Autumn / Winter music thread - 2026/2027

[northerngoldilocks]

Time for a new thread for the new school year!

Come and talk about music lessons, choosing instruments, exams, auditions, specialist schools, orchestras or whatever other music activities are going on. Everyone is welcome, from those with total beginners to those whose children are studying music at advanced levels. Ask for advice or share successes or struggles.

I thought that it was interesting that there were 2 "wildcards" in the final. I really enjoyed it and Sophia was a worthy winner but golly its hard when your instrument doesn't have the vast range of concertos that a violinist has. I found Alma mesmerising despite not finding the actual piece all that enjoyable.

BBC probably thought it wasn't entertaining enough last time, very strings and piano heavy and two finalist played the same Rach - which I personally found fascinating to compare interpretation wise, but perhaps a bit too niche as a TV show.

There are advantages and disadvantages to playing well known concertos. It's easy to make a relatively unknown piece your own. The audience and even the conductor didn't know them. Making Tchaikovsky feel fresh is a massive challenge when we've all heard top soloists doing it. (And boy did she do so!)

Thoroughly enjoyable all round.

I think the wildcard aspect shows how good that top 8 was. On a different day it could have been any of them.

I hadn't seen any of the heats, but thought deciding on a winner last night must have been nigh on impossible, as all such different instruments, genres, etc.

But Sophia (Sofia?) was utterly entrancing and I fell in love with her playing straight away! The way she brought the orchestra along with her, and the expression on her face. She was a wonder.

@ElizaSchuyler great to hear your DS is getting lots of different work opportunities - all sounds like great experience.

Hope everyone is ready for what is usually one of the busier terms for music. DD just got offered a place in LSSO so I'm really pleased for her - its the first year of being old enough to audition so is a massive confidence boost after she was so sad to not get back into NCO this year. Also the first in person audition she's done and she said it was terrifying (even though the panel sounded like they were lovely - so nothing to do with that) so i'm glad that this was the outcome. She got violin 1 too so she's pleased to not feel like she's scraped into violin 2 as the last choice! Now need to work out whether the summer tour clashes with Wells piano course or not or if can make both work!

Haven't heard about DS yet - could be that woodwind haven't been sent out yet - or that he doesn't have a place. Guess flute is a lot more competitive so will have to see how that one goes.

This will be our last year with lots of school music as dd is in year 13 now. She is hoping to record her g8 cello performance exam this month and has her g8 piano practical exam in December. Lots of choral stuff happening too, along with a piano masterclass, concerts and school musical rehearsals.
She was pleased to get a distinction in her g7 singing but thinks she won’t do her g8 as she just wants to sing for fun this year.

Last year for school music for DS too, which makes me so sad.

But he's going out with a bang. Playing Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar in a couple of weeks, grade 8 French Horn, playing in a pit band for 10 days, then multiple carol concerts, leading the school barbershop quartet, deputy music director for one of our non-school choirs, and that's just before Christmas!

After that he's Skye Masterson in Guys and Dolls. And then maybe some actual work for his A levels...

Has a couple of offers already for uni courses - Manchester and KC London - which are nice to have.

Congrats on the LSSO place @northerngoldilocks !

Thanks. Just heard that DS is a 'no' for LSSO, though the rejection letter was much nicer than NCOs options - essentially they have far too many flutes and so even though playing at a good level can't offer a place - but is on reserve list. I suspect that if a reserve place came up it would most likely be Easter though as thats the one that people less keen to do re exams, and if so would be less likely to take it as was having the same jitters about revision but thinking would cross that bridge etc. Hopefully he won't be too disappointed, think out of my children this way round is much better!

He gets an option of LYWB so might see if he can just do the summer there - would prefer him to revise in Feb and the course fills the whole break so not sure its a good idea for him. Working on revision for his 11 GCSEs probably a better option.