Orchestras and City Ensembles
Brighton Youth Orchestra
Venue: Asa Briggs Hall, Falmer Campus, University of Brighton
Day/Time: Fridays 6.00-9.00pm
Conductor: Andy Sherwood
Tutor: Adam Bushell, Jenny Caws, Sarah Leeves
BYO is the flagship youth orchestra acting as “Young Persons Ambassadors” for the City of Brighton & Hove. The orchestra performs major symphonic repertoire, some of which has been premiered by the orchestra such as Sir John Tavener's 'Exstasis' and takes part in exciting collaborations with choirs, dance, drama groups and even graffiti artists.
Brighton Youth Orchestra was founded in the late 1940’s and became the first youth orchestra in Great Britain to be directly supported by the local council. For many years the orchestra has been based at the University of Brighton with whom we are proud to maintain strong links.
In recent years BYO has performed with Micola Benedetti, Evelyn Glennie, John Tomlinson, Richard Durrant and Joanna McGregor. Concerts in recent years have ranged from the Dome in Brighton & Hove to Hong Kong and Berlin. The basic requirement is Grade 7 but some sections will need a higher standard.
This season music includes:
Chan Pui Fan - Symphony “Ching Ming Memorial”
Moussorgsky - Boris Godunov excerpts – with John Tomlinso, Soloist
Peter Copley - Midnight Skaters - a new commission
Greig - Piano Concerto A Minor with soloist Gabriel Jones
Sculthorpe - Earth Cry with Steve Heath, didgeridoo soloist
The Argus - "They know they are good at what they do and displayed it superbly.”
Times Education Supplement - “must rank as one of the finest performances ever given in the 27 years of the Music for Youth School Proms."
South China Morning News - "… Britain’s Brighton Youth Orchestra rehearse their full repertoire to wow the public"
L’Alsace "One often says such and such a concert was remarkable ….the word is not strong enough (for the performance of these young musicians). ..."
Brighton & Hove Youth Concert Band
Venue: Brighton & Hove Music, Arts and Study Support
Day/Time: Thursdays 5.30-7.30pm
Conductor: Peter Davison
Tutor: Janet Hyde, Sarah Leeves, Gary Holmes
Brighton & Hove Youth Concert Band is a unique opportunity for woodwind, brass and percussion players who enjoy playing music in a range of styles including film, jazz, rock, classical and contemporary. The Band gives several concerts a year and has recently performed at venues in Brighton and the South East. Recent performances have included the Holst Suite in Eb and music from the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Applications are invited from pupils at secondary schools who have reached a standard of Grade 6 or above.
Brighton & Hove Junior Youth Orchestra
Venue: Brighton & Hove Music, Arts and Study Support
Day/Time: Tuesdays 6.00-7.30pm
Conductor: Daniel James, Andy Sherwood
Tutor: Richard Baker, Howard Burchfield, Adam Bushell, Tessa Mukhida
This is an exciting orchestra where players will get their first experience of the full orchestral sound with strings, brass, woodwind and percussion together. The orchestra play exciting repertoire ranging from Haydn Symphonies to popular works and orchestral arrangements. Players are invited to apply for an informal audition. Minimum standard is Grade 3 but some sections will need a higher standard.
Brighton & Hove Youth Big Band
Venue: Brighton & Hove Music, Arts and Study Support
Day/Time: Tuesdays 5.30-7.30pm
Tutor: Peter Chivers
The Brighton & Hove Youth Big Band has an exciting programme which includes performance opportunities, projects and international tours. The band performs some of the most exciting repertoire written for this medium. Recent charts include numbers by Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Chick Chorea.
Throughout the year the band perform a range of gigs at venues across the City and further afield, which have recently included The Komedia, The Dome Theatre, The Brighton Centre and the Brighton Bandstand. This year we are pleased to welcome two guest vocalists who will be performing with the band during this season.
This summer the band are on tour and will be performing at one of the biggest Jazz Festivals in the world in Montreaux, Switzerland, where we will be performing a number of open air gigs as well as other venues in the region including Evian, France.
A highlight of this season has been a series of recording sessions with the Brighton based Mercury Prize nominees, The Go! Team. After hearing the Big Band perform on Brighton seafront, Ian Parton, The Go! Team’s founder, invited members of the band to play on their forthcoming 3rd album which is due out later this year.
Applications are invited from secondary age musicians on drum kit, aux. percussion, bass and rhythm guitar, keyboard, saxophone, trombone and trumpet who have reached a minimum standard of grade 6 or above.
Brighton & Hove Youth Philharmonia
Venue: Brighton & Hove Music, Arts and Study Support
Day/Time: Mondays 6.00-8.30pm
Conductor: Ian McCrae
Tutors: Adam Bushell, Victoria Hancox, Clive Morgan, Eira Percox
This orchestra plays full orchestral music and each year and tackles a major symphony. These have included symphonies by Shostakovich , Brahms Symphonies , Dvorak, Tchaikovsky Rimsky Korsakov and many other works from the Beatles and Eric Clapton to Vaughan Williams.
The orchestra frequently collaborate with other groups such as Youth Choir, Junior Choir, Junior Youth Orchestra and Youth Concert Band.
Performances range from larger venues in the city of Brighton & Hove to concert halls abroad on tour usually during the Easter holiday. These tours include Spain, France, Holland, Belgium. In 2008 the orchestra went on tour by bicycle to the Dieppe region – and it was voted a success by all participants. It was almost certainly unique and ended in a standing ovation for the performers in Offranville Town hall. These kind of tours also develop ongoing musical rapprochement such as (in this case) with colleagues and friends from the Conservatoire Camille Saint Saëns in Dieppe. This year the orchestra tours together with the concert band to Belgium.
Applicants of secondary school age up to 18 years old are invited to audition. The minimum requirement is grade 5 but some sections will need a higher standard.
This seasons works include :
Brahms Symphony No 4
Vaughan Williams Folk Song Suite
Music from TV shows
A joint composition by members of the orchestra
Reviews:
The Argus – Mike Howard
Brighton Festival: Brighton & Hove Youth Philharmonia Dome Concert Hall
"The orchestras, both the Brighton & Hove Youth Philharmonia and BYO sent out a truly adult sound and conductors Ian McCrae and Andy Sherwood took no prisoners. With support from Brighton Festival Youth Choir and the Glyndebourne Youth Opera Group, they gave rousing readings of some pretty tricky stuff."
Brighton & Hove Youth Percussion Ensemble
Venue: Brighton & Hove Music, Arts and Study Support
Day/Time: Wednesdays 5.00-6.30pm
Conductor: Mike Johnson
The percussion ensemble consists of approximately 10 players and performs a wide variety of music written for this medium. Players have the opportunity to broaden their performance skills through playing the vast range of percussion instruments. Recent repertoire includes well known orchestral pieces arranged for percussion, arrangements of popular tunes and music for pots and pans, recycling containers and a step ladder. The ensemble has performed at venues including the Brighton Centre and Brighton Dome and is open to both orchestral and kit players of a minimum of Grade V standard. An informal audition may be required.