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On Sunday, 20 September, St Mary's School was delighted to host the first ever Open Day for the National Children's Orchestra of Great Britain. Roger Clarkson, the acclaimed conductor, explained that the aim of the day was to open the doors of the NCO to all young musicians and provide them with a taste of orchestral playing. Children aged 7-13 from across the region gathered for a day of music making and fun, culminating in an exciting concert featuring such challenging repertoire as “Dance of the Tumblers” by Rimsky-Korsakov and the moving “Theme from Schindler's List” by John Williams.
We were proud to see some of our own aspiring musicians playing alongside other talented youngsters, some of whom are already members of the prestigious orchestra. Rebecca S, one the our Music Scholars and an established member of the NCO, set a particularly fine example to the other St Mary's students in leading the viola section. The girls thoroughly enjoyed their day, gaining invaluable experience from the professional NCO coaches and conductor. Roger Clarkson was an inspiring leader for all the children involved and students and parents appreciated all the hard work of the NCO team. Many thanks from St Mary's!