NCO 2019

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Traditionally for many years MN has had an audition thread; so here it is as the auditions start in a few days 😀

Ah, Bostik, that's tricky. Lovely that her school is supportive and encouraging, but I can understand your DD might feel she has an explanation to live up to.

expectation!!

DS2 is not too invested in the result, thank goodness. If he gets in, he will see it as a nice bonus. It is very competitive, and so he does not have high expectations.

Bostik - that is amazingly insensitive of the school. It should be up to the child, who they tell. DS2 is also going for U11s on violin. Was your DD in U10s this year? If so, she and DS2 might have met

Ah Bostik that’s sweet of the school but i see how that might be tricky if she doesn’t get in. It’s very likely my ds won’t get in because under 10s takes kids from year 3, 4,and 5 so very tough as a child in year 3. The lady at audition said it’s the toughest one to get into since the training orchestra got cancelled. So I’ve been trying to manage his expectations realistically. Hopefully that works

That's tricky putting an audition in the newsletter. Guessing they are proud, but we haven't told anyone in real life so she doesn't have to say she didn't get in! ( Although a friend spotted the music on the stand!).

Thanks Alwaysplayspiccolo, hopefully she can put it to one side. She is hard on herself when it comes to playing but she doesn't seem to mind being asked at the moment (when she gets the results it may be quite different). No Rupertswife, this is the first time she auditioned, it's all new to us. Good to know that your DS liked it enough to want to apply again. I didn't realised the training orchestra had been cancelled, Decaf, that does make it difficult for the younger ones. The woman that signed us in on audition day said that there were 1400 violins auditioning ... argh! (I was reeling to much to think to ask whether she meant in total or just for the U11s!) Very wise Horseymum, we didn't tell anyone either but the music teacher is very enthusiastic and helped her prepare and I think this is how the head picked up on it. Oh well... it was all very exciting though, especially, for her, the burger and chips that she got out of it afterwards!!

1400 violins sounds like a lot of violin auditions, even for all the orchestras. Based on the number of audition slots, they would hardly fill all the seats for the other instruments! I’d take that number with a pinch of salt

It's usually around 1100-1200 children in total trying for nco on all instruments.

For how many seats, total?
In that case, no-one should feel they've failed it they don't get in.

Crazy - I gabbled at her for a bit before saying, 'I'm sorry, how many violins did you say?' and she repeated it very confidently. Maybe a mix-up though and she meant, in total, all instruments.

I think around 500, and a few dozen extras for regionals.

Website says 600 places; and they posted thst about 1100 auditioned this year across all instruments.

That includes Training Orchestra, which I don't think is happening any more.

Waffle - no, it’s 600 for 5 age banded plus associates on the website; already adjusted for no training orchestra

‘NCO auditions over a thousand 7-14 year olds and identifies 600 young musicians to form 11 orchestras: five age-banded national symphony orchestras and six symphonic mixed-age regional orchestras.’

Any idea how many only get into regionals?

60-100. So it used to be just over 600 musicians, all told.

Also - for 2018 it was 700 children apparently (from the info we got at the start of the year); which makes 600 in 2019 make sense given the loss of the training orchestra. Worth asking the NCO re associate places as it seems to vary (but no evidence of that except haven’t been any/many associate places in London the last couple of years!) - but maybe Waffle already has asked as she seems certain if the figures?

Training orchestra usually had about 40 I think. Some years the total was around 640. Some children do drop out. Just going by memory because my kids were in for 4 years - not that it affects me!

So, about 100 children in each of the age-banded orchestras, roughly?
Seems a shame they lost the training orchestra, especially since very few primary schools seen to offer any kind of ensemble training.

I suppose there’s still the under 10s and under 11s for primary school though.
I think its about keeping NCO financially viable moving forward and making the best use of the funds they have . The children in training orchestra will I bet still get places they just might have to get a bit older / more proficient on their instruments . Wind and brass players have to jump straight in at under 10s anyway though admittedly at primary school age there are less of them as they start to learn later on the whole, though there aren’t many places on offer .
I think we are lucky in that we still have a very good county music service so ds has been playing in wind ensembles and orchestras pretty much since he started playing in year 4, but we were lucky. He was no where near good enough to think about NCO till year 7 anyway

Training orchestra had fifty something in the summer as far as I remember....

Hi, my DD auditioned in October, cello under 11
Cannot wait to get the result.
Good luck to everyone!!!

Yes, my DD is also constantly asking. I had tried to manage her expectations as she really hasn't had many lessons this term. But clearly I've failed because she now really wants to get in. I've told her we will hear the first week of December. She's counting down the days