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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

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Original poster

NCO 2018

991 replies

stringchild · 23/08/2017 19:07

The new annual thread for those interested and/or auditioning! Ask questions, update your news - lots of nco parents on board and those hoping to be :)

OP posts:

Pollymalex104 · 29/10/2017 16:38

Yes I'm sure they will. By last year I actually meant this year! We haven't even finished the NCO year yet as the regional concert isn't until next week; I seriously need to stop looking so far ahead!

Original poster

stringchild · 29/10/2017 19:07

So I think final auditions are tomorrow so I guess we are on count down to Dec Results....

Polly - we had some slight confusion re sightreading in one audition this year; dd politely (I hope) declined to play the last line as it was for Main Orchestra. Strings was different as last line seemed to be u13s and Main (she thinks). Am hopefully they have had enough feedback to navigate this transition to the new age rules 😀

OP posts:

Pollymalex104 · 29/10/2017 19:21

Stringchild - it sounds like a general confusion then, although it would seem that all respective offspring have deflected it as nicely as possible!
And so the wait begins...

Eroica · 29/10/2017 20:39

DD didn't mention anything about the sight-reading, other than it was fine... Hmm, wonder what that means?

Nigglenotes · 29/10/2017 22:12

As a new auditionee, DD was not asked to play beyond what was asked.

Am obviously not mulling over the badly out of tune piano that slightly threw DD on violin. At all. Much.

A month is an awfully long time.

Will concentrate on DD2, 7, who is now on Violin Star Two, and slightly distressed by G Major and second fingers back. Which seems completely unreasonable when she is now confident about 2nd finger position for A/D major. She really is quite put out about it.

Wafflenose · 29/10/2017 22:24

With very few exceptions, it's usually just unusually able Under 13s, who then might be asked to fill Main. Presumably they have to fill the oldest orchestra first, and work down...

bassclef · 30/10/2017 07:25

Well done to everyone for auditioning - it's a big deal and takes lots of courage! DS auditioned for mains this year (for those that don't remember, I haven't posted for a few weeks), so obviously had to play the whole thing! I asked him whether he was asked to play to the end last year, when he was auditioning for U13s - he was, and he did it (he loves sightreading - odd child). He was given a place in U13, which we were very happy with.

Nigglenotes - you think a month is a long time to wait - those of us with early auditions (DS was in the first week) have TWO whole months . He has the Winter concert still to come though, as well as regional concert, so still plenty to think about!

Paulweller11 · 30/10/2017 07:52

Little one (aged 8) was asked to definitely do line 1 but was told she could do more if she wanted. She chose to just do line 1 haha!

Original poster

stringchild · 30/10/2017 08:34

Plse don’t worry for those new to this/ the number of lines are different for different sections of instruments! So some instrument types would be asked play to end for u13s and some wouldn’t

OP posts:

TaggieOHara · 30/10/2017 17:11

All done! DS2 played as well as he could have, which is all I can ask. One of the panel said, 'very beautiful playing', after Liebesleid and asked if he could play Liebesfreud (which I assume was a joke as Liebesfreud is grade 8+...). I am pleased for DS2 as he has worked so hard to get Liebesleid right. The Vivaldi was ok - a few smeared semi-quavers and one missed shift but he recovered well.

To add to the sight reading info - DS2 was asked to prepare the first two lines - he is going for U10s violin. I managed to glimpse the music as I left the room, and it looked manageable, a couple of tricky rhythmic features (triplets and semiquavers) and one simple accidental. No shifts. It was in G major. He told me that he made a silly rhythmic mistake in the unseen sight reading though. Hoping that won't count against him too much as the prepared sight reading was fine.

Is everyone done now? I assume the audition season is pretty much over.

Trumpetboysmum · 30/10/2017 17:34

Glad it went well Taggie . I think that's everyone- now the long wait !!

Minimusiciansmama · 30/10/2017 18:57

My 7 year old was very definitely only asked for one line, hahaha. They didn't suggest she carry on at all.... but I'm not taking that as a bad thing!
Though she'd have happily managed the first three (the steward showed me it after she'd done it).

Kutik73 · 31/10/2017 00:16

Mine didn't get asked more than he was supposed to do, and he didn't get any nice comment for his pieces neither. Hahaha...

Floottoot · 01/11/2017 11:27

I'm late to the party, but I've only just joined MN, having lurked on the secondary education board for a few months now.
My son auditioned for NCO for the first time this session. He's 11 so hoping for U12' s on cello, but has only been playing 3 years and only grade 5; reading this thread, I've realised he has no real hope of getting in. However, working towards the audition did wonders for his playing (his teacher told us he's made 6 month's progress in a month) and he enjoyed playing to the panel, despite his initial nerves, so it's been a really positive experience.
Bit sad that he will only have one more chance to audition - NCO sounds like a life-changing experience.

Doubleup · 01/11/2017 12:28

Hi Floottoot, he'd have 2 more attempts - for U13 and Main. Is he year 6 or 7?

Floottoot · 01/11/2017 14:16

Hi Doubleup, he's year 7, birthday in February. I thought NCO only went up to 13, although I did wonder why they'd have a U13 and main orchestra, if that was the case.
His teacher has coached for NCO and moderated the audition tapes in previous years, so we know he isn't as experienced as many of the children that apply.

Paulweller11 · 01/11/2017 17:17

Who moderates them?

Floottoot · 01/11/2017 17:38

As I understand it from a post on Facebook, the artistic director watches every single audition tape, and individual instruments are watched by specialists of that instrument. It sounds like a very rigorous process - you can see why it takes a few weeks before the results are sent out.

Original poster

stringchild · 01/11/2017 17:51

hi yes Floot is right - hence why it takes time to do

Floot - we are also yr 7 and yes def two more years to audition after this one :)

OP posts:

Paulweller11 · 01/11/2017 19:26

Blimey, that must take forever!
Indeed- hence the long wait.

Nigglenotes · 04/11/2017 13:05

Nothing to report here.

Just keeping the thread from falling down the ranks!

Doubleup · 04/11/2017 18:44

Not sure there will be much to report on for the next few weeks Niggle . Maybe the odd NCO Regionals concert, but that may be it.

Nigglenotes · 05/11/2017 14:04

Oh, yes. Good luck to everyone in the South Easterlies, and the Northerlies concert this afternoon!

Doubleup · 05/11/2017 20:48

South Easterlies was great - opened with The Big Country and finished with Star Wars: The Force Awakens with lots of variety in between. A wonderful way to finish DD's NCO experience for the year.

Minimusiciansmama · 05/11/2017 22:14

I enjoyed watching the northerlies from the FB feed. There's a lot of violins there too!

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