Autumn / Winter 24 - music thread

Yes, it's a year -long membership with NYSO.
My son went on to join NYO, otherwise he would have continued with NYSO. He's still in touch with friends he made there.

Thank you @Alwaysplayspicc ! I wish we could only commit to one of NYSO residentials but my understanding is we'll have to do both...

DD mostly studied with Hungarian teachers so basically raised in Kodaly approach NYSO uses :)

This is really good - a mixture of chamber music - so they'll love a viola - and string orchestra. https://www.ncmc.org.uk/

No experience of NSSO,but my son did NYSO a few years ago and found it excellent. His course was taken by Suzie Collier, who is amazing ( Jacob Collier's mum and the most incredible teacher).
The course involves things like Dalcroze, so is holistic, not just rehearsing for a performance.
It's very expensive, as you say, but we applied for a bursary.

I've heard good things about EYSM from quite a few people.

Viva Strings is pretty amazing tbh.

Does anyone have any recommendations for summer schools please? Ds (will be 16 next summer) has done Chet’s for the last couple of years but fancies a change this year. He plays viola at G6 going into G7 level.

@se22mother don't we all!

Thank you @minisnowballs . I just want to be able to plan

This week apparently @se22mother - though DD2 can't do quite a few of the dates so I'm not expecting much in the way of 'membership'.

Does anyone know when LSSO results will be out? Feels like we've been waiting for ages.....

Had an 'interesting' evening last night - a concert of musical theatre pieces. Some were amazing, from kids who are always good, some were amazing, from kids I'd never even seen before, and some were so appalling I wanted to rip my ears off. Out of tune, and seemingly e-n-d-l-e-s-s... One boy murdered Stars so badly it's going to be a while until I can listen to the real version again.

Friday night DS's barbershop group is entertaining the Law Society, next week it's an unplugged concert where he's singing in rock band, orchestra and barbershop, and then the usual round of endless Christmas concerts.

Oh and diploma piano, and g6 French Horn. And mock GCSEs.

Hi, does anyone have experience of both NYSO and NSSO at Sinfonia level? How do they compare for violins, which one plays more challenging music?
DD is G8 but young so I want her to be with her age group, but we are looking for more challenging orchestras. I guess NYSO would probably be better as it's specialist, but it's quite expensive so I'm still hesitant... Any thoughts would be appreciated!

@PhotoDad it's all I can do to get my year 13 to revise no matter take instrumental exams so I'm well impressed by that!

@QueenMabby that sounds brilliant - we love a bit of Saint Saens here. Good luck to her!

@Soundofshuna - congrats to your dd on her g8 result!

@minisnowballs - glad DD's concert went well and good on her for playing the piccolo on such short notice!

Dd has a concert this week - all the school's ensembles so lots of extra rehearsals.

She's also gearing up for an informal concert next month too where she's playing Saint Saëns' Allegro Appasionata. She's only had it two months and it's her first grade 8 piece. It's mostly there but still a bit unsure on the higher bits so more targeted practice needed. Fortunately her piano teacher has said she's accompany her which should help the nerves a bit!

@Soundofshuna Congratulations!! My DS is also in Y13 and wants to get Grade 8 in both of his instruments done before exams... so I very much feel for you!

@Soundofshuna that's brilliant! Good to get results back so quickly. We're waiting on the outcome of a few things and it's the worst bit!

She’s in year 13 so time is ticking!

Wow @Soundofshuna two grade eights so close together is good going. Congrats to her!

Grade 8 pass achieved! Very quick results..
Lots of Christmas music to be played then piano grade 8 next term.

good luck to him @chickentikkasalad - sounds like a lot going on!

Made it to DD's evening concert last night despite it being far away in foul weather. Meant she got her flute back just in time to play the solos in a really nice piece for flute ensemble.

The piccolo jazz bit - where she'd been handed the school piccolo an hour or so before having not played one in years - was less successful. Apparently the HoD said it was 'nearly there'(!) Poor audience...

@minisnowballs congratulations for a positive experience for your DD. Really good sign that she wants to do it again!
DS has a violin exam next Friday, then he's in a local music festival, playing the violin and the piano. Hope he'll enjoy it too! The piano class is graded so it'll be level fielded. The string class is open to any primary aged kids and he's only just turned 8. So don't have much hope of winning but I hope he'll enjoy the experience and learn from it.

definitely a positive competition last night- dd2 didn’t win- and it would have been a travesty if she had- but it was good to see her up there with her school peers performing. I think she’d do it again so in balance very good as an experience.

some of her peers really are terrifyingly talented- it is always good to hear them and realise how lucky she is to study with them!

@Soundofshuna well done to your DS for getting her grade 8 done today. Fingers crossed for speedy results.
@minisnowballs hope the competition goes well tonight and you’re not feeling too nervous - think it’s often worse for us than it is for them! Great result re: national youth choir.
Been a busy music week here too. DS has made it through to the school young musician of the year comp in Jan. His heat was near the start of term when he was in a stand off over practise. He played Schumman and had only had one run through with the piano - he also warmed up the wrong clarinet, only realising during the performance before his so he felt he was slightly out of tune. He’s had a school small ensemble concert this week which was lovely but in a freezing cold church then auditioned for the youth orchestra concerto competition last night. He was quite relieved that the ‘panel’ was reduced to one person recording the performance due to staff sickness! 16 entrants though so we’re not holding our breath. Not sure my nerves could really cope with him playing a movement of a concerto with an orchestra in a big concert hall!