NCO 2019

We’ve got a U11 yes!! (Viola)
Can’t wait to tell my girl....

Just received the email and my Dd got in U11. Cannot believe it!!!! So happy!!

Ha also waiting for u12’s here too, after getting U10’s yesterday 😊

It certainly does put things in perspective :) That's a great story, Folk.

Re results, I am struggling with the waiting now despite being super-composed yesterday...We've got one happy face with the U10s outcome. Just waiting for the U12s now...

Congrats to all who had good news yesterday, and commiserations but well done too to those trying again next year. (I have a feeling we'll have a foot in both camps at some point this week...!)

...I must stop refreshing this page and my emails...

I like that folk

Folk you are absolutely right

@folkmama, you know, this really does help with the tension of waiting, thank you! xx

@folkmamma
Hi thank you for sharing yr experience with us

Just a little anecdote for those not getting the news they hope for this week....

This time last year we were a little disappointed that DD1 didn't get full membership - she got Regionals for the second year, which was an amazing experience and a great achievement. But we were not-so-secretly hoping for Nationals. So, I researched other opportunities and we decided to give Pro Corda a go. She had the most AMAZING time on their two residentials, found a love of chamber music, tried and loved the viola (now her second instrument), made some wonderful friends, and her playing improved tremendously. Most importantly, she made a good impression on the then course director, who suggested we try out for the JD he teaches at. She got in, and he is now her teacher - a partnership which is just so completely wonderful on every level!! None of this would have happened if she had gotten full membership as I would never have looked for anything else. So the old adage 'when one door closes, another one opens' couldn't have been more true in our case!

Manky, DD got in U10. She is grade 8 and privately educated. She has played past grade 8 pieces. Good luck to yours!

Best of luck to everyone today!!

Manky, my DD (9) also got U10, she took gr5 this summer, played 2 gr6 pieces in audition. No specialist music school here.

She was in the training orchestra last year and really had the most amazing time. It was a mix of people from all backgrounds including some incredibly talented children (DD was placed in the second violins). We didn’t meet anyone at the regionals, but she quickly made friends at the residential. Like Trumpet said, it is a chance to make music with a bunch of kids of similar age

If yesterday is anything to go by, we didn't hear until 6:30pm.

Dd has never been away on a residential without me. She's excited to make new friends

Still no news U11

For those who are new and DC feeling nervous: My DD initially didn’t want to go on the U10s residential as she didn’t know anyone and hadn’t been away from us for a whole week before (had done a few nights away with school and brownies but obviously she knew the people on those trips.) However, after meeting people at South Easterlies and emailing another U10 girl (whose parent is also on mumsnet) then she felt confident enough to go and had an amazing time. She is now desperate to get in to U11s - fingers crossed for today! I have promised her we will look for other summer music courses if she doesn’t get in as spending a week doing music over the summer with similar aged kids is now her idea of bliss!

manky my DD (9) got u10s. She has only done a gr4 exam this summer so played a gr4 price for audition.

Good luck today!!! ☘️

Manky there’s usually a mix of everyone in there. Some kids are absolutely amazing, some kids are homeschooled, some are in specialist schools but everyone there really loves music and it’s such a lovely environment for the kids. It will be my ds’s first time going away on the residential and he’s a bit worried about being away from home. I’m hoping he makes some friends in the regionals so the residential won’t be as daunting. Sadly the friends he already knows that auditioned didn’t get in so it will be all new friends. Fingers crossed 🤞

Horsey, a very long time ago as a teenager I did a Nyos wind training course and it was really good, hope your dd’s goes well :)

horsey my dd1 really enjoyed the nyos string training ensemble

Congrats to all that have had good news today. For mankymandy - our U10 violin was accepted today, not at music school - just regular primary school, one lesson a week, playing at Grade 7 standard (did Grade 6 in the summer). Definitely not all private education/music school kids! Good luck, hope you get some good news for your DD.

Good luck everyone for tomorrows news...

We are waiting for U11 too here. My DD was in U10 last year and made lots of varied friends. She went to regionals and enjoyed them but didn’t meet anyone there who was in the U10’s too. Seemed to meet older kids and those just doing regionals.

Typically though the favourite friends she made live at the other end of the country!

As others have said, the ability range was varied. Though I’m sure the residential was like a year of lessons! She improved sooo much!
Fingers crossed we hear tomorrow....

Manky - nco has bursaries, so there is a mix of family circumstances. DS2 mentioned that a couple in his section were not paying fees, presumably because their families were on low incomes. The DCs seem to have a wonderful time, and are brought together by music. There is a mix of state, private and specialist schools and the standard in U10s violins was grade 4ish to real prodigies (DS2 was somewhere in the middle).

Best of luck to your DD! DS2 is also waiting for news of U11s.

What standard are u10 violinists who got a place playing at ...just curious.

Hi I am new here and waiting to hear about U11 violin. My dd is playing about grade 5 and goes to a state school. Are lots of violinists grade 8 even in the U10s and are they all in music schools. We are not expecting to get in but she may find it hard to mix with kids who are much richer or privately educated as she only learns at school.

All the regionals are at least 2hrs 30m drive for us, according to Google. But I know she'll want to go and it will be good for her to get to know DCs before the residential.