SUMMER 2021 BECAUSE OF YOU... Photo by Ian Wilson

WE CAN EXPLODE The stars, including Nicola Benedetti, will be playing their hearts out this summer in WITH THE MUSICYOU support of NYO’s young musicians and their tenacity to keep going LOVE THIS SUMMER during the pandemic.

Every NYO musician will be striding out onto a can play. Nicola Benedetti will be joining them at the concert hall stage this summer, for the first time Royal Albert Hall, Jess Gillam at Saffron Hall, and NYO since the world stopped. Four glorious concert halls alum and BBC Young Musician 2020 finalist Annemarie will be exploding with the music you love, played Federle at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre. by brilliant teenagers bursting with the exhilaration of being together again. WOULD YOU LIKE TO MARK THIS MOMENTOUS It is finally happening. The National Youth Orchestra OCCASION? of Great Britain is going to be storming back live in four If you would like to be part of getting NYO out live on concerts at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, stage together for the first time since the pandemic Saffron Hall, the Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank started, we would be very grateful. Centre, and Leeds Town Hall. £22 could help a teenage musician with the cost of getting ‘I’m just so excited,’ declares Georgie Bloomfield, 17, who them and their instrument to their rehearsals and concert. plays violin in NYO. ‘It will be my first concert in a year and £55 could help keep a young musician fed and watered a half. I ended normal life with a concert, and now to play while they focus on rehearsing to be the best they can be. at any of the concerts this summer will be amazing.’ £290 could help cover a whole week of learning and We are pulling out all the stops to make this possible, playing together live for a musician, in a residential and will be taking around 50 musicians to each concert run-up to the BBC Proms. hall so they can socially distance on stage and everyone A CALL BLOWING OPEN THE DOORS TO ARMS TO THE MUSIC YOU LOVE Thank you to everyone who has continued to support We need orchestral music, this thing of Under the banner of The Hope Exchange, teenage musicians NYO doing something about this, NYO musicians throughout beauty that makes life better and helps will be reflecting on how music making is an inspiring act of hope, so children are encouraged to the pandemic. ‘I made a little people to cope in crisis. The pandemic has play and the UK has the orchestral film of me playing a piece from and will be sharing their optimism with the UK this summer. West Side Story for the person given us a new appreciation for why this musicians it needs in the future. who sponsors my seat,’ says music must not just continue but it must Concerto, and listening to ‘It was someone coming into my Georgie. ‘I wanted to say thank SHARING OUR JOY IN you. I do hope she enjoyed it.’ be introduced to everyone. CHAMBER ORCHESTRAS a different recording every day. school with a few instruments It’s so good being with people who and saying, “try them out” that Yet our state schools are increasingly Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2, love the music as much as me!’ exposed me to the violin,’ says cutting the time given to music in school. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 and Will Clark. Music GCSE has declined by 23% and a new commission from composer Musicians will rehearse at regional A level music by 40% in the last ten years. Laura Jurd will be taking four residencies of 50 musicians each So this summer, all NYO musicians Now we hear that funding for conservatoires concert halls by storm this July to allow for social distancing. are being offered training over the is to be cut by 50% from September. and August, as NYO musicians Please turn to the back page internet to go out into a primary perform for the public for the first school near them to perform for What does that do to teenage musicians for concert venues and dates. time in 18 months. the children and talk about playing who have been trying so hard to keep an instrument. going, who are hungry to learn and rise to TAKING THE MUSIC TO Georgie Bloomfield, 17, NYO Violin, PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN the challenge of taking this amazing music can’t wait for the residencies before Raj Bhaumik, 17, NYO Clarinet is It is tragically rare these days for into the future? the concerts to begin: ‘I’ve missed looking forward to it: ‘I’ve been lucky young children to be able to see We need to find £60 to help train each the in-person residencies so much. enough to play at the BBC Proms NYO will not stand by and watch orchestral someone performing classical NYO musician to confidently go out My friends and I would put on the with NYO. But my best moment into a local primary school before the music dry up for young people across the UK. music live in school for them. music we were working on while we was playing in a school and feeling summer holidays and spread the thrill of classical music, and playing an We are calling on you to join with teenage were getting dressed, pulling on A group of NYO musicians have the profound effect it had on the instrument, to young children. musicians in doing something big about our socks to Tchaikovsky’s Violin therefore been discussing with students when we played.’ this to ensure young people can thrive through orchestral music.

NYO is expanding from being a brilliant symphony orchestra, to a whole musical OUR BIGGEST, MOST CREATIVE SPRING EVER community with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain as its most What a performance! NYO Lift ‘The NYO musicians were like on intonation, and there was even jaw-dropping jewel. Up & Lift Off! was our musical mentors to us. Having teenagers a a talk about how to look after your few years older than you helping you All musicians who play with NYO and NYO relay around the UK in February, reeds. I particularly liked the creative is a really relaxed way of learning. Inspire will give and take from this vibrant where musicians from NYO and exercises though, for example They say try this, try that.’ community, supporting each other, lifting NYO Inspire filmed and recorded improvising based around a painting we were given.’ each other up, and spurring one another themselves in regional groups Young cellist Ilay Kenes, says, ‘I was on. And we will provide the musical events playing individually from home, a bit nervous, but when the day and learning opportunities to empower before passing the baton to ended, I felt alive! It was a very warm them to do this. musicians in another region. and welcoming community, and it was a great experience to all work That is, if you will come along with us. Put it all together, and what together towards the same thing.’ Please say you will. have you got? Like Ilay, Amalia Beeko, 15 (pictured If you use the internet, you can see right), who plays clarinet, hasn’t had for yourself here: bit.ly/NYO-Jigsaw ‘We need to expand the orchestral world. the chance to play with NYO Inspire live yet, but she has found the two An orchestra shut away in a concert hall Or, as Shesh Abu Jabir, 15, an NYO online projects she’s been part of keeps classical music in this expensive Inspire percussionist says, ‘NYO very helpful. middle-class box. NYO is going to help Inspire gave me a way to play new people from different backgrounds to pieces of music, like Jigsaw, with other ‘Online things are pretty new, but experience it, in different places.’ 775 young musicians joined up in February over the internet to light a blazing candle for people while stuck inside: it’s been a NYO has honestly managed it WILL CLARK, 18, NYO VIOLIN orchestral music and teenage spirit, by playing Jigsaw, composed by Dani Howard. vital part of me coping. well. I learned a lot, for example COMING UP AUDITIONS ARE GO! After more than a year of stops and starts as lockdown followed It’s full steam ahead on a combination lockdown, NYO is now confident of live and video auditions for NYO and that we will be returning to live NYO Inspire 2022 as we return to live events from this summer. learning events and concerts. We hope you can come and enjoy With a ladder to progress up becoming a chamber orchestra of NYO ever harder to find in state schools, young musicians at one of our concerts: musicians who have reached Grade 6 Saffron Hall on 28 July on their instrument are brimming with enthusiasm for joining NYO Inspire, like Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Young musicians have been trying so hard to keep Centre on 31 July Henry Grant, 18 who applied this year. up during the pandemic and are ready for auditions. ‘My ambition is to play at such a level Royal Albert Hall at the BBC Proms where I’d be able to popularise the viola,’ on 7 August. This will be broadcast for two years, to the National Youth he says, ‘to inspire young musicians and live on BBC Radio 3 at 19.30 and Orchestra of Great Britain. ‘I’m make them long to play it.’ the television broadcast will be on auditioning because I’d like to have BBC Four on 8 August. Please Danielle Kock, 16, who has now reached those performance opportunities at check your listings guide for times Grade 8, is hoping to make the jump from a higher level, and it will challenge closer to the day. NYO Inspire, which she has enjoyed my playing.’ Leeds Town Hall on 8 August

Musicians will be reflecting on how music can communicate the JAMES ELMS’ COMMITMENT TO YOUNG powerful emotional effect of a lack of hope and of optimism for MUSICIANS WILL GO ON FOR YEARS change. The repertoire will include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, music by NYO’s Artist in Residence Jesse During his life, Jim Elms was a man who Prom they had both attended, Paul Montgomery, Prokofiev’s Violin believed passionately in doing what said: ‘As befits the music, the musicians Concerto No. 2 performed by Nicola was necessary to give young people were standing up and dancing while Benedetti, James MacMillan’s opportunities to develop. playing their instruments, just so much Saxophone Concerto performed by fun, and I know Jim loved it.’ Jess Gillam, and Ruth Gipps’ Horn A dedicated teacher committed to the Concerto performed by BBC Young principles of comprehensive education, Musician finalist Annemarie Federle. Jim supported NYO for a decade and All our summer tour venues are would make a point of asking to support currently working on socially the seat of a Black or state-school distanced audiences and musician. Over the years this included broadcasting over the internet. a clarinet, cello and double bass seat, If we have your email address, look out for further details coming. and he also supported NYO Inspire. If we don’t have your email We were bowled over to learn that Jim address, please email Ben Ellis ([email protected]) who would be had left his house to NYO. His good Donations collected in Jim Elms’ memory are happy to subscribe you. friend and fellow music-lover Paul Allam, continuing to support his double bass seat, Charles Campbell-Peek, and the funds from We have a back-up plan should the talked about Jim’s support of teenage the sale of his house will go on to turn talent musicians at his funeral, and how they into brilliance for many years to come. pandemic worsen again, but we are had enjoyed going to NYO concerts remaining optimistic. together. Introducing the music, a DO LET US SAY THANK YOU nyo.org.uk/nyo-summer-2021 Share your love of When you put a gift in your will to NYO, it really is a wonderful thing you are doing. And we would appreciate the chance to say thank you, so please do orchestral music let us know if that would be ok with you. recording of NYO’s encore at a BBC If you would like to, we can also discuss how you might like your gift to be with young musicians marked in some way, to celebrate your love of orchestral music. It could be joining us to see the orchestra on residency or in rehearsal, your name in a brimming with talent programme one day, or attached to a seat in the orchestra. Just tell us your and commitment. idea, and we will see what we can do. WE PROMISE If you let us know that you have remembered NYO in your will, or are thinking

Give them a ladder of about it, you have our promise that: • You most definitely will not be bombarded with calls or emails. musical opportunities • You lead – however much or little you wish to tell us is completely your call, National Youth Orchestra and we wouldn’t dream of putting any pressure on anyone. to turn their talent into • You can change your mind at any time and no need to explain anything. orchestral brilliance. • We will treat anything you say in the strictest confidence. • We completely understand that for most people family comes first. of Great Britain, 10 Great Make your mark on the If you would be interested in learning moreCAN WE about HELP? While we can’t advise on legal or tax matters – a solicitor can help you with

future of music in Britain. this – please do get in touch if there’s anything else you would like to know. Turnstile, London WC1V 7JU We can also send you a codicil form for adding a gift to NYO to an existing will. ADD A GIFT

You can do all this with Contact Ariana what a gift in your will could do, please contact Ariana Contact Nicolette

Head of Individual OF GLORIOUS Development Giving a gift in your will to the Director Charity No. 290598 [email protected] [email protected] ORCHESTRAL 07904290540 or National Youth Orchestra 020 7189 8109 on 0300 304 5255, at [email protected], or020 7189at 8102 the of Great Britain. MUSIC TO Please recycle this newsletter when you The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, 10 Great Turnstile, London WC1V 7JU Registered charity 290598 YOUR WILL address right. are finished reading