned as part of the New Music 20 x 12 scheme to feature in the 2012 Cultural Olympiad, it gathers momentum with cleverly choreographed routines, impressively memorised by the NYO players. Useful as a warm-up piece, at least, for musicians and athletes alike.”Sunday Times – Paul Driver“The NYO was conducted with his usual gusto and intelligence by Paul Daniel, whose authority in Walton’s Symphony No 1 is well attested by a Naxos recording, and who was able to ensure that this enormous body of young musicians (none above 18) brought the huge score to life with due vehemence. There was little in the playing to make one bear in mind the age of the musicians, neither here nor in the first half’s performances of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s rambunctious (Beyoncé-inspired!) Hammered Out and Elgar’s sublime Cello Concerto, with the eloquent soloist Natalie Clein.”

The Telegraph (HandsFree feature) – Peter Stanford
“Alongside works by Elgar and Walton, the orchestra premiered HandsFree – by the highly feted young composer Anna Meredith – in Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall last week to a standing ovation. Later, Devlin confesses, they also gave an impromptu late-night performance at an M6 service station on their way to London. They are certainly a joyful sight – altogether more theatrical and visually compelling than any orchestral concert I’ve ever seen.”

Telegraph journalist Peter Stanford also had a go himself at HandsFree, with some expert tuition from two of our players. Click here to see how he got on...

Winter 2012 residential at Radley College

2012-01-13T05:20:00.000-08:00

Click here to see a lovely album of photos from this winter's course.

NYO 2012 Percussion Olympics

2012-01-10T07:39:00.000-08:00

They are bold. They are brave. They are inventive. They are competitive... They are the NYO 2012 Percussion Section and this is what they got up to between rehearsing and performing two amazing concerts on the Winter course:

The calm between the orchestras

2011-11-08T04:37:00.000-08:00

We haven't blogged much lately as we've been busy getting around the country and hearing awesome young talent in auditions for the 2012 National Youth Orchestra. We've heard over 600 teenage players and, if ever Britain needed a good news story about the youth of today, this is it. Everywhere we've travelled, we've met remarkable, dedicated, smart, passionate, confident and charismatic young musicians who each prove that classical music really matters to the next generation and can have as powerful an impact on lives today as it always has.

Today we're notifying the last candidates about who has a place in NYO 2012 and then work can begin on next year's exciting projects. Congratulations to everyone who's been offered a place, and to everyone else who auditioned, we hope you'll continue working hard on your music and apply again next year if you're still eligible.

Best wishes from Team NYO

The Horn Apprentice - the outtakes

2011-09-01T07:12:00.000-07:00

Regular visitors to the NYO blog will know that this year's horn section have proven themselves incredible experts at making films that capture the character and spirit of the NYO experience. After the revelatory Day in the Life of the Horns which they created on our Spring course, this summer they used the fact that NYO was performing Prokofiev's Dance of the Knights to make their own spin on The Apprentice which famously uses the piece as its theme tune. You can view The Horn Apprentice - which accounts their efforts to raise money for NYO - here. Meanwhile, the gang felt the outtakes from their project were worth sharing too so have compile the following film to amuse their growing cult following on the blog. Enjoy!

See the NYO in action 50 years ago!

2011-09-01T03:47:00.000-07:00

The NYO makes a surprise cameo appearance in a new series on BBC4 celebrating 'The Story of British Pathé', the film and newsreel company whose archives are a veritable treasure trove of images, documenting all aspects of British life in the 20th century.

But it's not the current NYO who feature. It's the 1961 NYO performing Tchaikovsky's Symphony No.5 on a visit to Moscow exactly fifty years ago! Find out more about the series here, and meanwhile enjoy the clip below:

NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN IN MOSCOW

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Vladimir Jurowski's speech to NYO

2011-08-30T13:38:00.001-07:00

'I can't begin to tell you how much I've enjoyed this time with you... it's a small world and I am absolutely convinced that I will see a lot of you professionally later or in other circumstances.

Whatever you do in life, don't forget the experience - and I'm sure you won't - of making music together, and don't forget what music can do to people. It is not an elitist thing, classical music. We will see it tonight with all the people who come to listen to music they know... and also to music they don't know...

Keep loving music and keep making it, even if you're just doing it for yourselves and for your friends, and I wish you all the best.'

Anyone in the NYO will tell you what a great time they had working with Vladimir Jurowski this summer. For his sheer love of the music, his incredible eye for detail, and his intimate knowledge of the story behind each piece and the tiniest details in every bar. We very much hope to welcome him back soon.

Meanwhile, we were all so powerfully struck by what he said to the orchestra as they finished rehearsing Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet in the Royal Albert Hall just a couple of hours before their BBC Prom that we wanted to share it here. Click here to hear his full inspirational message to the young players of the NYO.

Taking the NYO experience back home

2011-08-30T01:47:00.001-07:00

17 year old NYO clarinettist Michael Devlin talks about how he and 18 year old violinist Duncan Thomson decided, after the NYO Summer Course, to pass on some of the experience to local primary school children.

Following on from NYO’s idea of taking music out into the community, myself and Duncan organised our very own ‘Inspire Day’. After visiting and liaising with the Headteacher of Bothwell Primary School, Mohraig Gwyn-Davies, a full morning of presentations and performances got underway led by the two of us. Duncan and I began our musical journey here at Bothwell thought it fitting to return to where it all began.

We arrived at the school on a Wednesday morning armed with my laptop, violins, clarinets and batons. The morning consisted of two 30 minute workshops with the classes of the senior school followed by a recital given by myself and Duncan to the whole school and staff.

I had connected my laptop to the school’s projector and sound system and, as the classes entered the hall, they were greeted with the incredible sound of the final few minutes of the Britten Piano Concerto which we performed at the BBC Proms earlier this month – and it certainly caught their attention! We began by introducing ourselves (sporting the cool new NYO T shirts!) and making sure that the children all knew what an orchestra is and what instruments make it up. After Duncan and I introduced the instruments that we both play, it was lovely to see the excitement in the children’s faces and they were eager to participate, with lots of them coming up to have a go at playing the clarinet and violin - many of them having never seen the instruments up close before!

After this, we both explained to the children what the job of the conductor, Vladimir Jurowski, was within the orchestra and we had four volunteers to come up and try their hand at conducting with my baton. I played a short clip of the NYO performing both the ‘Fight Scene’ and the ‘Dance of the Knights’ from Romeo & Juliet and it was very entertaining watching all the children copying the “crazy man” on the screen. One question that amused me was when one of the children asked why none of the violinists were actually looking up at Vladimir when playing the notoriously hard bit in the Fight Scene. I ensured him that they were all using their peripheral vision! ;)

We then showed the classes a timeline of our musical journey which started with our instrumental tuition at Bothwell Primary School and ended with our concerts with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. By showing this timeline, we hoped that the children would see how there are many great opportunities for music making in the local area and beyond and that, ultimately, it is possible to go from Bothwell Primary School to the Royal Albert Hall! To finish off our day and hopefully inspire the children further, we gave a short performance to the whole school.

The response to our Inspire Day was really excellent and we felt lucky to be able to go back to our old school and share our passion for music making with the younger generation! :)

Michael Devlin

Young Journalists meet NYO

2011-08-12T08:38:00.000-07:00

At all our concerts, we're keen for other young people to come and see the NYO in action and discover that it's cool to like orchestral music. Last weekend, some teenagers from the Young Journalist Academy came to the BBC Proms for the very first time to check out what the NYO is all about. They interviewed DJ Switch, Gabriel Prokofiev and four of our current members, then they made this short film capturing the experience:

Dude, meet the NYO Composers

2011-08-09T08:18:00.001-07:00

The National Youth Orchestra has a section that no other orchestra has. It comprises six teenage composers who participate in each course, collaborating with the players, roadtesting new musical ideas and bringing new works to life. You can get the full lowdown on what the composers get up to by visiting our website. However, not to be outdone by the brilliant comedy blogs recently created by our horn and percussion sections, the composers have made their own film which pokes fun at some of the myths surrounding what they really do. We've always felt these guys have the potential to be the new Benjamin Britten or Harrison Birtwistle, but now we think they have the makings of the new Monty Python too.

Enjoy...

A verdict

2011-08-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

Before sharing the following review, it's worth saying how much NYO loves the Simon Bolivars, and how two of our senior management team were at their Prom and enjoyed it wholeheartedly, but anyhow, here's what The Times critic Richard Morrison had to say in light of this weekend's epic performances at the BBC Proms...

'A huge ensemble of young musicians playing out of their skins. A programme crackling with energy, excitement and adventure. One of the world’s most charismatic conductors at the top of his game.

Well, more below about the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and Vladimir Jurowski. First, though, the most hyped young maestro and ensemble on the planet: Gustavo Dudamel and the band now known as the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra (the “youth” has been dropped as their average age approaches 30).

Dudamania has now reached a level where the little Venezuelan merely has to appear for thousands to swoon. On Friday, Mahler’s Second Symphony, the Resurrection, duly triggered a 15-minute standing ovation. True, its finale was stirring, though that was mostly due to nerveless offstage brass and the glorious singing of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain.

But earlier? Dudamel seemed overawed by the epic score, setting funereal tempos that stifled the drama and made sustaining a line very hard for his instrumentalists and vocal soloists. Even so, I was surprised how average the orchestra sounded. Few woodwind solos were stamped with special character, first horn and trumpet seemed prone to fluffs, and the strings never glowed.

The problem for the Bolivars is that the youth label has gone, their story is old hat, and the competition in this repertoire - from Berlin, Munich, Amsterdam and London – is in a different league.

Indeed, the NYO strings sounded better in their Prom on Saturday. But that wasn’t the only difference. The British teenagers tackled a ferociously testing programme with terrific verve, Jurowski galvanised his hour-long selection of music from Prokofiev’s ballet Romeo & Juliet with such imagination that Shakespeare’s lovers seemed to live and die through sound alone. And the playing was precise and heroic.

Earlier too, the youngsters entered into the techno spirit and debunking humour of the Concerto for Turntables (expertly tweaked and scratched by DJ Switch) by Prokofiev’s British grandson, Gabriel, before backing the virtuosic…Benjamin Grosvenor in Britten’s brittle early Piano Concerto.'

THE HORN APPRENTICE!

2011-08-08T01:42:00.000-07:00

After the huge success of the National Youth Orchestra horn section's video blog last course, they have been busy making another film to show you a bit more of the personality and fun behind the scenes at Britain's biggest orchestra. To tie in with both the repetoire of the Summer course (Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet - known to most people at The Apprentice theme tune) and their current efforts orchestra-wide to help raise money for NYO, the horns decided to make 'The Horn Apprentice'.

What you are about to see what devised, scripted, performed, filmed and edited entirely by teenagers. All whilst preparing for the NYO Summer concerts. All nine NYO horns participated: Team Strauss (Carys Evans, Mark Harding, Peter Baumann, Alexei Watkins and Jacob Rowe) and Team Mahler (Ed Spencer, Ben Hulme, Joel Ashford and Fabian van de Geest).

If you're inspired by their efforts to raise the profile of the NYO, and would like to give even a little money to commend their efforts, you can make a valued donation to the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain online by clicking here.

Directed by Mark Harding
Voiceover by Patrick Harrild (NYO tuba tutor and LSO principal tuba)
Produced by NYO Horn Section 2011
Starring Jim Beck (NYO horn tutor), Oli Hickie and Piera Buckland (NYO support team)
With thanks to James Murphy and the NYO staff

The National Youth Orchestra would like to point out that none of its brilliant horn players were actually fired during the making of this film. :-)

NYO meets DJ Switch

2011-08-07T15:43:00.000-07:00

The NYO Summer 2011 course is now over, following a pretty spectacular performance for an audience of 6000 people at the BBC Proms. The reviews are coming in here. Meanwhile, here's a look back at one of the most remarkable encounters of the course - and indeed of the NYO's 63 year history...

Here we go

2011-08-03T00:24:00.000-07:00

The blog's been a bit quiet the last few days, simply because we've been busy doing so much stuff that we've not had a chance to share it all on here just yet. We're hitting the road today, heading to our first concert at Symphony Hall Birmingham, and then it's off to Suffolk at dawn tomorrow for our concert at Snape Maltings. Then the BBC Proms beckon on Saturday. Very soon we'll post some more footage on here of our adventures this last week, including encounters with Shlomo, members of Bellowhead, and the awesome DJ Switch presiding over an unforgettable summer party. And of course, the much anticipated, new blogs from our horns and percussionists are on their way too...

The Horn Apprentice - TEASER TRAILER

2011-07-30T06:22:00.000-07:00

Those of you who enjoyed the NYO horns' spectacular blog from our last course are probably eagerly awaiting their next effort. The team is hard at work (between rehearsals with Vladimir Jurowski, who just arrived today) and their next masterpiece will be here soon. In the meantime, they've created this little teaser trailer to keep their fans happy...!

FIDDLERS ON THE ROOF!

2011-07-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

Last year we put our principal trumpeter on the roof of Birmingham Town Hall to let citizens know about our residency. This year, ahead of our Summer Prom at Symphony Hall on Wednesday 3 August, we've gone to even greater heights...

First encounter with Bellowhead

2011-07-27T07:37:00.000-07:00

Next Spring, the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain is set for one of its most creative courses ever as we explore the frontier between classical music and folk. We'll be sharing the stage with sensational folk band Bellowhead in concerts in London and Gateshead. The journey began last night with a work with two Bellowhead members, giving NYOers their first go at getting into a folk groove. Here's a little snapshop of what happened...

First stab at Romeo & Juliet

2011-07-26T02:00:00.000-07:00

Anyone who's ever been to an NYO course will know one of the most exciting moments is the first full rehearsal at the end of the first day. Suddenly 165 young musicians from across the country are all in the room together, and a day's intensive work in sectionals suddenly jigsaws together and we get our first glimpse of the magic we'll be taking into concert halls. It's still rough and ready, and there's lots of edges to smooth, but the excitement and the passion is already there. Here's an exclusive snippet:

We have lift off! The NYO Summer Course begins!

2011-07-25T02:33:00.000-07:00

It's begun! The NYO's Summer Course - our biggest course of the year, and perhaps even any year, given the absolute galaxy of activities we're set to do over the next fortnight - is underway at the University of Birmingham ahead of concerts next week here in Birmingham, in Suffolk, and at the world-famous BBC Proms. We'll be accounting every step of the course right here, and members of the orchestra are already cooking up their own creations for the blog which they promise will outshine their efforts in the Spring. Stay tuned for all that.

After our principals spent 'day zero' blitzing through Romeo & Juliet with 70 younger local musicians, giving them a taste of what life's like in the NYO, the rest of the orchestra arrived last night ready to get stuck into a fortnight of non-stop musical discovery. The first night workshop was a fantastic reminder that sometimes there's loads we can learn about being a better ensemble without our instruments in our hands or any music in front of us. Here, Pete Churchill got the whole NYO singing, and thinking about musical interaction in a totally different way from daily orchestral rehearsals. You can check out their efforts below. We learned all this from scratch (and no notation) in just an hour. National Youth Choirs, watch out!

A tribute to Nicholas Hunka

2011-07-25T02:27:00.000-07:00

We've been meaning to put this online for ages! At the end of our Spring course, we dedicated our concerts to the great Nicholas Hunka, one of the most admired and accomplished bassoon players in the profession who sadly died at the start of the year. Nick gave himself tirelessly to the NYO, coaching our bassoon section for 20 years; his impact on numerous generations of bassoon stars is immeasurable. Here, our current bassoon team who were coached by Nick last summer, pay their respects to a true NYO legend with a performance at our VIP reception of Mozart's Marriage of Figaro overture as you've never heard it before:

Spotted: NYO horns in a town near you!

2011-07-18T06:38:00.000-07:00

Hi,

I am a horn player in the National Youth Orchestra. A couple of other horn players and I decided to do some fundraising for the NYO because we want to help this fantastic orchestra to be sustainable, with a growing, healthy future. You can find out more about the orchestra’s latest fundraising campaign – and how you can get involved – by reading our latest newsletter.

We think it is important because the NYO is not only a fantastic orchestra but is a great ambassador for this country, reaching out to the community with its innovative and experimental projects. The five of us - Peter Baumann, Fabian Van de Geest, Joel Ashford, Ed Spencer and Alexei Watkins - went to Guilford and more recently Kingston and altogether raised £261.55. It was fun to play with friends again, even with the on and off showers, where we dashed for cover and we even met some famous musicians including two ex-NYO players!

It was great fun and of course the money is going to a great cause! If you want to support the NYO too, we’d really appreciate it. You can even donate online by clicking here.

Thanks,

Alexei

A blog by Carys, our principal horn

2011-07-01T02:40:00.000-07:00

When you see the 165 members of the National Youth Orchestra playing their hearts out, it’s quite easy to imagine that their incredible performance conveys the full extent of their talent. But of course there’s so much more passion to the personalities behind the music. We’re now asking members of the NYO to tell us why music matters for them, what they think its power is, and hopefully prove why it’s perhaps a more vital a force in the world today than ever before. Here we introduce Carys, our 18 year old principal horn player from the North West of England. Carys has been a member of the NYO for four years now and during this time we’ve seen her grow leaps and bounds as a musician and a leader, something we aim to achieve with all our members. Having become a confident, inspirational figure at the NYO, she’s found ways to pass on her skills and inspire other people in her daily life. Here is her story:

‘I believe that we are all here to help people, we're here to help improve the world one bit at a time, and I choose to do that through music. Music is a universal language, everybody responds to it and it has a unique power to touch us, to move us, to make us feel different. The power of music - with all its emotion, energy, resonance and rhythm - reaches people whose lives are constrained by illness, disability, trauma or exclusion. Music is involving, it is a way to connect people, to include people and to release emotions. Music is inspiring, and I hope I am inspiring others in my love of bringing music to those who aren't able to experience it in the same way that we can.

I believe I really do make a difference in my local community. I volunteer weekly at The Seashell Trust (the Royal School for the Deaf and Communication Disorders) in South Manchester. Since September I have been striving to change people's experiences of the world - to bring new feeling to lives which at times can seem lonely and frightening. Music Therapy is a way of connecting with people when other senses are not able to function as they should. I spend every Friday working with 6 children aged between 3 and 10. Each child has their own individual needs, work

ing with one child is completely different to working with another. Some are completely deaf, some partially, some with perfect hearing. There are children who are completely or partially blind. Some of the children have to constantly be in a wheelchair, others who are able to walk. Each child has very complex needs, including one boy with severe epilepsy. Music calms him down, when I play he remembers to breathe, his body relaxes and calms his fits. Each child has long term targets which I have helped them reach. One girl had never put anything in her mouth, and now regularly

puts the rim of my instrument in her mouth to feel the vibrations. She is still tube-fed but we hope to improve on this. Another boy was thought to be completely blind, but after months of working with him and reflecting light off my bell onto different objects, they now believe he has partial vision as he reaches towards some objects when asked. Before joining this class I worked with students aged 19-22. This class was about communication and I regularly gave the students percussion instruments to join in with. Hopefully this gave them the confidence to be their own person.

Imagine a world of silence. And now imagine a world full of new sensations, vibrations from different pitches, a new way to establish highs and lows - a way to feel included when previously it was silent and alone. Imagine a world without movement. And now imagine a world where stories are told only from your eyes, stories of complete happiness as you become connected to the music, reaching inside your heart to stir emotions that need no physical movement at a

ll, as you feel it through your heart and not your limbs. Imagine a world without sight. And now imagine a world where music brings all the colours of the world to you, when previously you lived in darkness and shadow.

I help people to understand that there are new ways to connect with the world, often without any oral communication at all. The arts, music, dance, sport: they make the world three-dimensional, a reason to see that nobody is unfortunate, we are all just given different problems to overcome. I believe that I can make a difference. I have shown people with severe disabilities that there is more to life than a carer and a wheelchair. And now I hope to bring knowledge to my friends, teachers, and strangers that music as therapy should not be taken lightly.

After the NYO’s summer course last year, I spent August volunteering in a school in Calcutta, India, for deprived Indian children. My three weeks there without a doubt were the hardest of my life. Seeing people with nothing yet so happy and so kind showed me that we cannot settle for just getting by. There are people that need our help, and if we have the skills there

is absolutely no excuse for letting people in need be. I never thought I'd have the strength to go somewhere so different completely alone. But I met the founder, I read about the school and I knew I could help. And when you know you can help, you just have to do it, don't you? You have to take the leap from being comfortable and content, to being surrounded by new possibilities, new happiness. I spent all my time with the 54 children there, teaching them music as well as all academic subjects. I told stories of home, of my friends and our way of life. And all of a su

dden it all seemed so selfish... We can all do more. The children had nothing but were happier than any others I had ever met. They feel music, it helps them understand the world and shows them that there is more to life than poverty. I helped them, but they helped me so much more - life is clear now. It is possible to make that jump, I did it, and I've never looked back. Now it my duty to help others see that there is a world untouched out there that we can help make a difference in.

I do believe that I have always tried to be the best I can be. I'm not perfect, not at all, but I know the meaning of kindness, of generosity and of aspirations. I have done a lot of things in 18 years. Why wait when you know you can make a difference now? I feel that people can relate to me easily, as I have a lot of life experience, but at the base of it all, I'm just your average teenager.

Everybody deserves respect and I try to always show that. We expect respect ourselves, so surely nothing gives us the right to treat anybody else any differently.

I have determination that everybody can be happy, that everybody can make a difference, and that everybody, through one form or another, can changes lives. I am determined to see people change. As I’ve found at the NYO, team spirit builds trust, acceptance. It develops people and social skills and enables us to work closely with others, teaching us patience and commitment.

Wherever I go in life, I want to show people, particularly children like those at both the Seashell Trust and in India, that they are not alone. They will never be alone because I am completely willing and ready to spend my life making sure that everybody, regardless of ethnicity, background, age, ability/disability, gender or belief, has a voice.’

Carys

NYO gets the Itch*

2011-06-30T02:46:00.000-07:00

*of the Golden Nit...

We're very excited that the Tate Movie Project or (to use its official title) The Itch of the Golden Nit is being revealed to the nation this week. Masterminded by the Tate galleries and Aardman Animations (who created Wallace & Gromit), the Tate Movie Project is a half-hour animated movie made entirely by children (over 20,000 of them!) across the country over the last two years. They created the characters, the story, the crazy universe in which its set, and even did all the animation themselves with the help of the Aardman team. Naturally therefore, it's only right that young people got to make the music too. So composer John Browne enlisted the help of the National Youth Orchestra plus other fantastic youth ensembles around the country including the West Everton Youth Orchestra who are part of the headline In Harmony scheme, to help generate a score that would match all the drama and magic and mayhem of the movie itself. In February, a group of NYO players spent several days with the In Harmony kids creating and laying down tracks with John for the soundtrack, then a larger group of NYO players recorded a whole batch of sequences at the start of our Spring orchestral course.

Our players had a fantastic time working, and sharing their insights with, their In Harmony counterparts (pictured below). ‘It’s our duty to help younger children achieve the best out of music like this,’ says NYO cellist Joanna Twaddle who herself is only 14. ‘It was a very rewarding experience,’ agrees 16-year-old bass player Nathan Knight, ‘I think we showed the kids that it’s very enjoyable to play an instrument and hopefully inspired them to keep at it.’ 17-year-old violinist Claudia Fuller adds, ‘I felt that while they benefitted from the process, we also learned something from them too!’

The main recording session was also a thrilling experience. 'I felt wholly responsible for myself and everyone else every minute' says 17-year-old Thomas Rowan-Young, 'and due to the lightning speed of the experience no-one could afford to sit back and allow the front desks to pull everyone along. This has really helped me to be able to lead whilst still being part of a team – it is having the confidence, authority and attitude of a principal player, no matter what your position, which I believe every player should have motivating them.’ Viola player Josie Towle-Jones agrees: ‘I had so much fun and it gave me a real taster of what recording film music is actually like! I felt I had achieved so much by the end of the day. I can’t wait to see the film – and take all my friends to see it!’

Above you can watch the 'making of' The Itch of the Golden Nit which, nine minutes in, features footage of the recording sessions in Liverpool and an interview with our own 13-year-old cellist Sarah Hughes who coolly holds her own alongside the celebrity interviewees like David Tennant who provide the voices of the main characters!

Following its star-studded Leicester Square premiere where the NYO's principal trumpeters Adam Stockbridge and Malachy Frame played to the guests, The Itch of the Golden Nit is broadcast on BBC2 at 9am on Saturday 2 July and CBBC at 5.15pm on Sunday 3 July then is available on BBC iplayer for a limited time.

An invitation from the Archbishop

2011-06-21T01:30:00.000-07:00

Three NYO members - Michael Devlin (clarinet), Cathy Hare (flute) and Anna Hughes (viola) - report on a recent mission...

'Last Monday I left Scotland on the train to London where I was to attend a garden party at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury! I arrived in London around 2 o’clock and had a few hours to explore the city and make my way to Lambeth Palace, located across the Thames from Westminster. There, I met up with four other members of the orchestra along with Chief Exec, Sarah Alexander. We presented our invitations at the palace gates and entered into a beautiful and surprisingly peaceful courtyard - a complete contrast to the hustle and bustle of the centre of London. We were immediately ushered through the courtyard and up a magnificent staircase, where we all signed a guest book (taking note of some very famous guests!), and then into a great hall, thought to date back to the 13th century! The Archbishop of Canterbury welcomed us into the party and we began mingling with lots of the guests, with professions ranging from Clergymen, Lawyers, Charity workers, BBC News presenters and even some famous Comedians (including the hilarious David Mitchell and Frank Skinner!) I really enjoyed the opportunity to tell others of the great work that the National Youth Orchestra does in providing us young musicians with such amazing opportunities to make music and develop our life skills in so many different ways. Back a year ago, I would have thought you were crazy if you told me that I would be representing NYO at the Palace of the Archbishop of Canterbury - what an amazing day!'

Michael

'It was a really lovely evening and we got to meet some very interesting people. As we walked through the archway into the palace courtyard, I was amazed by how such a beautiful building, built by the Victorians for their Archbishop, is hidden in the midst of London, unseen to the public. In the palace, we joined the queue of beautifully dressed guests snaking up the grand entrance staircase, waiting to sign the Archbishop’s guest book. When it came to my turn to sign, I scanned the page, and saw Frank Skinner’s autograph just above – this was when we realised that it was going to be a fun night! We were shown down a corridor, lined with beautiful old paintings, where we greeted the Archbishop before continuing into a big hall, which would be perfect for NYO rehearsals! Before we went into the palace, we had a slight panic as none of us knew how one should address an Archbishop! Luckily, the staff were very friendly and soon set us straight (for the record, you should address him as ‘Archbishop’ or ‘Your Grace’. During the evening we talked to lots of different people about NYO, including two women who worked for big charities, Oxfam and Save the Children. We all thought it would be so brilliant if NYO could collaborate with a charity like Save the Children, giving underprivileged children the chance to experience classical music.

We also saw quite a few celebrities, such as Susanna Reid, a presenter on BBC Breakfast and David Mitchell from Mitchell and Webb – it took us quite a while to figure out whether he was Mitchell or Webb! However, the most exciting person we spoke to had to be Frank Skinner! It took us a long time to work up the courage to approach him, but I am so glad that we did, as he was great fun, and talked to us for half an hour! We told him all about NYO, and how much we have to practise, and in turn he told us about the instrument he played – the ukulele! We also found out that he is very interested in opera, so if anyone is planning a trip to the Royal Opera House, keep your eyes peeled for NYO’s new friend, Frank!

We advertised our concert at the BBC Proms at every opportunity we got throughout the evening, handing people flyers with Anna’s face on, so hopefully our audience will be particularly star studded this year!'

Cathy

'As soon as I received the email inviting some members of the NYO to attend a party at Lambeth Palace, I jumped at the offer!

On arrival at Lambeth Palace, Sarah Alexander and the five members of the NYO were escorted through a beautiful courtyard adorned with shields and spears. A warm greeting from the Archbishop of Canterbury marked the beginning of the party and we continued on into a room bustling with a range of people drawn from different walks of life. It was so enjoyable talking to other guests about the NYO, expressing how much membership means to us and telling them about our concerts and other events from this year such as the collaboration with the 'In Harmony' children which we did in Liverpool earlier this year. The guests seemed really interested in hearing about our experiences. Next we spotted Frank Skinner and David Mitchell amongst the other guests and it wasn’t long before we were cracking jokes with Frank, hearing about his interest in opera and watching him play the William Tell Overture for hands and fingers – if ever you see him out and about, be sure to ask him for a recital! It was a truly memorable night and after handing out flyers with details of our summer concerts, it sounds as if the ‘pond’ at the Royal Albert Hall this August is going to be heaving with our new-found friends!'

Anna

Busting myths about applying for the NYO

2011-06-20T08:57:00.001-07:00

The blog's been a little quiet of late but that's because we've been planning for our big summer course - now just over a month away - and also opening applications for next year's NYO. On this note, the Incorporated Society of Musicians invited us to write a piece for their own website telling music teachers and leaders what the NYO is really like today, to give them a frank picture of the organisation that their young musicians may like to apply for. We're printing the whole (unabridged) article here as hopefully it will be of inspiration to you too if you're thinking of applying or know somebody who may like to. Applicants simply need to complete our online application form at www.nyo.org.uk by 14 July 2011.

Everyone reading this will know about the National Youth Orchestra. The question is: what exactly do you know? Maybe you were in it. Maybe you applied. Maybe you never dreamed of applying. Maybe you’ve seen the orchestra in concert or heard from others what they’re like. Whatever your impression, it’s probably not surprising that over 63 years, the NYO has evolved substantially – not least because its membership changes every year too. We’re always overwhelmed by the standard and mindset of the candidates we meet at auditions every autumn, trained so brilliantly by the likes of you. Thanks to this annual influx of fresh talent, this isn’t an organisation that will ever stand still. Every year we’re asking ourselves – and our young members are telling us – how we can fulfil our potential even more. That said, the more progress we make, the more we find ourselves matching the spirit of Ruth Railton who founded the NYO in 1948. She passionately believed in connecting young musicians across the country and overcame all the odds to give them an opportunity to play together at the highest possible level in school holidays, helping to fuel their progress all year round. Naturally, this remains the driving conviction for the NYO today, led by Chief Executive and Artistic Director Sarah Alexander. She says ‘the NYO remains an orchestra of exceptional young musicians recruited on the basis of talent and commitment, devoted to achieving the highest standards of musical performance. Playing at such a high level and embracing depth, difficulty, complexity and rigour, makes an impact that the players take with them into the world wherever their careers lead them.’ But the mission doesn’t stop there. Around intensive rehearsals for nationwide concerts, the NYO is shaping initiatives that should stand its players in even greater stead for whatever the future brings. As Sarah notes, ‘this culture of technical excellence is a great achievement in itself. But excellence in performance requires more than technical preparation alone. Psychological preparation, taking responsibility for yourself, ensemble communication, understanding the repertoire, joy in music-making and the desire to communicate to audiences and inspire others are all vital factors in being a musician today. The classical music world is changing rapidly and Britain’s professional orchestras have transformed themselves in response to the challenges presented by our evolving culture, economy and society. Flexibility, innovation, creativity, responsiveness, and the willingness to experiment are now at the heart of what they all do. At the NYO today, we’re asking how we can instil these vital attributes in the next generation. Critically, we want our members to recognise their unique worth as role models to other young people right now. So on NYO courses, and when they head home, we’re encouraging them to pass on everything they’ve learned to other young people, ensuring their infectious passion for music radiates much further.’

So any teachers reading this who thought dispatching your pupil to the NYO meant losing them forever, think again. What you now get is someone who comes home with a cargo of enthusiasm to share, and absolute conviction that they can help raise the game of other young musicians in their school and local ensembles. But don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what Felix Lashmar, 17 year old double bass player, gets from being in the NYO: ‘I feel I am becoming a better teacher and communicator of music and ideas. From doing things like the recent NYO Inspire Day where we worked with fifty younger players in the North East, I feel like a mature ambassador for music and take great pleasure giving inspiration to the next generation of young musicians.’ Viola player Natasha Michael agrees: ‘NYO is a great confidence booster. Over my years in the orchestra, I believe I’ve become a much more confident and positive person. My friends and family certainly notice a difference when I come back from the courses!’ One person who’s found loads of new potential within himself is Iain Ross, a 17 year old trombonist from Aberdeen, who talked to delegates at the ISM Conference in April. He says ‘In my local area, I usually find myself in some position of leadership. NYO takes the musical leaders in the country and puts them in a real team. At NYO I can’t get away with not pushing myself, without raising my game. Being surrounded by people who are better than me has taught me a lot that I can take back to Scotland and be a better example. It’s done amazing things for my personal development, making me a lot more humble and not taking what I can do for granted.’ Indeed, when he returned to Aberdeen after NYO last summer, Iain felt empowered to evangelise for his local music service, writing passionate communications to key figures, urging them to help save it. We hope you’ll agree, it’s really exciting when young people find the confidence to speak out for why music matters so much to them.

But what kind of alchemy is occurring behind the scenes at NYO that’s led to such stirring pronouncements from its members? Every NYO course, we aim to explore orchestral processes anew, finding fresh ways to enrich our ensemble. Between rehearsals for Mahler’s Tenth Symphony this Spring, players delved into the composer’s life, finding out about his revelatory visit to Sigmund Freud whilst writing the work, and they learned the Austrian Ländler which surges through its middle movements. (Cellist Becky Whiteman says ‘I really enjoyed the dancing. It was a valuable experience because I could transfer it to playing passages in the Mahler. It was also really fun and allowed me to meet new members of the orchestra.’) NYO musicians also sing and improvise together, and get to be the drivers of creative projects, bringing new works to life in collaboration with seven resident teenage composers. Meanwhile, rehearsals themselves are a place to think afresh about getting more from music. In string sectionals, led by inspiring principals from pro orchestras like the Hallé, Northern Sinfonia and Philharmonia, we rotate places so nobody feels like a passenger and everyone gets a sense of their equal role in shaping the end result. We also slice our vast string tribe into four mini string orchestras so members can savour the full interlocking picture but still in intimate groups where they can share their impressions. The young people have a major voice in what happens thanks to their newly formed Think Tank, a lively discussion forum addressing every aspect of the way things are run. None of this happens in isolation either. Wherever NYO holds its courses, we’re establishing a range of activities that enable other local young musicians to be part of the experience: advanced players can attend a day in the life of the NYO and the aforementioned Inspire Day led entirely by our principals; intermediate players get to create and perform their own piece related to our symphonic repertoire; and children making their first steps in music take ‘passenger seats’ in rehearsals where sitting in the midst of a giant teenage orchestra gives them an exhilarating boost. The ‘open door’ policy extends to grown-ups too. We warmly welcome local music teachers and leaders to come and see what we’re up to, and talk to our tutors. If you’re running a youth orchestra and would like to share some ideas about what NYO can offer you, we’d love to meet you too.

At this point, you may be wondering if all these activities (not to mention recent collaborations with Liverpool’s In Harmony children, Brazil’s Youth Orchestra of Bahia, and the South Asian Music Youth Orchestra) compromise the quality of the symphony orchestra at the heart of NYO? On the contrary. The musicians channel everything they’ve drawn from these pursuits into the central orchestral experience, but again, you don’t need to take our word for it. One of our longest-standing members, trombonist Michael Buchanan says ‘What NYO has done and how it has changed over the last five years has been amazing to be part of. I wasn’t sure at first whether the changes were really what the orchestra needed but - without wanting to sound like a suck-up - I would now say the orchestra is ten times what it was when I joined. We train people, not musicians, and how can you be a truly good musician without being the type of outgoing, brave person that NYO trains?’ The critics agree too. This January, The Observer’s Stephen Pritchard said ‘Let’s hear it for this brilliant constellation of young stars who produce miracles. They are so well trained and directed. The home-grown heroes of the precociously talented NYO are on dazzling form.’

Not that young people ever let praise like that go to their heads. You can be sure that when they gather this summer for performances at Symphony Hall Birmingham, Snape Maltings and the BBC Proms, they’ll be dead set on proving again why they’re a force in their own right on Britain’s orchestral scene. If you want to be inspired by more of their remarkable zeal, you can see it in the blog which they curate themselves at nationalyouthorchestra.blogspot.com.

Meanwhile, if you know or work with any young musicians who may enjoy being part of the NYO, this could be their moment. Right now, we’re welcoming applications for next year’s orchestra. You can find out more about the year ahead – including a major role in the Cultural Olympiad – and start an application at www.nyo.org.uk. Players should be at Grade 8 distinction level but they don’t need to have taken any exams. We’re also on the lookout for promising teenage composers to play a central role in the life of the orchestra.

The website not only tells candidates what to prepare, it also offers tips on what we’re looking for and how best to approach our set study. Mindful that not everyone can get into the NYO (if only Britain’s concert halls were bigger so we could fit more young people onstage!), we aim to make the audition process as friendly and fruitful as possible. For everyone at final round auditions, there’s a workshop with an NYO tutor offering expertise that participants can instantly apply to their playing. For everyone who doesn’t get in this year, there’ll be a chance to take part in a creative event that promises to be an enticing springboard for applying next year.

If – like us – you’ve heard fanciful rumours about who does or doesn’t get in: let us assure you, every year the orchestra features young people from all over the country from all walks of life. All current members have to re-apply so there are literally 165 places up for grabs each year and it’s worth noting that in 2011, the orchestra has more members at state schools than at specialist music schools. So don’t let anything deter you. It’s free to apply and audition, but hurry as the closing date is coming soon: Thursday 14 July 2011. If you have students who aren’t quite ready for the NYO itself, perhaps they can join us for our next Inspire Day – coming up on 24 July in Birmingham – which you can read more about too on our website.

There’s lots more we could tell you, but now we’d like to hear from you. What are your impressions of the NYO? Do you have students who would like to be involved? Can we help inspire them in other ways? We already know some of the music teachers and leaders who make such a difference to this country, but we’re eager to meet more of the inspirational people across Britain who are transforming its young citizens through music. As Sarah Alexander said at the ISM Conference, ‘at this moment in time, we all have to come together, advocate for what matters, build networks, and have incredibly bold visions.’ Let’s do it.

NYO at ISM

2011-05-12T05:18:00.000-07:00

As detailed in our blog last month, a team of NYO musicians and colleagues appeared at the Incorporated Society of Musicians conference at The Sage Gateshead, as part of our mission to make new connections and give music teachers a fresh impression of where the NYO is today.

We love this little film that the ISM has put together capturing some of our percussionists in action and NYO Chief Exec Sarah Alexander sharing her view:

The Scots speak out!

2011-05-06T14:44:00.000-07:00

Among the NYO, we have members from Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales as well as England. Here, two of the Scots - violinist Duncan Thomson and clarinettist Michael Devlin - talk on their school radio station about being in the NYO, how it makes a really good case for the youth of today, and why silence can sometimes be the most important thing about music.

Click here to hear their broadcast.

If you're a young musician and like the sound of the experience Duncan and Michael describe, you too can apply for a place in next year's NYO from 18 May to 14 July on our main website.

A day in the life of the double bass section

2011-05-03T05:44:00.000-07:00

Our Spring course may be over, but members are still reflecting on the experience for our blog. Here, the double basses demonstrate not only how creative they are as musicians, but as story-tellers too:

It was a sunny Friday morning when the double bass section of the NYO stumbled into their sectional room (fifteen minutes before the sectional was due to start) and began to discuss the repertoire of the Spring course.

“I wonder what the rest of the symphony would have sounded like if Mahler had been alive to finish it properly,” wondered Henry, the co-principal, aloud. “Does anybody feel like going to find out?”

The section exchanged glances and smirked as they walked into the centre of the room. Though it is common knowledge that the double bass section at the NYO are fantastic, few people know quite how fantastic they truly are. In fact, every member of the section is a super hero in disguise who happens to play the double bass exceptionally well, and, as they needed to meet inconspicuously at least three times a year, they decided that an NYO course would be a great cover-up. They were right; nobody has ever found out their secret.

And so the eleven bass players formed a circle and looked expectantly at Vinnie, who turned on the spot at once. Three seconds later they found themselves in a small, smokey room. An Austrian newspaper on the dusty table told them that the year was 1911 and a grandfather clock in the hall began to chime. Felix, the principal and Flame-Thrower, lit a small flame in his hands and the light fell upon the room. In the corner of the study, the section could just make out the silhouette of a large man, hunched over some manuscript paper and scribbling furiously. He jumped as the light hit him and sent sheets and sheets of paper across the floor.

“Who are you?!” he cried, jumping up.

“Father Christmas,” said Jack, using his Super Sarcasm to gain the trust of the man. “We’re the double bass section of the NYO. Who are you?”

“I’m Gustav Mahler,” the man said. “If you’re musicians then you might be able to help me. You see, I want to finish my tenth symphony before I die but have had a little fall out with a certain composer recently and he has taken it rather badly. He has gathered an army of similar composers and their coming for me tonight. The man’s name is Schoenberg. We had a small argument during dinner about the note ‘A’. He and his army of Serialists are going to be here any minute, armed with their tone rows.”

Just at that second there was a huge crash at the door and a dagger, embossed with twelve notes of a tone row, came shooting through the room and narrowly missed Mahler.

“Don’t worry Mahler, we’ll help you,” said Bart the Super Science Guy as he crouched in the corner and began to make a potion of functional harmony to attack the Serialists with.

Meanwhile Ali, the Gadget Man, took a tiny button from one of his many pockets which, when pressed, blasted out the first of Mahler’s Symphonies to distract the Serialists.

“Preeti, go and find out how many of them there are!” ordered Felix. But Preeti appeared at that moment; she had used her Invisibility to sneak outside and reported back:

“There’s at least twenty of them and I definitely saw Webern and Berg in there somewhere,” she said, “but the music is working; they’re so distracted by the complex harmony that they keep missing us with their tone row daggers.”

At that moment the Serialists burst through the door. Schoenberg launched himself at Henry and Preeti and they all toppled out of the window towards the rushing river below. Just in time to save himself, Henry turned a small patch of the river to ice yet could not save Preeti, who was being carried by the current away from the house with Schoenberg. Luckily, Martin saw just in time and dived out of the window, using his Underwater Breathing to save her.

Meanwhile, Roland was using his Super Strength to hold off the remaining Serialists from Mahler, who was hurriedly collecting his manuscript paper together. Hettie, the shape-shifter, turned herself into a double of Mahler and cried out at the Serialists as she ran away, causing them to be distracted and turn their backs on Bart, who threw his functional harmony all over them. They began to scream as it burnt them and ran for the door. Nathan sprinted after the group and sent a black hole into their path, into which they all tumbled.

Exhausted and victorious, the group reformed their circle and prepared to return to Durham where the NYO Spring course was taking place back in 2011.

“Before we forget,” said Ali to Mahler, “are you going to be able to finish that symphony now?”

“Of course!” The composer replied, “and thank you double bass section of the NYO.”

Smiling, the section were taken back through time by Vinnie to their sectional room at Durham University. They all grabbed their parts for the symphony and opened it at the second movement…

To be continued...

Spring reviews coming in

2011-04-26T08:36:00.001-07:00

The first reviews are coming in for our epic concerts over the Easter weekend.

First off, The Independent says:

‎The NYO...never ceases to amaze... a level of heart and maturity that once more provided hope for our musical futures.

(four stars)

You can read the full review here.

Next up, The Guardian says

‎Few ensembles apart from the NYO could give such a hair-raisingly intense performance... Vasily Petrenko's seamless reading...

(four stars)

Read the full review here.

Meanwhile, The Times says (and we're including the full text here for those of you who can't access their paywall):

The National Youth Orchestra and their principal conductor Vasily Petrenko didn’t choose Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony for Easter Sunday: nothing so obvious. They went one step farther and turned to that marathon of time and eternity: the composer’s Tenth.

Even in its complete performing version by Deryck Cooke, it’s a physically and emotionally naked work. And nothing could be closer to the raw nerve systems and ardent commitment of the 13 to 19-year-old players of the NYO, who performed it as the culmination of their second course together this year.

Petrenko knows well their breathing and their muscle power, and that of the mighty score, and the two worked together as one. That long wandering viola melody — a grief-stricken heartache for what Mahler feared was the lost love of his wife — was played with a steady charcoal-grey suppleness of line, against a background of murmuring younger siblings settling down in the audience. Vast arches of melody grew through an assured and propulsive energy to the most finely controlled hushed breath that seemed mere threads of expiring life.

Mahler’s tiny and enigmatic Purgatorio movement was flanked by two scherzos: the first sharp and keen with asymmetrical metre, bouncing horns and a bucolic wind band; and the second gusty with dream and desperation. Here, robustly secure rhythms opened out to clear spaces for the oboe’s private song. And then the dull thud of the drum, which seems to truncate all life, was answered by an outstandingly eloquent, otherworldly flute solo by 17-year-old Rosie Bowker, trying to still the music’s unquiet spirit.

A series of reflections on the impermanence of life had, before the interval, prepared ear and spirit for the Mahler. This was Judith Weir’s We are Shadows, choral settings of Emily Dickinson, Chuang Tzu and of mordant Scottish graveyard inscriptions. Orchestral writing of characteristic bright focus and imagination supported fine singing from the National Youth Choir of Scotland and Quay Voices, from a teenage chamber choir in Gateshead.

(four stars)

Link to the actual review here.

The Percussion Section - The Movie

2011-04-25T09:32:00.001-07:00

Our Spring course is now over and while we all recuperate from the colossal feat of climbing Mahler's Tenth symphony twice in one weekend, here's another fresh glimpse of what else we got up to in a truly action-packed fortnight. The Percussion team put together this entire movie on their own, amid a seriously intensive day rehearsing at The Sage Gateshead. Is there no end to their talents? If you're a young musician watching this, hopefully it'll give you a good sense of what great fun the NYO really is.

NYO Jazz Night

2011-04-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

They don't just do classical! After a long day rehearsing Mahler Symphony No.10, a group of NYO members (and a couple of keen support team staff) demonstrated what else they can do in a spontaneous evening of playing some seriously cool jazz. If that wasn't impressive enough in itself, 14-year-old violinist James filmed some of the action and edited it all on his smart phone. Impressive stuff. Check out his little film here:

B - FOOT - BONDING

2011-04-22T03:19:00.000-07:00

For our blog we decided we would not share an analysis of the course, the music or our day-to-day schedule as you’ve heard from all the other sections (boring!) but we would show one of the small memorable events which took place this course and has contributed to the overall strength of the feeling of community within our section.

It was on Day 3 of the course that our problem, which was the inspiration for this blog entry, arose. We realised that a whole 4 bars of Mahler 10 was currently impossible on our flutes because it required the 3rd flutes to play low B♮ and no-one in the section owns a B foot-joint, which is specifically designed for the job. Various attempts were launched to produce the allusive low B♮ which involved Luke forfeiting his part so that he could act as extra tubing with little success.

We then decided to consult the lovely Philippa Davies, our tutor this course, and came up with an ingenious plan of action. In our tool box we needed card, scissors, sellotape, and a 440 hertz tuner (oh and 2 flutes!). To begin with we made a rough prototype to make sure our idea would be a success but its splayed ends gave it a rather unsatisfactory tone and appearance.

Then we embarked on the highly technical process of making two new and improved in-tune versions which needed the skill and expertise of the entire National Youth Orchestra flute section. This was our journey in a few simple steps – please contact us with any queries!

STEP 1:

Measure and cut the card (which we acquired illicitly from David our flute ‘guy’ and member of the support team). THANKS DAVEY!! (this is what he does in his spare time…)

STEP 2: Wrap the card around the flute to get a tight fit.

STEP 3: Sellotape the card together around the flute and check it fits well:

STEP 4: Play the note to check if it’s in tune by fingering a low C.

STEP 5: Tune the note by cutting bits of the foot off until it is a perfect B♮.

(To start with we had slight issues, in that our B foot was actually a very sharp Bb foot.)

And after several near-casualties...

...we finally have a result: Two perfect Bs!

During this journey the flute section bonded amazingly and we all enjoyed the experience very muchly...

...especially Luke!

We would love it if you would come to one of our concerts to witness our immensely professional B foots, not to mention the rest of the music being performed! Love from the flutes: Rosie, Luke, Catrin, Chloe, Ellie, Cathy and Epsie (+ Davey) xxx

GO FLUTES!!!

Thoughts from an NYO trombonist

2011-04-22T03:15:00.001-07:00

A symphony must be like the world. It must contain everything – Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)

Looking into the thoughts behind the work of the two composers that the NYO has been rehearsing this week, it is impossible not to think of the “bigger picture”. Mahler’s symphonies were often said to map out an entire universe. In his tenth, written by a man who knew that his time on this planet was almost up, we can hear him reflecting upon his whole life. All the memories and emotions that he experienced. The pain. The suffering. Perhaps a small amount of suppressed guilt at converting to Christianity so as to further his career. The fact that he felt “three times an outsider” – a Bohemian among Austrians, and Austrian among Germans, and a Jew in the whole world. But what is most striking about the tenth is the last movement. It contains all of these feelings and more in a very short space of time (short for Mahler at any rate). It would be easy to assume that the last movement would be very depressing, as the ominous opening seems to suggest, but there are moments of triumph and ultimately a great sense of a man being at peace with his fate.

We are Shadows, the enigmatic and ambient piece by Judith Weir, also ponders upon some of life’s bigger questions. The second movement, with its inscription from a Scottish gravestone, ends with a particularly poignant phrase:

If life were a thing
That money could buy
The poor could not live
And the rich would not die.

What this is really saying is that in the end, everybody, no matter how rich or poor, becomes the same thing. A shadow. Only memories remain, and eventually these will die too.

It’s very easy to feel rather overwhelmed, depressed even, about these “grim” thoughts. When we look at our position in the whole of existence, we are nothing but a small speck of dust orbiting around a small speck of light called a star, which belongs to a whole group of billions of stars called a galaxy, which belongs to a whole group of billions of galaxies called a cluster, and the universe is made up of who-knows-how-many of those, so it’s understandable that we might feel a bit insignificant.

But think again: we, as humans, are the only beings in existence that can wonder, think and draw conclusions from all of this (and I will write “that we know of” in case there is anyone out there that will read this, hi, if you do). We explore the unfathomable; we have a thirst for finding out where we came from, where we’re going, and why. Both through this curiosity and through music, we as humans look to find, think about and wonder what these answers might be, or if there are any answers to find. I don’t know about you, but I think that makes us infinitely more important than anything that ever existed. Think of that next time you’re feeling a bit insignificant.

Anyone for cricket?

2011-04-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

This week, during our Spring course at Durham University, percussionists have played in the shopping centres of Newcastle and Gateshead, our entire woodwind forces have played in Durham City Centre, and today a group of brass players took to the pitch at Durham County Cricket Club to play on their opening day of the season. Here they are in action:

Smooth violas

2011-04-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

The NYO has just one week to learn Mahler's massive and challenging Symphony No.10. But that doesn't preclude time for chamber music within each orchestral section. Here the violas (coached by the brilliant Roger Benedict of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra) perform a medley by an artist who not many people know was inspired by Mahler himself...

A blog from the cellos

2011-04-20T08:49:00.001-07:00

Allow me to introduce you to the NYO cello section 2011 - and in case you didn't meet us on our Winter course blog, I'll just mention that we are the most innovative and inspiring section. Take, for instance, our section room, beautifully decorated in the first style of elegance with examples of artwork by all the section's leading artists...

The front four desks (in Mahlerian mountain country)

Sophie and Becky

Ben and Lucy A

Oli and Gilly

Cassie and Deni

Apologies for the lack of pressed flowers; although the university has generously provided us with flower-pressing equipment in the sectional room, our one attempt was a dismal failure and was (regrettably) consigned to the rubbish bin. Meanwhile, we spent the last sectional learning how to breathe: 'In - 2 - 3 - 4 - - - 9 - 10... Out - 2 - 3 - - - 10... In... Out... anyone dead yet? No? We'd better carry on then - In - 2 - 3 - 4...' After which we finished off by rolling down the hill and getting coated in lawn mowings. Excuse: the exercise is good for our muscles. Very necessary for Mahler 10!!

Of course we practise the Mahler and the Judith Weir for hours every day too, but we are also playing a peice by Villa-Lobos for cello ensemble which, naturally, is awesome. But aren't cellos always awesome?

A blog from the clarinets

2011-04-20T02:21:00.000-07:00

As the sectional blogs come pouring in, each group is keen to come up with something that stands out from the rest. The clarinets have decided to rope in some additional talent for their star turn...

And here's a snapshot of the gang altogether...

A blog from the percussion

2011-04-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

(After Ralph's post earlier, here's our second blog from the NYO percussionists today. They're on fire! This one's from the team as a whole.)

The arrival of the percussion section at the Spring NYO course was never destined to be a quiet one, as almost immediately after the usual hub-bub of the course’s introduction, we congregate in the rehearsal hall to begin the lengthy task of setting up the instruments. Along with the orchestral percussion, we had the job of constructing tuned cowbells, roto-toms and a humongous thundersheet for Judith Weir’s ‘We are shadows’, and later Ian brought chains and his military drum for the ‘death drum’ in the 5th movement of Mahler 10. It’s fantastic to see old faces again and a great way for everyone to have a catch up and get to know each other again, as playing percussion involves a strong sense of teamwork (and banter!).

With the whole orchestra thrown in at the deep end, the first day of full rehearsals with Gerry really helped us to understand where our parts fit within the Mahler Symphony as a whole. It also enabled the members of the section to all submerse themselves in the parts, as swapping around helps you to learn everyone else’s part as well as your own! This enables the section to go back to the full rehearsals stronger and with an enhanced ability to play as part of the whole orchestra….well hopefully…

One of the most exciting things the percussion section has done this course (aside from admiring James Larter’s variety of exotic shirts) is being invited to represent the NYO at the ‘Incorporated Society of Musicians’ conference held at the Sage, Gateshead, on Saturday, and we soon got started on developing ideas for the two pieces to perform. A little advice from Ian, and a couple of pick ‘n’ mix fuelled jam sessions later, we had prepared an African style percussion piece, incorporating Steve Reich’s ‘clapping music’ and some famous (if not infamous in some cases… Olly Pooley…) tunes played on the talking drum. We tried to create a piece that was both fun to play and cool to watch, packed with traditional instruments, grooves, African trousers (kindly donated by hand picked members of the orchestra) ( ahem… Eleanor Tinlin), dancing, and an awesome body percussion solo by Matt Farthing. We attracted a lot of attention by also playing in two local shopping centres to get people pumped for our upcoming concert at the Sage, and it was a great feeling to get children and adults alike involved and interested in what we were doing.

The festivies surrounding James Larter’s and Roland Walet’s birthday on Sunday brought an air of frivolity to the section, with a rousing rendition of Dusty Springfield’s ‘You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me’ worming its way into our section’s morning dance and warm up session. Later in the day rehearsals were followed by a barbeque and a Bavarian-Mahler themed party, with certain members of the section dressing up in Austrian outfits pretending to be Julie Andrews, and the birthday boy donning his favourite Turkish hat – a good day all round!

NYO Percussion section (coming to a major Northern concert hall near you!)

From small beginnings

2011-04-19T12:08:00.000-07:00

Let's turn the clock back a few days, and here are some thoughts from principal percussionist Ralph on what makes NYO an experience like no other:

'As day four draws to a close, I can’t help but feel this course, more than any other, is a real journey from the small, to the large.

Typically, it began with a long train ride. The only interesting part of this five and a half hour affair, was the fact that probably never again would I spend such a length of time with a chain-PowerAde-drinker. I boarded the train alone, however by the time I came to disembark I’d found some other principles – I was now part of a small group.

A short coach transfer later, and an hour or so of room finding, and the group had grown as all the remaining principles arrived. We quickly became an ensemble, thrown into the deep end first through bonding and collective focus exercises, and then through the music - Paul Patterson’s “Orchestra on Parade” amongst other things.

So, from my singular start to the fortnight, and those of everyone else, we had become a new, larger collective. But we weren’t just individuals who had come together via a delay-ridden public transport system – the ensemble was now greater than the sum of its parts. We were a team.

But the band didn’t stop growing there. Day ‘minus one’ saw the introduction of some young, prospective members of the NYO, looking to be inspired by what we do. With them, we could plant a small seed, which could grow into a significant part of their lives. Then, by the time they’d left, half of the orchestra arrived for the recording of some short film cues. Again the size increased, as did the collective understanding.

Subsequently, the rest of NYO arrived, and ‘day zero’ occurred – like an epic orchestral J-Turn, the NYO spin and engage forward drive, accelerating towards our goal. And, thanks to the fantastic logistical team, the change is pretty much seamless. By the end of the course, with the singers included, we’ll be in excess of 300 people.

And, incredibly, it didn’t stop there. Today the percussion section took to the streets of Newcastle and Gateshead to spread the music amongst the ‘real people’. Despite the best attempts of some store managers, who disliked the ‘noise’ (I prefer the term ‘art’), we were able to spark interest in prospective concert audiences and inspire other young people –a perfect example of how the NYO as an organisation can reach out and grow as a part of a wider community.

The journey from small to large, however, isn’t just in size. Individual practising has been going on for months; ideas about what the music means, and where it’s going have been forming in the players minds; each different interpretation has been developing in isolation. Now however is the time for them all to come together: each individual experience will help to shape the way we play the music. And in combination they can be far more comprehensive than in solitude.

With a piece like the Mahler, we can’t hope to begin by creating our own version in its entirety, however, by starting from modest beginnings and working for nine days we can surely achieve it.

From small beginnings, we aim for a big finish; and it doesn’t get much bigger than Mahler 10!'

Ralph Wyld, percussion principal

A day in the life of the NYO horns

2011-04-19T04:04:00.000-07:00

Instead of writing a paragraph about how amazing Mahler is, the horn section decided we would like to show you a bit of what it's like with the NYO horns.

After a strenuous Monday night, Mark Peter and I (Alexei) plus the rest of the section can proudly present 'A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE NYO HORNS'...

Credits:

Music - NYO horn section
Co-Directors - Alexei, Pete
Producer - Mark
Editors - Alexei, Mark, Pete
Camera - Alexei
Principal - Carys
Tutor - Jonny Ryan
Lighting - Carly
Wardrobe and Make-up - Joel
Interior design - Jacob
Window cleaner supervisor - Alison
Director of telecommunications - Alison
Special effects - Helena
Director of life support - Ben
Choreographer - Carys
Hair stylist - Fabian
Chaperone - Oli Hickie (Jedward)

No horn players were harmed in the making of this film.

Thanks,

Alexei

Great starts with the composers

2011-04-18T06:32:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

It's 2.33pm on Monday 18 February and we're trying a little bit of live blogging here, from an activity with the NYO composers. Tonight they start rehearsing their new pieces with players that will feature in our post-show gigs at The Sage Gateshead and Southbank Centre, but right now they're broadening each other's minds in a session where they have to present and talk about pieces they love that make a really arresting impact from the outset. Your reporter is a little late for the session so has missed some of the fun already but here's where they've got to... (if you happen to reading this live; keep refreshing for updates!)

2.38pm Rob Jones is on his feet and has promised us something 'amazing' with a trumpet solo that's funky and catchy. (The idea of this exercise is seemingly that you don't tell people what the track is till they've heard it.) Everyone's looking curious until a rhyhtmic riff almost like something out of a 60s TV show bursts out and a couple of the composers are starting to sway. Larry (composition tutor) wonders if 'funky' is the right word. Rob says 'yeah, but you know what I mean'. Larry's urging everyone to think really closely about the words they use to describe a piece. We're now asking if a piece can be funky even if it's not actually funk? The general consensus is yes. But now Jack asks if beatboxing can be beatboxing if it doesn't include a beat. He says this is actually someone else's thought, not his, but it's got us all musing. Anyhow, Rob reveals that his artist is Don Ellis, and the track is Indian Lady. And it's funky. Fact.

2.44pm Jack is now introducing his track and this time he's saying the title up front. It's Radiohead's 'Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors' from the album 'Amnesiac'. So it turns out you can say the title first. Maybe there are no rules in the composer zone. That sounds like how it should be. Anyhow, it's going to be interesting hearing everyone's reactions to this given that most of the room probably know it already. Oh, it turns out four of us don't. The track has now begun and I'm struck anew at how brutal it is. The contrast of that and the sweet doorbell like chimes.

2.47pm Seems nobody had much to say about the Radiohead (is there a wariness in the room about whether it's cool or not to like Radiohead?) so we're onto Andrew Power's track. He's going to present a piece called 'Touching Seen' from an album called 'Still Warm' though he's not mentioned the artist. He describes the track as 'fragile and nice' and says the whole album is played on just four harps though their sounds are sometimes manipulated electronically. It's very very gentle to start with, reminding this listener at least of parts of Bjork's Vespertine album. A lovely fast-running electronic harp pulse suddenly emerges. There are some appreciative laughs around the room as the 'harpbeat' kicks in: is this because we don't ever usually imagine the world of harps mingling naturally with the world of beats? There's a sense of surprise around the room as Andrew reveals that it's by contemporary composer Graham Fitkin.

2.55pm Now Michael Adamson is presenting an extract from a film soundtrack which he promises 'we all know and love (except for Rob)'. He's picked it because he feels it was a bit of an icebreaker that helped the NYO composers initially get along, and also because he dares to say it's *genuinely* funky which has got everybody laughing. Ah, it's Ocean's 11. Or possibly 12. David Holmes. Lots of positive, affirmatory major chords repetitively unleashed like fireworks. At one moment, Jack goes "Yes! Mandolin!". We spiral into a conversation about great film scores for not so great movies. I proffer 'Basic Instinct'. I'm not sure any of the teenagers in the room have heard of this. There's then some dispute about whether Jonny Greenwood's score for 'There Will Be Blood' falls in this category. What do you think?

3.00pm Carly Lake (NYO support team) is serving up the opening track of Radiohead's new album. (These Radiohead guys are destined for big things clearly.) She feels the track fulfilled the hype and anticipation that surrounds a major record release like this - it's distinctly Radiohead yet clearly lays down their intentions for taking their sound in a new direction. Jack agrees. Ben notes that everyone's gone for music with a beat in 4/4 time. Good observation. He asks if we're being imaginative enough. Jack wonders if people sometimes go for obscure time signatures as if to make some kind of contrived point. He counters that you can be truly imaginative in 4/4. An equally good point.

3.03pm Anna (composition tutor) is now talking about opening gestures in general; she personally admires pieces that capture something of their whole world in their first moments, rather than reveal themselves only layer on layer as they roll along. She cites Gerald Barry's 'The snow is white' as an example and is now setting up another track to illustrate the point. It's like a recurring thudding pulse interspersed with distant drum shots, a prosaic male voice, a wandering synth, an organ, 'cold air, silence, space' as Anna puts it. She says the whole piece is there in the first breath. It turns out to be Ultravox's Vienna. Funnily, she's right - the opening does capture the mood of the whole song - and yet this listener and one other in the room never knew this song started this way. That fascinates me and I'm not even sure why.

3.09pm Larry is up last and his choice, of course because it's Larry, is harder to describe. There's a lot going on in this music: layers, textures, a woman's voice, deep squelchy echoey reverb. He says he got it the same week as the new Radiohead album and feels it blows that out of the water. It's Micachu and the Shapes whose songs are one page long, each interspersed with a page that entails some kind of novelty or game or exercise. He likes her playful approach to making music which rubs off on the professionals she works with. He says she does things like go to MFI, buys some bits of wood and makes new instruments. Everyone likes this prospect.

3.14pm Larry notes that most people picked tracks that they have a gut feeling rather than cohered thoughts. So it often goes with music, but the challenge for next time is perhaps to bring a work whose connection we can tell each other about in real detail and put into words exactly what it does to us. Much harder than it sounds, I imagine. This reporter hopes to be there for that, but for now it's time to get on with composing.

A blog from the harps

2011-04-18T01:13:00.000-07:00

'Whilst sitting in front of Durham’s stunning cathedral listening to the bell ringers practise, we can’t help feeling that we’re in our own world, like the experience of NYO. After the pressure of our first sectional and the thrill of the full rehearsal, the harp section are now gossiping, reminiscing and laughing, as usual over what seems to be half of Tesco’s confectionery supply… This morning our musicianship was first tested with an excellent session on Judith Weir’s We are shadows. We were able to truly listen to each other for the first time in months and despite the battles with intonation, rhythm and sudden outbursts of laughter (!) whirling round in our minds, the experience was invaluable nonetheless. We were inspired by the words behind the music which comprise poetry by Emily Dickinson among others, as well as the general company and shared focus felt among the section. We next delved into the ‘mountain’ that is Mahler’s Tenth Symphony. The piece is inevitably a test of the orchestra’s stamina but its emotional depth is perfect for any youthful ensemble. The harp part in the Mahler varies greatly from movement to movement. We enjoy several flowing phrases accompanying the beautiful melodies as well as belting out many prominent bass lines – both typical of Mahler’s harp parts. However, despite the first movement notorious features – as well as some tricky arpeggios! – the second movement only requires ONE glissando from the harp section!! But as harpists we are of course used to having several hundred bars rest to count: in this case, 467! It is definitely not just the music-making that creates the complete NYO experience. The relationships every one of us make are memorable and invaluable whether they’re close friendships or tense encounters with conductors! Simply having a conversation with a tutor, composer, member of staff or fellow instrumentalist can be incredibly useful and eye-opening. Although everything learned from this experience lasts a lifetime, the famous ‘NYO blues’ never fails to occur once the course comes to a dramatic close. But in the meantime, the harp section will continue to enjoy themselves and make the most of our inspired surroundings and afternoon trips out…'

Play The City

2011-04-17T02:15:00.000-07:00

Last summer, members of the NYO took music out onto the streets of Birmingham to inspire people who may never even dream of stepping foot inside a concert hall. After meeting thousands of new people this way, we were determined to bring the same initiative to our residency in the North East. Yesterday, the percussionists led the way, taking their own exhilarating brand of musicality to two of the region's biggest shopping centres: the Metrocentre in Gateshead and Eldon Square in Newcastle city centre. Here are some snaps of the action. It was amazing to see how captivated the passersby were: clearly many of them had never seen live instrumentalists like this before and some were keen to have a go themselves. Here you'll see the NYOers giving some very young people and teenagers their first taste of being part of the band. Today, meanwhile, the entire woodwind forces of the NYO are hitting the streets of Durham! We'll post more pics of that soon.

A blog from the second violins

2011-04-17T01:38:00.000-07:00

Instead of words, the second violins wanted to use images for their blog entry. First off, here are some snapshots of the section from intrepid violinist-slash-photographer David Young. (Click on the montage, then click again, to see it enlarged.)

And here's a montage made by the players themselves of a sectional in slow-motion:

A blog from the violas

2011-04-16T03:50:00.000-07:00

Here, the NYO's violas offer their perspective after our first few days in Durham:

'The NYO Spring course got off to a spectacular start for the 18 violas of the NYO. We kicked off with a slightly unorthodox start with a day of Full Orchestra rehearsals embracing the intoxicating emotional heights of the vast mountain that is Mahler 10! To help us steadily climb to the peak of this work, we welcomed back Roger Benedict, a truly inspirational, fantastic tutor and person. But don't take our word for it. Check out a video of his playing: here. :D

On the second day of the course we organised a viola section Domino's pizza takeaway party. This reinforced the warm sense of community and team spirit in the section.

Mahler 10 is a work that not only blesses the viola with a significant importance but delves into the deepest, most wide spectrum of expression. We are all incredibly excited about both of the concerts!'

CLASSIFIED

2011-04-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

Secret messsage from NYO Composers HQ

On Tuesday, the seven NYO composers were sent into 'enemy territory' in Durham in order to complete a covert mission code-named 'Lexicon of Sounds'. This operation was to collect and record the sounds of the city for later missions.

Armed with recording devices, we set about cataloguing - in two task forces - every interesting sound we could find from overheard conversations to a busking accordionist.

Despite the apparent simplicity of this task, it was fraught with difficulties. Recording too conspicuously led us to have our cover blown in Tesco and be removed from the premises. However our confidence was not shaken and we continued on our mission following the people of Durham to obtain the necessary information to satisfy Cpt. Goves and Pvt. Adm. Meredith (our composition tutors).

Here is exclusive footage of one of our discoveries:

Stay vigilant for further dispatches from NYO Composers HQ.

Yours,

Pvts. Michael adamson, Rob Jones, Andrew Power and Richard D Hames

Mahler 10: the ascent begins

2011-04-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Day 1 of the National Youth Orchestra's Spring course! It's called Day 1 but technically it's Day 5. This is the first day that the full 165-strong orchestra has sat down together to rehearse but we've spent the last few days growing in number as more and more members join us for a string of creative projects here at our Spring base in Durham.

After the team arrived on Saturday night, the principals came on Sunday to catch up and reflect on some of the values they'd defined for the orchestra at the start of the year and roadtest some of the repertoire they're playing this week. Then on Monday, 45 younger players from across the North East (and, in the case of an intrepid few, even further afield) joined them for our Inspire Day where the NYO members themselves led a day of activities and music-making, inspiring their local counterparts to take their creativity to the next level. You can click here to see them warming up together, and we'll be posting some pics here soon of the final playthrough of two very different and exuberant pieces: Paul Patterson's Orchestra on Parade and Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty.

Yesterday, the ranks had grown to about seventy NYOers who spent the day delving into a very different experience: recording the soundtrack for the Tate Movie Project. Entitled The Itch of the Golden Nit, the film has been created by thousands of schoolchildren nationwide with the help of Aardman Animations (who made Wallace & Gromit) and the voices are being supplied by celebrities like Catherine Tate, Miranda Hart and David Walliams. Complementing the young artists, the NYO was invited to record John Browne's score which gave us the chance to make music in a very different style and context from a symphonic concert, building on the experience that some of our players had earlier this year recording the music for the London 2012 Olympic mascots film. Watch out website for more news on golden nits in the near future.

By nightfall, the rest of the NYO had arrived and today they've spent the entire day in full rehearsals beginning the epic ascent of Mahler's Tenth Symphony which we'll perform at The Sage Gateshead and London's Royal Festival Hall over the week. Usually, NYO courses kick off with lots of sectionals, building gradually to more and more full rehearsals as time goes by, but this time we've flipped the process over as we wanted the orchestra to get a good overview of the symphony's mountainous scope and demands. Works like this requires the musical equivalent of crampons, oxygen masks and oodles of Kendal Mint Cake; you need immense stamina and few among our intrepid teenage trekkers have ever played a piece like it before. But there's something about Mahler that speaks so strongly to the hearts and minds of teenagers: maybe it's the big, big emotions and the drama that catapults us from the deepest dark to the blazing illumination as quickly as a rollercoaster. We'll be sharing the thoughts and feelings of our members over the next ten days as their journey with this incredible piece unfolds. For now, here's a glimpse of their very first notes together this morning when they started out with the symphony's diabolical fourth movement. Naturally, when the tutors arrive tomorrow and we get down to business as usual, there's lots and lots of detail to get polishing, but for now, we hope you'll agree this is a pretty impressive first attempt...

Meanwhile, here's one of our percussionists Oli talking about one of the most iconic moments in the symphony. It's likely that your computer's speakers won't do this justice, but every time this drum goes off here at Durham University, we feel the reverberations across the entire campus...

The day an NYO player became NYO staff

2011-04-08T03:45:00.000-07:00

Second violinist Claudia, 17, lifts the lid on her recent assignment, working for a couple of days with the NYO's management team at their new office in central London:

'For me, being in the NYO has only ever entailed what happens on the courses, and the few extra projects that occur over the year. I doubt many of us in the orchestra have ever really stopped to think about what goes on behind the scenes at the NYO office to make the courses as successful as they are. With this in mind, I asked the NYO if I could spend a few days in their office, to gain a better understanding of this while at the same time expanding my own office skills (after all, how many people get through life without doing any administration work?)

My first day at the office arriving at Somerset House (the new venue of the NYO office) and facing my first challenge of the day: finding my way to the reception! (Honestly, Somerset House is like a labyrinth; every corridor looks the same and navigating between floors is really confusing). Finally I managed to make my way up to the office and get acquainted with NYO staff who I had not met before, as well as saying hello again to those I did. Everyone was incredibly friendly, and willing to answer any questions I had.

James Murphy (Director of Communications) and Isabella Kernot (Orchestra Manager) had engineered two days worth of work for me, and my first day was incredibly jam packed. The morning entailed taking notes at the weekly staff meeting and translating percussion instruments in the score of Mahler 10 from Italian to English - no mean feat, especially when half of the Italian names have no relation to their English counterparts! It amazed me how early on an NYO course is planned – while I was at the office much of the time was spent discussing 2012/2013. However, when you think about it, it has to be, especially as many conductors are booked up years in advance. After a relaxing lunch break spent wandering around Covent Garden, I spent some time writing a letter to the NYO Friends, as well as checking for differences in an adaptation of a score by NYO composition tutor Paul Patterson. However, the most exciting task of the afternoon was to meet new NYO support staff member Emily and discuss plans for an all-new exciting activity which will hopefully start up on the Spring course! (Watch this space for more news on that!) Day two consisted of similar activities, though I spent the morning on a marketing project to attract people from my local area to the Spring concerts, researching locations to post flyers and posters to. It made me realise just how much work goes into marketing the NYO concerts and creating relationships with other companies.

In fact, my respect and admiration for the NYO staff, high though it already was, climbed even further over the two days I spent with them. Not only were they caring and welcoming, but it was clear to see that every one of them put a lot of effort into their work. Without this, the NYO courses would not be anywhere near as brilliant as they are, and I am exceedingly grateful to all of them for the dedication they have to take on such tasks! I had an amazing time, learned a lot, and hope to use my experiences with them in the future.'

RPS nomination for NYO

2011-04-07T09:51:00.000-07:00

We are thrilled to announce that the NYO has been nominated for an RPS Award.

To give them their full title, the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards, presented in association with BBC Radio 3, are the highest recognition for live classical music in the UK. Awards, in thirteen categories, are decided by independent panels consisting of some of the music industry’s most distinguished practitioners.

The NYO is one of the shortlisted nominees for Best Ensemble in recognition of what our young musicians accomplished in 2010, a year in which they took exciting steps to redefine the scope and power of a youth music ensemble. They brought fresh energy to concert halls across Britain in five-star performances, showing their passion for the new in Southbank Centre’s Varèse 360 festival and the European premiere of Julian Anderson’s Fantasias at the BBC Proms, whilst also delivering unforgettable accounts of traditional repertoire from Shostakovich to Berlioz. They were outspoken about the transformative power of making music, as role-models to other young people in musical encounters nationally, and by avidly assuming a central voice in how NYO communicates. They also crossed musical and cultural barriers, collaborating with Brazilian and South Asian musicians, and bringing a cargo of insights back from the encounters to enrich the NYO itself.

Adding to the success, there are also nominations for Southbank Centre's Bernstein Project in which the NYO played a central role, conductor Semyon Bychkov who we performed with in the summer, and Larry Goves - the NYO's composition tutor.

We’ll find out if the NYO has won Best Ensemble when the RPS Awards ceremony takes place on Tuesday 10 May. In the meantime, you can see all the nominees by clicking here.

In other exciting news, the NYO Spring course kicks off in just a couple of days. Expect a deluge of reportage coming to the blog from Monday onwards!

Behind the scenes in the Olympic recording studio

2011-03-17T06:06:00.000-07:00

As detailed on our main website, NYO players past and present recently gathered in a North London studio to record the music for the London 2012 mascots’ film ‘Adventures on a Rainbow’. The film has just been released and you can see – and hear it on the official London 2012 website by clicking here. Like the first episode, the story is written by children’s author Michael Morpurgo and follows the mascots as they continue on their sporting adventure across the United Kingdom, inspiring young people to take up sport.

The soundtrack to the film is composed by young British composer Thomas Hewitt Jones who was a member of the NYO himself. For the players it was a fantastic chance to apply their talent in a wholly new context and they confidently rose to the challenge of delivering the virtuosic score without a rehearsal and recording alongside a ‘click track’ (which channels the pulse through headphones to every player).

Cellist Becky Whiteman says ‘This experience was completely new to me and I learned and achieved a huge amount in such a small space of time! I had never realised before how different a recording studio is to playing in a live concert. I learned how to adjust my playing to suit this different environment, for example, not being distracted by the new surroundings and playing naturally, and having to play perfectly in time with the click track. I loved the atmosphere and buzz of this new setting – working under some time pressure and being part of a completely new ensemble that had never played together before. Managing to make it perfect with hardly any rehearsal time and then seeing the final result soon after was very rewarding. I also enjoyed playing in a much smaller ensemble: I was a bit nervous at first but quickly became more comfortable. I think this will make me more confident when playing in a larger orchestra like the NYO, especially when the cellos have an exposed passage. I think these new ventures are important for the NYO to be involved in because they provide experiences which may be extremely useful for the future and they are very fun!’

Clarinettist David Wong says ‘I expected it to be stressful but it wasn't at all! It was quite hard work, but not nearly as hard as an NYO rehearsal. The whole experience with the headphones was also new to me, and fun! It was strange at first, especially hearing the strings, despite them not being there but being somewhere completely different! I learned a lot and the whole experience made me think about the possibility of doing professional recording sessions in the future, since I found it so fun! The fact that the NYO is exposing us to musical opportunities in different contexts such as in a recording studio as opposed to live on stage, is unique, extremely useful for us, and great fun! A continuation of such musical ventures would be worth its weight in gold.’ David Wong, clarinet

Among the recent NYO leavers who returned specially for the project, violinist Mariko McTier sayss 'The session was a lot of fun. What I love about playing with a group like the NYO is that the music comes together so quickly, but there was still an excited buzz, especially from the younger ones or those for whom it was the first time they'd been in a recording studio. I think it was a great thing for the NYO to do, and I hope that as we get closer to the Olympics the NYO will be asked to participate in even more high profile events as its a great way to be heard. And finally, it was lovely to play with some old friends, see some new faces, and be reminded of my time in NYO!’

Tate Movie Project - the story so far

2011-03-16T07:57:00.000-07:00

As revealed on our main website, the NYO is playing a central role in the Tate Movie Project which promises to celebrate the creativity of young people in an exciting new way. While thousands of schoolchildren nationwide are creating the visuals for the film with the help of Aardman Animations, the music is coming to life courtesy of composer John Browne and a team of NYO players who are inspiring other younger musicians to play their part too. The first chapter of this exciting venture occurred in February when a group of NYO players spent three days with Liverpool's fantastic In Harmony participants, creating and devising tracks to feature in the film. Here, 16 year old NYO viola player Anna, shares her journal of three days unlike any other.

Day 1

Wow! What a day! Walking into the Friary – our rehearsal space in Liverpool - was like stepping into Rome. From the marble altar to the ornate stain glass windows, this venue is brimming with history which Zoe, the project manager, outlined for us during the briefing at the start of the day. It is so inspiring to be in such an environment and go forward in this project knowing that I am helping to continue the purpose for which was The Friary was originally built. This legacy has been strongly embedded in the 'In Harmony' project.

As the children from the Junior and Super Strings arrived, the youthful energy resonated throughout the hall and shook up each of us NYOers. From the outset, the goal of this long-awaited collaboration was obvious, with each member of the West Everton Children’s Orchestra and the NYO clapping rhythmic patterns enthusiastically under John, the composer’s, guidance. Then came the instruments! The musical ideas began flowing from all directions. The young children were so free, willing and eager to share their thoughts and let their imaginations run wild – something we at the NYO incorporate into our everyday approach to music making.

Following the departure of the children in the afternoon, we were shown a BBC documentary about 'In Harmony'. This, in turn, really helped to bring home the message of the need for greater participation in the arts and how music is fundamental in encouraging the development of learning in children. It made me reflect upon how the Tate Movie Project could potentially act as a flagship to demonstrate how music is crucial in bringing joy to a large number of people, regardless of age. As well as this, I felt increasingly aware of the individual part I was playing in this exciting and innovative project.

For the rest of the evening, we set to work brainstorming ideas and themes to act as a backdrop for the Tate Movie. From 'space chases' to 'moody mermaids', John encouraged us to explore a range of techniques and timbres that would allow the animation to come to life, whilst still assisting the young children to ensure their own vital musical ideas were voiced. Though at first we were slightly apprehensive of having the usual safety blanket of a score and music stand removed, we gradually got into our stride in true NYO fashion and created a collage of wondrous and imaginative textures.

All in all a genuinely eye-opening day and I look forward to waking up bright and breezy tomorrow morning.

Day 2

'Shake Up and Sing' … never before has a title been more accurate. From the moment Alex, one of the 'In Harmony' teachers, stepped onto the stage in the school hall, all pupils sprung to their feet. Instantly, the room was filled with the joyous sound of music and it was a great sight to behold with each of us from the NYO readily embracing the spirit of this activity. Singing ‘The Skye Boat Song’ triggered happy memories of the Kindermusic lessons I fully enjoyed when I too was of primary school age. Eventually, the height difference between the NYO and the pupils seemed the only thing distinguishable as we all sang and laughed in unison. This is definitely going to be a new addition to warm-ups on our usual NYO courses!

Following this, the pupils returned to their classrooms leaving us newly energised NYOers to set up for the workshops to come. The morning session was divided into three separate workshops which were all equally enjoyable. The children seemed so enthused by the experience and looked entirely enlightened by the far-fetched plot behind the film. The afternoon session consisted of the development of ideas from Day 1 alongside the Junior and Super Strings Ensembles. We returned to the Friary now adorned with microphones and wires – and a mysterious voice from the speakers! It was amazing to see how, once performed against the backdrop of the animation, the improvisations we created in small groups really captured the essence of the picture. Our improvisation on the theme of a space chase, fuelled by Nathan's funky bass-riff, got each of our heads banging and feet tapping.

As the day drew to a close there was just enough time to cram in a visit to the swimming pool at the Adelphi Hotel to avoid the large crowd of anxious football fans who descended on the city ahead of the evening’s duel at Anfield.

The activities of today certainly provided challenges but also widened my eyes even further to the tremendous legacy being left by the 'In Harmony' project and how these benefits clearly radiate throughout the school community, with each of the teachers adopting the values of the scheme and helping to support it by learning instruments themselves. Bring on tomorrow!

Day 3

Final day and the usual NYO blues return with the familiar feeling of approaching the end of the course! Nonetheless, this did not stop us warming up in true NYO style with stretches, ‘splat’, singing and of course a little activity we all love called ….’where’s the zone?’ The morning session began with all three groups - NYO, 'Junior Strings' and 'Super Strings' gathering around the piano to learn a traditional Native American folk song. However, as we each began to improvise around this theme, the tune developed a reggae-like feel and then moved into a more plaintive melody.

The hall for the afternoon session was set out with chairs ready for the arrival of the West Everton Children's Orchestra. As the orchestra filed in, us NYO members dispersed among the sea of chairs ready to assist and help where possible. In between the sections of recording, I was able to debate the current UK Top 40 chart with my newly-found viola and cello friends! The sound of us all playing in unison was absolutely incredible and one I will never forget.

To conclude the course, the NYO members performed Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks and we joined forces with the West Everton Children’s Orchestra for final renditions of Ode to Joy and La Bamba! The pleasure in music-making radiated through every corner of the Friary and it seemed as if the party had only just begun! I just wish we could have stayed for longer.

The team that supports the 'In Harmony' project are inspirational and provide the fundamental basis upon which this scheme can thrive. Here's to the future of the 'In Harmony' Project and the success of the Tate Movie Project!

Guy Johnston chats to the NYO cellists

2011-03-07T09:09:00.000-08:00

At NYO, we’re always keen to hear what former members are up to now. Five current NYO cellists - Tom Bertolotti(17), Lucy Arch(16), Sarah Gait(16), Deni Teo(17), Meera Raja(15) and Ben Michaels(17) - have put their questions to Guy Johnston who was in the orchestra in the 1990s and is now making fantastic strides forward as a soloist.

How has your time in NYO influenced your career, and what things did you learn in NYO that you have been able to take into a career as a soloist?

Being in the NYO gives you a sense of what life will be like in the profession, but on much better behaviour! I always remember the amazing concentration in rehearsals, the extraordinary conductors, music, soloists, and sense of occasion in the major UK venues. I've also kept in touch with a number of friends all of whom are now in the profession as soloists, conductors, and playing in major orchestras.

How unnerving was it to have a string break in your performance for Young Musician of the Year?

It wasn't ideal, but I seemed to cope! I recently ran the London Marathon and the slogan on the Flora T-shirt said 'Impossible is nothing'... Perhaps we should use this for a broken string during a competition on live television!

In your opinion, what are the qualities required to become a successful cellist?

Find what you want to say about a piece of music as close to the composers intentions as possible and believe in it. Work hard as soon as you can because life becomes very busy and complicated with lots of other choices further down the road, possibly even your own family! Enjoy the time you have now to study and see it as an investment for the future. Remember to have fun!

When did you first decide you definitely wanted to make your career as a cellist, and did you have a second plan - "something to fall back on"?

I've never wanted to do anything else. But the real turning point for me was after taking part in the Tanglewood Young Artists Programme in the States when I was 16. As well as playing in many orchestral and chamber concerts during an 8 week period, I remember hearing many great concerts including Yo Yo Ma perform the Dvorak Cello Concerto with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. It was a life changing experience. I recall wanting to be a gardener when I was really young and sometimes wish our music making happens outside so that it wouldn't feel like work indoors. Music ultimately stems from nature and I recommend a bit of practice in the garden when you can find an opportunity.

What the best piece of advice any of your cello teachers have ever given you?

Good question, although almost impossible to answer in this short interview! The best cello teachers continue to sit on my shoulder challenging and supporting all that I do.

Out of all the venues you have played in is there one particular favourite that is especially rewarding to play in for you?

The Wigmore Hall is an exceptional hall and perfect for chamber music. It is always rewarding when you feel that the acoustic is working for you and inspiring to play in. There are also other wonderful halls in the UK I've enjoyed like the Birmingham Symphony Hall, and the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. I've been fortunate to play in all the UK venues over the last 10 years and abroad in the extraordinary Concertcebouw in Amsterdam, the Philharmonie in Berlin (home of the Berlin Philharmonic), and some stunning halls in Japan and South America. I can't say I've been happy with ALL my performances, but the halls have been a treat!

Does your recent appointment of visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music reflect a growing interest in teaching music for you?

I have now been made a Professor at the RAM from September and I'm looking forward to the new challenges and responsibilities ahead. The talent keeps on coming through these institutions and I enjoy communicating and working with young musicians. Teaching is an important part of the large tapestry and process of being a musician. One can learn so much from other musicians and remain keen and enthusiastic through listening and responding to new ideas.

Milo was an amazing CD with some amazing and modern pieces included. Have you any more CDs of this sort lined up in the future?

I've been delighted by the response to my Debut recital CD 'Milo' with Kathryn Stott. I really enjoyed recording the works on this CD and you can see a little documentary on YouTube about the Music (Milo - Guy Johnston). I do have a number of recording plans in the pipeline, but it all costs money particularly if you are recording with Orchestra. I recently recorded a Cello Concerto by Edward Gregson 'Song for Chris' which has been released on the Chandos label. I will also be releasing a CD for Cello Classics which includes Klengal's Hymnus for cello ensemble this year.

Are there any works you especially want to perform in the future which you haven't performed already?

I would really like to perform the Barber Concerto one day. I think it is an amazing piece and the slow movement is out of this world. I would also really like to commission new works as well as find lesser known works to help build on the repertoire we all know and love.

What do you enjoy most about being a cellist?

I think we are all nice people, unlike violinists and pianists who can be very competitive with their solo roles! We get a lot of attention too. I'm answering these questions on a plane to Budapest where I am playing the Haydn C Major Concerto, and at least a handful of people have spoken to me because they have seen me with the cello in the airport and on the plane. Often people wonder what's inside and so I like to have a good laugh like say it's a flute, or a body, or a big violin, or whatever! People ask what I do for a living?? Well, this is my living!

You have achieved so much already as a musician, is there anything else you would still like to achieve - what are your ambitions for the future musically and otherwise?

The challenge is to keep building on your ambitions. You can never become complacent and one should continue to search for new ideas and ways forward. The music world is full of surprises that guide you down all sorts of avenues you don't expect. This is the wonderful thing about being a musician. Life is constantly changing and taking you to so many different places meeting new people who are interested in you and your art all the time. It is hugely rewarding and certainly not for the faint-hearted. There are lots of works I would like to learn, including all the Bach Suites, Beethoven Sonata's, as well as many works off the 'traditional' path. I am often playing Chamber Music with the Aronowitz Ensemble and with other musicians too in Festivals at home and abroad. I will also be guest leading the cello section of the Australian Chamber Orchestra later this year, which will be a first for me, and performing concertos with orchestra's including the RPO and CBSO. In a nutshell, I will be very happy if I can continue to build on the collaborations and colleagues I've met over the years and keep a healthy balance with all the collaborations I'm involved in, whether it's solo, chamber, orchestral, or teaching. Variety is the spice of life and all these elements feed into each other.

Good Luck to all of you and I hope you find what you are searching for in your musical lives. What would life be like without music?

NYO member speaks out on BBC Radio 4

2011-02-03T13:08:00.000-08:00

Tonight, as the music world is gripped waiting for the outcome of the Henley Review for Music Education, a current NYO member spoke out on BBC Radio 4 about why funding for music education has really made all the difference for her life.

Click here and jump straight to 29:00 to hear Gilly McMullin talk about her musical progress and what the NYO has done for her ...and you'll get to hear her play her cello beautifully too!

(The link will only work for seven days so if you're reading this after Wednesday 9 February 2011, alas you've missed it!)

Sneaky little snippet of Janacek

2011-01-31T12:52:00.000-08:00

It's amazing what you can find on the internet. Today, whilst largely minding our own business, we just happened to stumble across something quite remarkable and surprising on YouTube. We've no idea who posted this, but someone decided - moments before the end of the NYO's first concert of this year in Liverpool - to secretly whip their camera out of their pocket and capture the last three minutes of the performance.

Visually it's a bit of a teaser, given that you only see four of our 170 players for the first two minutes, but slowly this amateur Spielberg reveals the rest of the gang and, although it's shot from the far right of the stage, you still get enough of an impression of how vast the National Youth Orchestra truly is.

But let's not worry too much about the visuals on this occasion: it's the sound that matters, and what a glorious, starblazing, wondrous noise this is. We'd like to think that Leos Janacek would have been mighty pleased. And if all this was recorded on a cameraphone, then it's a moment to marvel at the technology of 2011 too! Though most of all, it's a chance to hear your national team from a slightly thrilling and unexpected angle. Enjoy...

NYO @ The Palace

2011-01-25T02:50:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago, five of us NYOers headed to Buckingham Palace for an amazing concert put together by Goldie for the BBC (to be broadcast soon...). We knew it was going to be big, but we didn’t realise quite how big! Whilst we were congregating outside the gates at 5.30pm, we saw Kara Tointon, Joe Calzaghe, Kristina Rihanoff and Alison Balsom get out of taxis and enter the palace! Then, it was our turn, we walked through the crowds, presented our two forms of identification and our VERY posh invites, and entered the grounds, from where we walked to the venue. It was very bizarre to be amongst NYO players but to be watching the concert and not playing, although having the long-armed camera swinging over our heads was a familiar experience from our annual BBC Proms...!

Goldie’s band was made up of incredible young musicians who may not have had the opportunity to showcase their brilliant talents had it not been for Goldie. There was much anticipation as Goldie and Prince Harry entered the room, but we soon settled down to watch the most unbelievable concert. All the music had been composed by the band, and the emotions they poured into it, and the enthusiasm shown, as well as their incredible connections with each other is definitely something that we all took to the NYO course. The more you connect with people when you play, the more emotion can be shared, and the more is felt by the audience, creating the best possible performance. You will have to wait till the broadcast to hear the set, but let’s just say we all cried several times and there was not a dry eye in the house (or should we say palace?!) at the end. After the concert, we realised that Alison Balsom was sitting in front of Gilly so we had a nice chat with her and she told us how amazing Kristjan Järvi was (and man, she was right!)

We then headed to the after-party, where we seemed to talk to nearly everyone in the room about NYO (although not quite as many people as NYO director Sarah, who LITERALLY spoke to everyone!). The most exciting people were definitely Jimi Mistri, Kara Tointon, and Prince Harry.

We all genuinely had the best time ever – massive thanks to Sarah for taking us with her! And now we can testify that the palace really is the poshest building EVER – but the acoustics aren’t as good as Royal Festival Hall!!!

Gilly & Lucy, NYO cellists

Memoirs of the NYO's winter composers course

2011-01-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

Did you know the NYO has an additional section that no other orchestra in the world has? (well, as far as we're aware!) Here, one of its members, lifts the lid and explains all:

I think most people are surprised to hear that seven teenage composers work alongside the NYO. This winter was the first year for each of the composers and I think it’s safe to say we all had an amazing time!

Our first task was to write pieces in groups of two or three inspired by fireworks. Each group responded with a completely different piece, some just acoustic pieces and some incorporating electronics. The firework pieces were performed on New Year’s Eve, just before the ceilidh. It was fantastic to work with the principal players on this task and enjoyable to work in teams composing for a change since writing music can become a lonely business!

In our next task Anna and Larry (our tutors) decided that we should write pieces individually inspired by a location on the Radley College campus where the orchestra's course took place. For this task we were assigned a trio of unconventional proportions e.g. bass trombone, contrabass bassoon and horn. We had only two days to write complete pieces but we each managed it and a performance (by some of the fantastic NYO players) was given at the end of the course.

The composers' course unofficially ended a few days before the players' course so we had a great time on the concert days, having a day out at the Liverpool Tate art museum with Larry, and a day in London with Anna where we watched the LSO rehearsing, had milkshakes and had a general wander around!

All the composers are very excited about the spring course because we have each been assigned a 10 minute rehearsal with the FULL ORCHESTRA (that's 165 players!). This means we are currently in the process of writing very short pieces to rehearse in this time. NYO management have not promised to programme any of our pieces in the main concerts but we may try to persuade them otherwise! We are hugely grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait to hear our pieces played.

I feel very privileged to be part of the NYO this year. Our tutors Anna and Larry were brilliant and introduced us all to the world of electronic music, an area in which I have a developing interest. Also the advice and lessons that Paul Patterson gave us was fantastic and we hope to see him again next course.

I met some great people on the NYO and I can’t wait for the spring and summer courses now!

Rob Jones, 17

‘To the Memory of an Angel’ (Or, another NYO course...)

2011-01-20T09:14:00.000-08:00

I’m now in my second year as a cellist in the NYO, and it has simply been totally life-changing. It’s often thought that ‘sections stick together’, especially in an orchestra of this size, and so, upon joining, I expected all my best friends to be in strings. While, obviously, I do have a lot of string-y friends, this is about as far away from the reality as it comes, and for me, this cross-section ‘bonding’ is what makes the orchestra so special.

Having friends in all the sections means that there is loads of communication all across the orchestra, from the cellos to the tubas, and this is the reason all 170 players are so together. The NYO has given me a totally new family since I’ve been a member, people who can all relate to each other. There seems to be a stigma that it’s ‘all work and no play’, but this could not be further from the truth!! Noone parties quite like the NYO, and just like any group of teenagers would when they get put in a room together – we go crazy.

Concert days are always extra special. The (sometimes very long) coach journeys up to the venue often provide the opportunity for a mass sleep catch-up (which is never that comfortable on a coach, so everyone finds their own human pillow). When we arrive at venues, we’re usually whisked pretty much straight away into rehearsals (although often we are allowed to sign out and have a bit of an explore), and then afterwards we go straight into our tea sittings – there are far too many people to all have tea at once, so we normally split into three groups. At about 7pm, we have line ups, where we all queue up to go onto the stage and have a bit of ‘sectional time’ (see cello salute in a previous blog entry). It is also about this time that the adrenaline starts to kick in, and the atmosphere backstage is always electric. It’s walking on stage, though, where most of the adrenaline kicks in, there is nothing quite like walking onto a big stage with a full hall when you are about to play some of the most beautiful music ever. However knackered everyone is, the concerts always come together on the huge collective energy. It is, however, the end of the concerts which are the most special. The HUGE high felt by everyone makes for an unbeatable (legal) feeling – surely better than any drug. The coach journey back never involves sleep, however long it is, although often if we arrive back at 3am people are starting to flag....

It is for this reason we work so hard, to feel that feeling after a concert and if we can pass even a bit of that on to our audience than we have done what we came to do. We also have the best tutors EVER, who all really get involved with their section, and of course, our amazing conductor-in-residence Gerry Cornelius who is always in the concert hall ready for us to ‘send him our warmth.’ At the end of the day, however ‘teenagerish’ we are outside of rehearsals, everyone goes into rehearsals ready to work hard, with enthusiasm and passion, and most importantly, together.

And, to me, it’s this attitude that makes the NYO what The Times calls ‘the most uplifting orchestra in the world’.

Lucy, 16, from Shropshire

More snapshots from the course

2011-01-17T06:10:00.000-08:00

As well as the photos taken by our own members (featured on the blog during the course), we were also joined for a day by professional photographer Belinda Lawley who we first met taking fab pics backstage at Bernstein's MASS last summer. Here are some of the scenes which Belinda caught of the new NYO at work and play. It was only their third day of rehearsals together but already you can see how they were getting on famously...

Done and dusted

2011-01-09T06:26:00.001-08:00

Well, that's the End of Part One, folks. This morning the last of our 170-strong orchestra headed home in all directions across the country, the reverberations of last night's packed concert at Leeds Town Hall still ringing in our ears. While our first adventure of the year may be over, we'll be sharing lots more about it on the blog in the coming weeks - look out for more photos, reflections on the whole experience from the members themselves and, of course, more reviews. On which note, here are the first verdicts on our Barbican and Leeds performances:

'Let's praise our bright young things. A brilliant constellation of young stars who produce miracles with a fraction of the funding and rehearsal time enjoyed by their government-backed South American counterparts. Astonishing. They are so well trained and directed. Suffused with the radiant confidence of youth.'
The Observer [link forthcoming

'The flair and finesse of the National Youth Orchestra. It takes agility to adapt such zest to the differing demands of Prokofiev and Berg, as this group of 13- to 19-year-olds demonstrated on Friday…providing incisiveness and seat-of-the-pants thrills. A giddy rise to the ethereal heights of the Berg Violin Concerto revealed the range, as well as the introspection, of which the NYO is capable. What a contrast this formed with the macabre Totentanz… The result was exhilarating. The most memorable part of the concert, however, was Janacek’s Sinfonietta. Brilliant fanfares from the brass – with a particularly strong crop of horn players this year – gave this raw, doughty piece just the right touch of grandeur. As a collective, NYO members have a reputation for performing as if each concert could be their last. Nowhere was this more apparent than in this work’s spine-tingling finale.'
The Financial Times

'It was as audacious as it was challenging: a programme to wreak havoc on sensitive dispositions – and because this was the National Youth Orchestra there was something incredibly liberating about the welter of sound that unleashed it. Something extraordinary and rather special happened for the most emotionally wrought of all violin concertos – the Alban Berg. Supremely difficult and exposed, not just for the soloist but for the entire orchestra…these young players individually and collectively stepped up to the plate sensitively… the blistering fanfares of [Janacek’s] Sinfonietta suggesting a healthy future for brass playing in this country.’ The Independent

‘A tidal wave of sound…all registered with beautiful clarity. The real challenge came with Berg’s Violin Concerto [which] seemed especially poignant here. Much of the credit must go to the young American soloist Tai Murray. She is a fabulous player, statuesque and strong, with a flawless control of line. The orchestra players sensed that quality and responded to it superbly. Our spirits were raised by Janácek’s Sinfonietta, which under the baton of Kristjan Järvi was quick on its feet as well as nobly resplendent.’
The Daily Telegraph

‘This seasonal forgathering of the nation’s top young talent is unbeatable. The climactic fanfares were as stirring as they were ear-splitting.’
The Evening Standard

'The brass bright and proud, the woodwind busy and dizzy with sunlight and commerce, the strings a glorious sigh of romantic yearning.' The Independent on Sunday

'The NYO's achievement remains remarkable. The soloist Tai Murray inspired everyone to take flight rapturously. In Janacek's Sinfonietta, all the affectionate images came tumbling out impressively.' The Sunday Telegraph [link forthcoming]

‘Riveting, transcendent stuff… the most uplifting evening I’ve spent in a concert hall for years. An incredible achievement for an orchestra that only assembled two weeks ago. This was a moving evening and a timely demonstration of the strength of music education in the and what we stand to lose should funding cuts undermine it.’ The Arts Desk

'Critics on this page rate performances in stars, to a maximum of five. If I could, I'd break the rule today and make it six, for this was an exceptional concert. A blaze of glory.' Yorkshire Post

First night at Liverpool

2011-01-06T07:23:00.000-08:00

We're back from an epic journey to Liverpool yesterday. Four hours on the road each way didn't even remotely dint the spirits and excitement that our 170 teenagers brought to the performance last night where the audience erupted into applause halfway through our first piece, Prokofiev's Scythian Suite, and barely let up in their enthusiasm after that. But don't just take our word for it. Here are the first reviews (and there's lots more to come). Click the title to read the full review.

'The primal forte that introduced Prokofiev's Scythian Suite was ear-shattering. Liszt's Totentanz… a hair-raising ride. A spellbinding account of Berg’s Violin Concerto. The inspiring aspect of hearing the NYO in this repertoire is that the young musicians embrace Berg without prejudice or preconceptions – the music was made to sound complex and unsettling, but never difficult. Janacek's Sinfonietta had the NYO playing like a super-charged town band, and provided a final opportunity for the greatly augmented brass section to rend the air with some stunning fanfares. There is little doubt that when these players band together, they have a blast.' The Guardian

'Against a background of dispiriting cuts in music education, the National Youth Orchestra remains a shining beacon. It exemplifies what has been achieved, what is being achieved, and what could so easily be imperilled if instrumental tuition reverts to being the preserve of the monied few. The verve and energy with which this massive teenage throng attacked a ferocious programme...I was zonked just listening to it.' The Times (no link available due to paywall)

'What a sound! It was big. It was positive. There was a superb confidence about these young musicians - all performing with a vivacity which many of our professional ensemgbles would do well to emulate. It was all the more inspiring since this orchestra had, barely days ago, simply not existed.' Classicalsource (a version of this review also appears in the Liverpool Daily Post)

'The visually impressive ranks of the National Youth Orchestra are matched by the power and their playing ability. Triumphant.' Liverpool Echo

Meanwhile, here are some snaps from backstage, an hour before the performance:

Fiddlefest

2011-01-06T07:18:00.000-08:00

After our ceilidh on New Year's Eve, Emma, Dominic and Georgia - three of the violinists who got up and played with the band - have been sharing their love of folk music and put together this little set, capturing a little more of their passion:

Creative Hub

2011-01-04T13:26:00.000-08:00

This year at NYO, we're spending more time between rehearsals exploring what happens when young musicians get together with young composers. Nicknamed the 'creative hub', a string of opportunities throughout the year (like New Year's Eve's Musical Fireworks accounted earlier on our blog) will give different members a chance to unleash untapped creativity, ignite exciting musical dialogues with one another, and shape cool new music on diverse scales.

Tonight saw us transform the little theatre at our residential base into a funky, atmospheric club where freshly formed trios from across the orchestra performed new pieces by seven teen composers, workshopped between the epic symphonic rehearsals of the last two days. You can look forward to lots more bigger, bolder, boundless dispatches from the hub on future courses this year, but for now here's just a taster, written by Alex Cook, a 16-year-old from Cambridge...

Family matters

2011-01-04T13:12:00.000-08:00

A few days ago on our blog, one of our members remarked how much the NYO is like a family. Now, Hettie from the double bass section has given this further thought and come up with this rather illuminating personal analogy:

Coming to an NYO course is a bit like all your extended family coming home for Christmas; you’ve been happily practising all alone when suddenly you’re thrown together and there’s nothing you can do but concentrate on surviving the following two weeks. Suddenly you find yourself befriending complete strangers, bonding over a shared love of serialism, and food becomes the centre of your day. It truly is like entering an alternative universe. The strings are like your immediate family who, amongst an ambush of relatives, you find refuge based upon your ownership of four strings and some wood. The first violins are the glamorous older sisters of the family who never fail to look fantastic and flourish with a gentle massaging of their egos. The second violins are their slightly jealous and devoted younger sisters whose turn in the limelight is coming. The cellos are the mothers of the section – always busy and never truly thanked. Their husbands are the basses who try and be helpful but never quite know what they’re doing*. This leaves the violas as the geeky sister who never fits in and suffers endless jokes for her art. The horn section are like the grandparents, treated carefully and kept together a little way from everyone else, who bring the tradition to the event. The rest of the brass come in late like the drunken uncle of the family, making crude jokes before passing out on the sofa. Then there’s the woodwind who are the perfect specimens all the relatives dote upon – making lovely noises when appropriate and shutting up when they should. Their cousins are the percussion who make an awful lot of noise a lot of the time and then run away to play games when all the presents are opened. The harps drift in like that hippie auntie who never seems to be quite on this planet. However unlike an awkward family Christmas, NYO is a home from home in which our inner music geek can thrive, hidden far from ridiculing eyes.

*This is, in fact, a complete lie. The basses are the most fabulous, musical and hilarious section of the whole orchestra. Of course.

An insider's view

2011-01-04T07:43:00.000-08:00

Professional photographers often join us on NYO courses to try and capture the colour, energy, magic and mania behind Britain's biggest orchestra. This time, however, we've also discovered that some of our current members are serious shutterbugs. Here are some shots taken by first violin Stephen Bradshaw (plus one of violin soloist Tai Murray taken by second violin Ye Ye Xu). We'll be asking Stephen and other members to share their photos without you throughout the year, giving you a picture of the NYO experience directly through the players' eyes.

Click here to see a slideshow of images taken by Stephen so far during the course, and look out for more on the blog in the near future.

Sneak peek

2011-01-04T04:51:00.002-08:00

Just one day now till our first concert in Liverpool. If you're thinking of joining us at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall tomorrow (5 Jan), London Barbican Hall (7 Jan) or Leeds Town Hall (8 Jan), here's just a tiny taste of what you're in for. He only arrived yesterday morning but our fab guest conductor Kristjan Järvi looks like he's having great fun getting stuck into Prokofiev's dazzling Scythian Suite with our 170 teenagers...

You know what to do if you'd like to see more magic like this. Full concert details at www.nyo.org.uk.

Flute fun

2011-01-04T04:51:00.001-08:00

For those of you who think the NYO must be a huge amount of hard work, you'd be right, but that doesn't mean there isn't time for play too. Just because you're one of the best young musicians in the country doesn't mean you have to forget you're a young person!

Every day at the NYO, we kick off we warm-ups led by our support team of professional young musicians, giving members the chance to shrug off sleep, get alert, get connected, and do some vital stretching before a long day of intensive rehearsals. The bug seems to have stuck because some sections are even doing their own additional, spontaneous warm-ups. The flutes, who have four new members out of seven, this course have found an exuberant and uninhibited way to get psyched up for the day and have some fun along the way. Here they are having some fun before rehearsals began today.

Here's a little insight into their antics:

The view from Day 6

2011-01-04T02:37:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, Tom and Emma here reporting from day 6 of our Winter course. Today was a day of firsts, since Kristjan, our conductor, and our soloists Tai and Stewart arrived and we've had our first taster of rehearsals with them. How did they go? Well, shall we just say our audiences are in for a treat later this week!

But more about that later, we're here to tell you a little bit about the last few days and the more unusual events we've experienced.

New Year at NYO is always and event to remember, especially when the Scots take over the stage! As you can see from the earlier blogs, Emma (viola player from Scotland) was one of the NYO players to leap into the limelight and play with the band, and the party atmosphere reached electric stage by midnight. Although Emma's a viola player she needed a violin for this performance so Tom had to rush upstairs to lend her his for one night only! The ceilidh turned into a rave as we entered 2011 with almost everyone taking part in some truly amazing(ly dreadful) dancing, and after a short bout of fireworks everyone was so exhausted that the rare treat of a ‘lie-in’ hardly had any effect on anyone, as we were all yawning in rehearsals, which resulted in our conductor giving us some tips for hiding them!

Speaking of which, a word about Gerry Cornelius, our conductor-in-residence. He is the one who prepares us for the arrival of the guest artists each course and since last year he has gained almost legend status! Gerry works on many different levels, from assisting in sectionals, to taking full sectionals and full orchestra and is a driving force in the orchestra. We think that Kristjan is very impressed with the work we've done so far this course and are taking this moment to pay tribute to Gerry (...and also his bike, and his aftershave)!

That's all for now folks, hope to report back soon!

Tom (1st Violin/Celeste) and Emma (Viola)

Clarinet Czardas

2011-01-03T03:41:00.000-08:00

You might think - with our first concert two days away - that we'd be zoning in on nothing but the four pieces we're performing then. But on each National Youth Orchestra course, as well as learning huge, beefy orchestra works, players seize every possible opportunity to make any kind of music they can. Here 2011's new Team Clarinet - Dan, David, John, Alex, tutor Tim Lines, Michael, David and Jordan - at this morning's tea-break performing an impromptu little Czardas...

He's here!

2011-01-03T02:51:00.000-08:00

Always one of the most exciting moments of any NYO course is when the guest conductor arrives. Straight off an overnight flight from New York, Kristjan Järvi has bounded into rehearsal with the NYO strings. Here's a tiny glimpse of their first notes together. If you want to hear more, we're at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on Wednesday night, London's Barbican Hall on Friday night and Leeds Town Hall on Saturday night! As this clip illustrates, it's going to be pretty exciting...

Update from Team Cello

2011-01-03T01:15:00.000-08:00

We've reached that stage of the NYO course where most of our team of tutors for each instrument pack their bags and head off, having done a sterling job preparing their sections, and the orchestra heads onwards into more full rehearsals. First-time cello tutor Zoe Martlew has established a fantastic rapport with her section, not least because she herself was once a member of the NYO cello section here at Radley. Before departing, she's reinstated a tradition from her era: the cello salute, which we've captured here in a photograph.

The cellos meanwhile - who feature five new members - have offered us a brief overview of their activities so far for the blog. At first we were perplexed by this then principal Oliver explained that they took turns to write a word each, passing it around the section. Therefore what it may lack in profound elegance, it makes up for in team spirit!

Finally, before departing, Zoe treated the entire orchestra to a rendition of her own 'Revue Z' which fuses her own compositions with a unique blend of theatricality, wit and smart observations on being a musician today. Here she is unleashing one of her own works, and giving the NYO some food for thought on where their own careers could take them once they leave:

And here is she is offering a little insight into one of the realities of being a modern musician - which the audience clearly appreciated:

This is how the NYO likes to party...

2011-01-01T04:48:00.000-08:00

Nobody parties harder than 170 teenagers who only met a few days ago but already know they're about to embark on the best year of their lives together.

After a day of seriously focused, precise musicianship in rehearsals, the NYO is happy to let its hair down and not really care if we don't quite get all the steps right in a rousing, rip-roaring and pretty raucuous New Year ceilidh.

Here are some of the best musicians of the future demonstrating musical coordination at its most imaginative:

Meanwhile, the professional band found themselves upstaged by four NYO violinists - Dominic (15), Emma (18), Georgia (18) and Duncan (18) - who grabbed their instruments to demonstrate a little bit of fiddling...

And, if you think all this exuberance would leave us worse for wear this morning, think again: all 170 orchestra members were up and heading to rehearsals at 10am. The show must go on!

Musical Fireworks

2011-01-01T04:41:00.000-08:00

In addition to 160+ players, the NYO also includes an additional section not found in many orchestras: our team of seven teenage composers who play a central role in all our courses and interact with players throughout the year, drawing on their skills and writing pieces for them to play informally on the courses and in public performances at our main concert venues.

Yesterday we gave the composers a one-day challenge to write their own musical fireworks to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Rather than create traditional concert miniatures that everyone must sit and listen to silently, we asked them to create works that other members of the orchestra could experience in the same relaxed way they experience firework displays. We then gave them the NYO’s principal players for less than two hours’ rehearsal, to help bring the pieces to life.

As with real firework displays, you rather had to be there to get the full effect (what is it about fireworks that cameras can never quite do justice?) but nonetheless, here are a few glimpses from the spectacle.

First off, Michael Adamson (16) and Ben Wetherfield (17) took over our venue’s theatre space to present their own sonic firework display. Wiring up a keyboard to emulate the explosive sound of fireworks setting off, they then placed instrumentalists around the auditorium to create the resulting starbursts in sound. The audience stood watching and listening from the stage as the volley of pyrotechnics grew louder and wilder:

Next up, Alex Cook (16), Jack Sheen (17) and Richard Hames (17) took the crackling, eerie sounds of a bonfire as their starting point for an installation that enabled the audience to roam around the space seeking out disarming and fiery outbursts from instruments and electronics alike. The experience was more like roaming round an art gallery than sitting still in a concert, reminding us that we don’t always have to package music in the same old fashion:

Meanwhile, Andrew Power (17) and Rob Jones (17) ignited their own musical Catherine Wheel in which the audience sat amid a circle of six percussionists in the semi-dark who passed a furious, fizzing sound faster and faster around us. Pictured here is principal percussionist Ralph giving his team their cues. If you’re listening with headphones you may just get the effect we had of the sound circling dizzyingly around you:

Look out for more impromptu, renegade and fantastical offerings from the NYO composers – who are working with pro composers Larry Goves, Anna Meredith and Paul Patterson – as the year progresses.

A fresh perspective

2011-01-01T03:10:00.000-08:00

One of our more regular bloggers - 17 year old Thomas from Lancashire - is, this course, getting a whole new view of the NYO beyond his usual place in the midst of the violins:

So we reach the last few hours of another calendar year, the first of a shiny new decade. To most people, the new year brings opportunities for a fresh start and new things begin to happen from the first day. But at the NYO everything is in full working gear: we've been in action for three days now and our brand new orchestra is getting to work as a team faster than any countdown to midnight! Like new parts in a great machine the new people are integrating phenomenally well and, speaking from the perspective of a returning member, they look well up to reaching the very high standard set by the 2010 orchestra.

From the word go (or rather that first down-beat from Gerry, conductor-in-residence!) the orchestra came to life with huge enthusiasm and aplomb, as you can see from the video of our Prokofiev rehearsal. I have a very different role in this piece because for the first time in my life I am playing a keyboard part - the celeste to be more precise. This is so different to playing violin in many ways (other than the instrument itself of course): for a start I have hardly anything to play compared with what I'm used to! For the non-musicians out there you may not be aware that orchestral parts are not evenly balanced at all! Even in more contemporary pieces the strings form the core of the orchestral sound and generally have pages and pages more to play than woodwind and brass. So for me to have a grand total of about 20 million bars rest before I play a single note is quite a shock, though I have to say it's nice to have a break once in a while!

The other thing I've noticed is that it is so much more exposed. Obviously when in a violin section there are at least 13 other players playing the same thing as you, and in a section as large as the NYO's this is closer to 20. Now though I have to take complete responsibility for myself, there's nowhere to hide at all, especially as I even have several bars of solo in the 3rd movement! Now that's a first for any string player and it's a good feeling to feel truly unique, even if my moment of glory lasts all of 30 seconds.

I have to say though it was truly nerve-racking to have to play out in front of all your friends, with the knowledge that they all know it's you playing and my hands were shaking like leaves! I now have a lot more respect for woodwind and brass players for having the nerves to deal with effectively 100% solo all the time - but they're used to it :P. It's a thrilling new experience, and although I spend much of my time sitting around being blasted by a piccolo and three flutes sitting directly behind me, it is so nice to get a new perspective of the orchestra, since with the time I'm not playing I can watch everyone else and see how other sections work: one particularly amusing moment was when one of the flautists had to change from concert flute to alto flute and turn the page in about two seconds - no names mentioned. ;)

So there's the perspective of a lonely string player finally getting a chance to stand out albeit on an electric keyboard pretending to be a celeste! I'll be back with another blog soon but for now it's off to the new year's party for me, see you all next year!

(Quick change: one moment Thomas is a celeste player; the next he's a first violin!)

And they can sing too...!

2010-12-30T09:46:00.000-08:00

Tonight's full rehearsal - on the second day of the NYO's Winter course - has begun in slightly unexpected style, as you'll see here...

Everyone's put down their instruments and they're singing instead. Though we're still officially in Christmas carolling season, it's not that. Instead, our ever-imaginative conductor-in-residence Gerry Cornelius has decided to introduce the orchestra to Alban Berg's incredible Violin Concerto (which we'll perform next week at Liverpool, London and Leeds) by starting with a Bach chorale. Deep into the concerto, Berg quotes the chorale 'Es ist genug' (meaning 'It is enough'), its words even written into the score beneath the solo violin part. The melody is then echoed across the orchestra, most notably by the clarinets, who you can hear intoning it here, a few minutes after the singalong in their first actual rehearsal...

And if you're impressed by the singing, just wait for tomorrow when they'll all be dancing too!

A message from the oboes...

2010-12-30T08:53:00.000-08:00

Various sections of the orchestra are plotting submissions for the blog (to appear over the next few days). First out of the gate are the oboes, who've decided to express their new-found camraderie not in words but in pictures instead. Here's the team of seven, FIVE of whom are new this year to NYO, as drawn by themselves. We love the charm and team spirit of the pic, but suggest they all stick to playing the oboe rather than consider a career-change to fine art!

That First Day Feeling

2010-12-29T10:05:00.000-08:00

As the NYO year kicks off today, Claudia, a violinist aged 17 from Kent, tells us what it's really like joining Britain's biggest orchestra:

On the first day of my first course at NYO, my parents dropped me off with my suitcase and violin, said a quick goodbye, and drove straight off again. Looking back, standing in a hall packed with 160 people I didn’t know and who I was expected to live with for the next two weeks, I can honestly say it was one of the scariest moments of my life. Having never been away from home for more than a week (and that being with people I knew, for a start) I had no idea how I was going to deal with being away from my family for that long.

But that’s the thing: the NYO becomes your family.

You eat, sleep, work and play together all day, every day. Though you spend months apart, you get to know people just as well (and sometimes better) than you would if you went to school with them. I spend more time with some people in six weeks of courses than I do with my sister in a whole year; they become your siblings, your parental figures, your relatives. And at the end of each course, it is just as hard to leave them as it would be your real family.

Of course, families don’t stay the same. Just as people move out of homes, players in the NYO move on to bigger things. And while you still remember them and miss them, you get the happiness of welcoming new members into the NYO, into the family, at the start of every year. It’s almost instinctive. We’re at the end of our first evening here and already I’ve made a lot of new friends.

So, to any new members, or to anyone ever thinking of joining the NYO: I’m not going to tell you not to be nervous – it’s perfectly natural to be and I’d actually be kind of surprised if you weren’t. But what I will tell you is that even if you show up knowing absolutely no-one at all, by the end of your first course, you will be well on the way to creating friendships and family-like relationships that will last a long, long time…

(pictured above: Claudia, far left, with other NYO members last summer)

First glimpse

2010-12-29T09:49:00.000-08:00

It's Day 1 of the NYO year and 170 teenagers have come together from across Britain for a week of rehearsals ahead of epic concerts in Liverpool, London and Leeds.

Right now they're in their first full rehearsal, packed to capacity in a small school hall in the mists of Oxfordshire. Here are your first glimpses (and there'll be lots more to come over the next week), and you can hear their first notes on our Twitter feed.

The countdown has begun!

2010-12-22T05:01:00.001-08:00

Today we’re packing everything up at the NYO's London office ahead of our Winter course which kicks off in the wilds of Oxfordshire on Tuesday. Last new year, snowfall tried its best to stop us reaching our concert venues, but we made it and we’re bringing the same optimistic resolve to next week’s ventures too.

If you’ve not already checked out the details on our website, our course ends with spectacular concerts featuring a 170-strong orchestra (twice the size of your average symphony orchestra) at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall (Wed 5 Jan), London's Barbican Hall (Fri 7 Jan) and Leeds Town Hall (Sat 8 Jan). Further details can be found here if you'd like to come and support your national team. We'd love to see you there.

But how do we get there from here? What happens behind the scenes at the NYO? For over 70 of our orchestra this will be their very first NYO experience, so doubtless you’re wondering what kind of alchemy occurs on our residential course to transform brilliant young individuals from all across the country into one crack team who think and breathe and play with all the unity of the world’s best professional orchestras...

From Tuesday onwards we’ll be lifting the lid on this process and attempting to demystify the magic. With photos, footage and personal reports about the course from members of the orchestra themselves, we guarantee you at least as much entertainment as the wall-to-wall re-runs that choke the terrestrial channels between Christmas and New Year, so add this page to your Favourites now, and we’ll see you in a few days!

You can also follow us every step of the way on Twitter.

Until then, merry Christmas from everyone at the NYO!

The Sound of Silence

2010-12-13T15:01:00.000-08:00

If it seems we've been quiet at late, we have in fact been a hive of industry, preparing for our first course of 2011 which actually kicks off moments after the last turkey shavings are recycled for a third time in sandwiches, rissoles and dog-bowls on 28 December. From then on, expect a volley of excitement on our blog as we introduce you to the new NYO of 2011...

But before we make a tremendously ecstatic racket with 170 teenagers from across the country, it seems apt to enjoy a few moments of silence. The National Youth Orchestra really believes that silence is a vital part of music and music-making. It's a longstanding and hugely valued tradition at NYO that before every full rehearsal we take two minutes of silence to collect our thoughts, think about the massive unified team we're about to become, and put ourselves in the right place for the incredible avalanche of notes we're about to unleash. Silence is music in itself, and all silences are different.

John Cage knew this when he created 4'33', a beguiling and infamous piece which to all intents and purposes entails nothing but silence, which - if you're living in Britain - you're likely to have heard is making a leftfield bid for this year's Christmas No.1. Cage was a bold and visionary composer (and if you dig what he did here, then you should definitely check out what he did with notation because it's even cooler). We're supporting the re-release of 4'33' this week because we salute composers who've dared to make a difference, but also because the proceeds are going in part to Youth Music who help fund so much incredible music-making by young people like ours.

You can find out more at www.catm.co.uk.

Also, because every 'performance' of 4'33' since it was written has been different, this rather cute video captures how a truly eclectic bunch of musicians recorded the latest incarnation:

Listen carefully...

And happy Christmas from Team NYO!

NYO meets Spira Mirabilis

2010-11-05T10:38:00.000-07:00

If we've been rather quiet of late, it's because - a bit like a caterpillar going into a cocoon before it becomes a butterfly - we've been super-occupied the last couple of months seeing hundreds of incredible young musicians in auditions across the country for NYO 2011. If anyone ever had any doubt, we can assure you this experience has provided indelible, uplifting proof that Britain's got serious talent. Simon Cowell would be seriously overwhelmed. There are so many brilliant musicians out there, it's really deeply encoraging, and a real honour to meet so many of them, so dedicated to their craft.

Anyhow, auditions finished this week so any day now we'll have a final list of the 170 young people who'll be joining us on an incredible journey next year.

In the meantime though, two of this year's members (both hoping to return next year) have been busy interviewing members of another youth orchestra. Technically, not as young as us, but Spira Mirabilis is still young at heart: an orchestra of 20-somethings from all over Europe who don't just want to present classical music the same old way their forebears have; they want to examine it anew and find exciting new ways to share it with their a new generation. They perform at the London's Southbank Centre tonight (and Team NYO are off to watch) but ahead of that, Natasha Michael and Ed Spencer from the NYO posed them some questions. Click here to read what they had to say.

How was it for you?

2010-08-27T06:33:00.000-07:00

As the last reverberations of the NYO's thunderous performance fade from the Royal Albert Hall's acoustic domes, second violinist Tom - who blogged last month about being part of our Composers Ensemble, and is pictured below (right) - shares his thoughts on what it meant to perform at the BBC Proms as the climax of his first year in the NYO...

'Well it still hasn't really sunk in but it actually has happened - I have completed a whole year in the NYO and played at the BBC Proms for the first time. I really cannot describe in words the feeling of stepping onto the most famous stage in the world to be cheered by over 6,000 people. When that last chord of Berlioz's masterpiece Symphonie fantastique brought the best concert of my life to a thrilling end, the eruption that greeted us was simply incredible. I haven't felt that emotional on stage before and it really did set in stone that this was what I wanted to do in my life, nothing can honestly beat this.

What a rollercoaster it was to get there though! I thought nothing could be more intense than our Varese/Debussy course in the Spring but thanks to Mr Anderson it was easily as difficult! As I said in my last blog, the transformation from the giggle-filled first full rehearsals where my main problem was finding out where we were (at one point Jimmy and I were a page behind and ahead!) to the final performance where, even a country mile away from Semyon, all those notes and rhythms were NAILED. Even though I hadn't played in the Dukas I came off for the interval sweating buckets and even said to someone in the audience "I wish you knew how difficult that was!" It was an excellent workout techinically, and as I said on Radio 3, my sense of rhythm will never be the same again!

Then came the Berlioz....I had seen the piece performed earlier this year and enjoyed it very much, but didn't get a huge buzz from listening to it. When I actually got to play it though, it brought tears to my eyes. The 3rd movement and the end of the 5th movement in particular were played so exquisitely I nearly forgot to come in. The last few madcap moments culminating in the ultimate ending were simply thrilling I don't think I've been involved in or heard another performance like it. Truly a night to remember.

It has been an astonishing journey, all the way from Blackpool in January and conquering the freezing blizzards of Shostakovich 5, through Durham and the extraordinary world of Varese, and all the way to Birmingham and finally here in London for our fantasy-themed Prom. I've learnt so much over this year, from my very first full rehearsal of Shos 5 (even in the middle of the Second Violins I was absolutely terrified!) all the way up to the dazzling climax at the Prom, encompassing all sorts of skills such as learning to blend into a huge section of 20 violins and then into the mammoth-size orchestra of 160 musicians, and from all different perspectives from right near the front in Varese to sitting practically in the next country for the Berlioz. Working with other musicians on all different levels from dialogue with our section tutor and principal, to taking instruction from conductors and being proactive in the full rehearsals and working with the real live composers in Composer's Ensemble on fascinating new repertoire. Learning to take the lead and speak out when is necessary, and to learn from failing from Greg's vocal workshops and confidence building sessions; coming out of my shell to dance the Charleston and Jive and get into the swing of 1920s New York; and team co-operation (and a spot of sneaky peeks at James Murphy's team's answers!) to finally win a prize at the NYO quiz have all come together to create a simply astonishing year, fantastic learning experience and some of the best six weeks of my life.

I would recommend ANYONE who has an interest in music to please PLEASE apply for 2012, even if it's only for one year - trust me, it's an experience you won't forget! Bring on 2011!'

Tom Rowan-Young

Violin

See the NYO Prom right here!

2010-08-22T02:58:00.001-07:00

Here it is! For seven days only (ending Saturday 28 August at 20.30), see the complete NYO performance at the BBC Proms by clicking on this link to BBC iPlayer.

Here are some screengrabs of the action:

Reviews of our summer concerts

2010-08-08T10:31:00.000-07:00

The NYO's summer performances have just come to a spectacular end at the BBC Proms, and the press reactions are here!

(click the titles for the full verdict):

The Guardian
FIVE STARS 'Played with remarkable precision… superbly characterised solo playing from the NYO principals…the detail was remarkable…a fabulous, exhilarating concert.'

The Times
(no link available owing to The Times' paywall)
'They may not don fancy coloured jackets. Their mambo skills might be a little less. But for musical skills, general fizz and the ability to radiate hope and joy, the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain can take on Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Orchestra any day of the week.
Through every hiccupping rhythm, diaphanous texture and contrapuntal riot [or Julian Anderson’s Fantasias] the teenagers of the NYO never flinched. Their wonders continued through the Symphonie fantastique – music with more adolescent appeal, though with Bychkov’s help they shaped both its sweet passions and dark delusions with mature precision and lustre. A zinger of a performance, from an orchestra worth funding to the skies.'

The Daily Telegraph
'Magnificent...such finesse...the Symphonie fantastique represents a challenge to even the most experienced of orchestras, and here the youngsters of the NYO rose to it and surmounted it with a passion and polish that put some other recent concerts firmly in the shade. From start to finish, the playing was thoroughly involved and involving. In fact, the whole programme was one in which orchestral virtuosity and panache were to the fore. This was an exhilarating evening, with the orchestra evincing a joy of music-making that was utterly compelling.'

The Independent
‘Bychkov miraculously had them achieving a lightness of touch and quickness of response that was tantamount to producing a sleek sports car from a juggernaut. More magic.’

The Evening Standard
'the performance married exuberance to subtlety, individual brilliance to collective virtuosity'

Birmingham Post
FIVE STARS 'These prodigiously talented young players gave suitably inspired performances. The playing was disciplined, crisp and with razor-sharp ensemble – but without diminishing the orchestra’s exuberance. Really fantastic!'

Classicalsource [Birmingham]
'Anderson's most visceral orchestral work to date also places a premium on unanimity and virtuosity of ensemble; qualities in which the NYO were certainly not lacking...this was a fine showing for this most intrepid of youth orchestras.'

Classicalsource [London]
'Written for the virtuosity of The Cleveland Orchestra, I doubt if the NYO was in any way inferior to its American counterpart, for the Proms performance was immaculately prepared and seemed entirely on top of every nook and cranny of Anderson’s engrossing and multi-faceted orchestral caprice.'

East Anglia Daily Times
'That the pieces were excellently performed and conducted almost goes without saying. What really struck and inspired me was the sheer energy and enthusiasm of so many of the players.'

Boulezian
‘Truly resplendent. The rollicking conclusion provided a fitting climax to a fine concert.’

Look out for more reviews over the next week. You can also read the public's views retweeted on our Twitter feed.