National Youth Orchestra

Cultural Education, music hubs and NYO auditions!

The unceasing calls for evidence  on one review or another has brought about review fatigue. It seems as if the Government is trying to batter us into submission! However we battle onwards and continue to make representation. The evidence for the review of Cultural Education has just been submitted and NAME is arguing for a holistic education :

Last week I fought my way through the snow to go to the Victoria Hall in Hanley to hear the National Youth Orchestra's Winter Concert. The 160 strong orchestra performed a challenging programme under the title 'Fireworks and Dynamite' consisting of Rachmaninov's 'The Rock', Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra and Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony. They were superb and showed the incredible standard of musicianship that, working with a dedicated professional team (the current Principal Conductor is Vasily Petrenko), they have reached. My only disappointment was the number of empty seats.