Our Latest News
Like many an orchestra, band or choir, recent times have not been easy. Orchestra North East has not been able to meet as a group and we’ve not been able to play for our audiences. Concerts planned have come and been cancelled and it has all been rather frustrating.
So, it was with great pleasure that in October, Orchestra North East has at last been able to pick up the pieces and start to play again. We are pleased to report that, after much debate and preparation, on October 1st and 2nd 2021, the Orchestra was able to meet, under socially distanced circumstances, to do what all our members most want to do – play!
We met in Jesmond United Reformed Church in Newcastle, a splendidly comfortable large space, under the direction of Michael Bawtree and led by our great friend from many a past concert, Fiona Love. Michael in fact conducted our last public concert in the Gala Theatre in Durham in March 2019 and it was a great pleasure to work with him again. It was for some an emotional experience – making music is like that – but to be with friends and colleagues again, after so many months, was a wonderful experience.
To present a full concert with an audience was not possible on this occasion, but the players enjoyed a detailed rehearsal and play-through of two major symphonic works, Elgar’s Cello Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. Our regular leader of the cellos, Andy Wardale, played the Elgar, to great acclaim from his colleagues in the Orchestra and the symphony was a tremendous opportunity to show that we had not lost our power or the virtuosity of our sections. On top of that, we all had an extra treat in the presence of Bradley Creswick, of Royal Northern Sinfonia fame, to direct and play a Bach Violin Concerto with our string players as well. We all had a lovely evening of music-making. Everyone left lifted by the experience and very much looking forward to our next gathering.
We are planning a return to something like a ‘normal’ programme of concerts in 2022 and the committee is actively considering possibilities. In particular we’re looking forward to the twice-postponed concert with Hertfordshire Chorus and Newcastle Choral Society, planned now to take place in The Sage Gateshead at 3pm on Sunday May 1st 2022. We will be performing Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony and a new work by James McCarthy called Codebreakers. It promises to be a most memorable and, we hope a celebratory affair. Sharing live music with an audience will be back in our lives!
Tickets are already on sale for this concert at:
https://sagegateshead.com/whats-on/vaughan-williams-a-sea-symphony-and-james-mccarthy-codebreaker/
Like many an orchestra, band or choir, recent times have not been easy. Orchestra North East has not been able to meet as a group and we’ve not been able to play for our audiences. Concerts planned have come and been cancelled and it has all been rather frustrating.
So, it was with great pleasure that in October, Orchestra North East has at last been able to pick up the pieces and start to play again. We are pleased to report that, after much debate and preparation, on October 1st and 2nd 2021, the Orchestra was able to meet, under socially distanced circumstances, to do what all our members most want to do – play!
We met in Jesmond United Reformed Church in Newcastle, a splendidly comfortable large space, under the direction of Michael Bawtree and led by our great friend from many a past concert, Fiona Love. Michael in fact conducted our last public concert in the Gala Theatre in Durham in March 2019 and it was a great pleasure to work with him again. It was for some an emotional experience – making music is like that – but to be with friends and colleagues again, after so many months, was a wonderful experience.
To present a full concert with an audience was not possible on this occasion, but the players enjoyed a detailed rehearsal and play-through of two major symphonic works, Elgar’s Cello Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. Our regular leader of the cellos, Andy Wardale, played the Elgar, to great acclaim from his colleagues in the Orchestra and the symphony was a tremendous opportunity to show that we had not lost our power or the virtuosity of our sections. On top of that, we all had an extra treat in the presence of Bradley Creswick, of Royal Northern Sinfonia fame, to direct and play a Bach Violin Concerto with our string players as well. We all had a lovely evening of music-making. Everyone left lifted by the experience and very much looking forward to our next gathering.
We are planning a return to something like a ‘normal’ programme of concerts in 2022 and the committee is actively considering possibilities. In particular we’re looking forward to the twice-postponed concert with Hertfordshire Chorus and Newcastle Choral Society, planned now to take place in The Sage Gateshead at 3pm on Sunday May 1st 2022. We will be performing Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony and a new work by James McCarthy called Codebreakers. It promises to be a most memorable and, we hope a celebratory affair. Sharing live music with an audience will be back in our lives!
Tickets are already on sale for this concert at:
https://sagegateshead.com/whats-on/vaughan-williams-a-sea-symphony-and-james-mccarthy-codebreaker/
