Volume 4. Issue 1 February 2016

Welcome . . . Sorry for the delay in the HSO Newsletter: not quite sure what excuse I can use, so let’s just say things have been busy! Did I say busy? It has been a very hectic few months, what with our usual concerts, the HIC Christmas Concert and on top of this, a children’s concert as part of the BBC project in July. It doesn’t look as though things are going to get any easier though, with a number of exciting new ventures on the cards! We better not grumble though: a busy orchestra is a thriving orchestra (…. and no, I don’t think that was a Beecham quote). Don’t forget to enter our Spot the Logo competition for free tickets to the concert in June: you can only have a chance of winning by entering and it will only take 2 minutes! Congratulations to Carol Trueman who won the last competition. Bryan

Spot the Logo Congratulations to Carol Trueman who won the last competition: an easy one. It was the Leeds Arena. This one is perhaps the easiest yet (if you have been there of course!). Where could Bryan have been this year? Entries: on the website!  

H A R R O G AT E O R C H E S T R A . O R G . U K

H A R R O G AT E O R C H E S T R A . O R G . U K

March 15 concert. Seems like an age away in some respects but a night to remember that is for sure. Laura van der Heijden was as expected: totally stunning. Laura told me she had thoroughly enjoyed playing with the HSO and her mum was so impressed by our

quality playing and enthusiasm. They couldn’t believe how big we were and loved the atmosphere. Will anyone ever forget the ‘Pines of Rome’ and notably the last movement? I don’t think the Royal Hall has ever had such a force of sound within its walls!

Summer Gala Songs from the Shows Spectacular Although this kind of concert might have been out of the comfort zone for many, wasn’t it a wonderful evening? Clearly enjoyed by both players and audience alike, with the local soloists Laura Jackson, John Haigh, Anna Mitchelson and Matthew Ainsworth helping to create a great atmosphere. It is not easy to play music of this nature, so, well done and congratulations to all.

July: BBC 10 Pieces Concert

Warming the Kazoos up at our first rehearsal

H A R R O G AT E O R C H E S T R A . O R G . U K

The Harrogate Christmas Concert at the HIC This concert continues to attract lots of performers and audience alike. The rota system continues it’s success and this year we had 5 new schools, 300 children, 80 HCS, 90 HSO, 980 audience and one Santa! Can’t be bad. Rumour has it that my jokes were the best ever! Did I hear the audience genuinely laugh or was it just a figment of my imagination? Amazing write up in the press, with 2 double page spreads and a front-page feature.

What a tremendous event this turned out to be. A full audience, 90 plus HSO players , 20 singers from HCS and over 50 extra instrumentalists: enthusiastic (if not somewhat bewildered) children. Didn’t they play their hearts out though! Not sure if we managed to achieve the Harrogate record for largest ever Kazoo ensemble but what a hoot this was: helped by the singing of ‘Old Macdonald’ and kazoos. I hardly stopped giggling to myself throughout! I received lots and lots of thank you emails from proud and grateful parents with one overriding request: more please! My favourite bit? When the young lady came out to conduct ‘The Queen’, only to tell me that she was a grade 5 saxophone player: and there she was. . . . . in the audience. Perhaps she might like to play next time!

H A R R O G AT E O R C H E S T R A . O R G . U K

New Players Laura Morris: Joining HSO in June 2015 has been a huge and completely rewarding tick to my 'bucket list.' Having sat in the audience of an HSO performance on my return to Harrogate 3 years ago, being a part of the orchestra was one challenge which I never imagined I could achieve. Having had a 20+ year gap since my HASSO and violin playing days, I feel privileged to be accepted and a member of such a warm, fun and friendly group. The orchestra offers me musical and social pleasures but also helps me to relax after an often tense work day as a Transactional Analysis Counsellor. I work with individuals and couples in private practice and am acutely aware of the therapeutic qualities that music provides. Alongside work and orchestra I also enjoy walking Freda my cheeky Golden Retriever, running, swimming, socialising and working towards my next bucket list challenge!!

Triana Ferrandiz: I moved to Harrogate from Cumbria a year ago. I am originally from Spain, where I used to play violin in the orchestra in my home town. After having abandoned music for some years, I decided to join HSO in September as second violin, and I am really enjoying playing again in a group. I love how friendly and funny people are here, everybody has made me feel really welcome. This is my first concert with HSO and also the first time my fiancé is going to see me play (hello, Larry!). I hope you enjoy it as much as I do

 

'My name is Lydia Smith, I work at York High School as a Music teacher. I am very excited about joining Harrogate symphony orchestra and doing concerts in the Royal Hall. I love performing and teaching music, my main instruments are the violin and piano. When I am not in school I play the organ at my mother’s church and sometimes play electric violin in a post-rock band. This year I have also started a quartet that I play viola for and I am currently studying an MSc in Technology Enhanced Learning'  

 

H A R R O G AT E O R C H E S T R A . O R G . U K

Jo Leach 'Hi, I'm Jo. I play the violin and joined HSO after coming to watch the concert in March. I work as a PA for the Bank of England (a small regional office based in Leeds) and, before you ask, no I don't have the keys to the vault where they keep the gold bars!! Aside from practising the violin (which obviously takes up significant amount of my time - ahem), I also enjoy playing tennis, cycling, going to exercise classes, hiking, and have spent the last year learning to be an aerial hoop artiste (Google it). I love being back playing in an orchestra and would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for being so friendly and welcoming - I might stick around for a bit!'

Karen and BenTwitchin moved to North Yorkshire in the Summer of 2014 and were pleased to find there was such a high quality local orchestra which performed such a great variety of symphonic repertoire. Karen and Ben met through the Orchestra at Leeds University where Ben completed his undergraduate degree and MA in International Relations, and Karen studied Music, which included a year at the Conservatorio E.F. Dall’Abaco in Verona. After their student days they moved to London. Karen studied a Post Graduate Diploma in Performance at Trinity College of Music where she was the Stopford Westminster Scholar and went on to win the Barbirolli String Quartet Prize with her string quartet. Meanwhile, Ben began working for an international humanitarian aid agency, which involved working in Pakistan, and they were married in the Summer of 2011. For the last 5 years Karen and Ben have both taught in secondary schools having completed a PGCE in Music and History respectively, while Karen also worked part-time as a cello and ensemble teacher for Hertfordshire Music Service. Having started their teaching careers in North London schools, they were lured to the North by the fresh air, a better standard of living and friendly locals. They have settled down in Boroughbridge with their 2 year-old daughter Isla and are enjoying their new life. Ben is Head of History at Harrogate Grammar School and Karen is a Music Teacher at Prince Henry’s Grammar School. They both thoroughly enjoy playing with the Harrogate Symphony Orchestra, and Karen will be sad to leave for a short while to have baby number 2!  

 

H A R R O G AT E O R C H E S T R A . O R G . U K

A couple of links to bring a smile to your faces! Paganini for face: http://youtu.be/2cPHiA9rUPc  

. . . and just a little something to make you bell ringers at the Christmas party hide your heads in shame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H965m0Hkk5M  

… and the rest: (left to right) Mark Tasker (bass) Rachel Robinson (cello) Jo Leach (violin) Lydia Smith (violin) Triana Ferrandiz (violin) Laura Morris (violin) Debra Hall (violin) Rebecca Jennings (violin) John Thomas (bass) Gordon Rycroft (bass) (some of you might remember Gordon from the 90s: a welcome return to the HSO)

. . . and the leavers: It is always sad whenever someone has to leave the HSO, especially as some have played with the HSO for over 20 years. Fond farewells to: Kate Parris (cello) Judy Gees (cello) Doris Beaumont (violin)

Other news Concert for St. Wilfrid’s Church: 24th September We have been approached to support the church in their fund raising and decided upon a popular ‘Song from the Shows’ programme: repeating, essentially, the one we did in the Royal Hall on June 2015. The good news is that our soloists are all on board and we will start rehearsals for this after our June concert.

H A R R O G AT E O R C H E S T R A . O R G . U K

Forthcoming concerts Spring Concert: March 5th Surely the most favourite of all favourite concerts! What more could anyone ask but a double helping of Dvorak with his exuberant Carnival Overture and the best symphony he ever wrote: number 8! Our Argentinian friend Alfredo will be with us to perform Rachmaninov’s 2nd Piano Concerto too. Can’t wait.! At the concert we shall be raising funds for Maggie’s Cancer Centre, a practical support unit to be created in Leeds, through our raffle draw: please do buy some tickets to help them raise a further £2m. Summer Spectacular: Olympic Special with Proms: June 11th If this doesn’t produce a full house, nothing will.

Crown Imperial Walton Danzón No. 2 Márquez (Mexico) Soirées Musicales Britten Rapsodia Concertante no. 1 Juan Carlos Figueiras (Argentina) Pomp and Circumstance March no. 4 Elgar Libertango Piazzolla (Argentina) English dances (set 2) Arnold Conga del Fuego Márquez Summon the Heroes John Williams Fantasia on Greensleeves Vaughan Williams Nimrod Elgar Pomp and Circumstance March no. 1 Elgar Fantasia on British Sea Songs and Rule Britannia (Soloist Niamh Robinson-Wakefield) Wood/Sergeant Jerusalem Parry Expect lots of fun: I am now planning my entrance but promise I won’t be throwing any javelins. Tickets already on sale. Winter Concert: November 19th A welcome return to Bartosz Woroch and a good friend of his Bartholomew La Follette who will be playing the Brahms Double Concerto. Also featuring: Butterworth’s The Banks of Green Willow and . . . wait for it . . . Bruckner Symphony no. 7. What a fantastic experience this will be for all and one of my life’s ambitions (won’t tell the other) is to play this work. I would be very interested if anyone could please find out if this work has ever been performed in Harrogate.

H A R R O G AT E O R C H E S T R A . O R G . U K

Hot off the press: Yes we have finally gone and done it! We have entered the BBC Great British Amateur Orchestra Competition. Of the thousands of orchestras up and down the country, it is in the lap of the gods whether we shall manage to get through to the heats rounds, so don’t get your hopes up too much. All will be revealed on March 11th when we find out the results. May thanks to Rebecca (flute), Viv (violin), Richard (trombone), Lauren (cello) and Nick (flute) for their invaluable help to complete the entry requirements.

Friends of the HSO. Many thanks to all those who have encouraged friends to come to the next concert. Before the booking opened, the ‘Friends’ and their guests numbered almost 200. An amazing number. A logistical nightmare for Kathy but wonderful news for us. Just think what could happen if we all sold just 2 tickets each in addition to these. . . guaranteed audiences: no worries about empty spaces!

CDs and videos. Michelle (violin) has taken over distributing the large number of recordings we now have. She continues to bring recordings to rehearsals, so could you please help to buy and sell some. They will make excellent presents and mementos. Chairman John tells me he listens regularly to our recordings in the car and is constantly drawn to tears of joy; so much so, he has to stop driving to recover. He tells me since joining the HSO, he has had to have 2 operations on his eyes! At least he says he can now see the music instead of guessing. Please note we now only now produce 75 CDs and it is first come first served. All recordings are now available for all the concerts to date so get them now. ps On the same lines, have we all got the HSO car stickers?

The Harrogate Christmas Concert at the HIC: December 17th. Another festive favourite with a different set of local schools. This year we welcome a cluster of schools from Boroughbridge area. Spring Concert: March 18th

: Brahms Academic Festival Overture, Damase: Flute concerto and Gluck: Dance of the Blessed Spirits, (Anna Noakes), Saint-Saëns: Symphony no 3 (organ symphony) (soloist Simon Lindley)

We are importing an amazing portable organ especially for the occasion and Simon promises this will raise the roof. Just think of York Minster with a difference!

 

. . . and finally: Ø You are aware of the old saying ”any publicity is good publicity” so

please forward this newsletter to all your friends and relations, especially now, to promote our March concert.

Ø Use Bryan’s technique of selling CDs: give a couple to friends and ask them to have a listen to see what they think. When they say they love them, you tell them that they are only £7 each. When they offer to buy them and you’ve got the cash, sell them a ticket for the concert. Works every time!

Ø Bryan, Nick (flute) and Jocasta (viola) now do the librarian job between them. It seems to be working well but please ensure that you return all music promptly and if we do ever have new copies, please rub out any pencil markings we make. Also it is very important that you make suggestions about future programmes. Many are aware that the pieces you have suggested in the past are part of present and future programmes and it is essential that your views are recognised.

 

H A R R O G AT E O R C H E S T R A . O R G . U K