Colne Valley Youth Orchestra
Encyclopedia
The Colne Valley Youth Orchestra is a youth orchestra
in Essex
, England
. It was founded in 1981, and has been playing and performing in North Essex. It provides a non-auditioning classical music provider for young people aged ten to 19. Established by Nigel Hildreth, who continues to both conduct and run the administrative side of the orchestra, its patron was Sir Malcolm Arnold
.
As a youth orchestra, every musician in the CVYO is below the age of 19, with the youngest member being 10 years old. There are around 60 members in total. The standard of performance
is high, with new players having achieved typically Grade 5 or 6 ABRSM, and the orchestra frequently performs in public, with much money being raised for charity
. The orchestra holds residential weekends twice a year, and also tours during the summer, at the end of July. Past tours have involved concerts in Germany
, Italy
, France
, Belgium
, Sweden
, the Netherlands
, and the Czech Republic
. The orchestra has broadcast over BBC
Essex and appeared on German National Television on a show devoted to youth orchestras.
, Vaughan Williams
' Fantasy on English Folk Songs, the Jupiter Symphony by Mozart
, as well as the 'Raiders March' by John Williams, 'Pirates of the Caribbean
' by Klaus Badelt
.
. He founded the CVYO orchestra, and is helped by a committee of parents. He studied at the University of Sheffield
, and has been teaching music in Essex for 25 years. He is known also for his compositions, including three symphonies, two concertos, as well as numerous chamber pieces, and he has also arranged many pieces for performance by the CVYO. In 1996 he was presented with the 'Arts For All' award for his service to the town of Colchester. The current assistan musical director is Jonathan Abbott.
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was founded in 1981, and has been playing and performing in North Essex. It provides a non-auditioning classical music provider for young people aged ten to 19. Established by Nigel Hildreth, who continues to both conduct and run the administrative side of the orchestra, its patron was Sir Malcolm Arnold
Malcolm Arnold
Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold, CBE was an English composer and symphonist.Malcolm Arnold began his career playing trumpet professionally, but by age thirty his life was devoted to composition. He was ranked with Benjamin Britten as one of the most sought-after composers in Britain...
.
General
The Colne Valley Training Orchestra includes children aged 7 to 13 who have passed an ABRSM exam in their orchestral instrument. When they have advanced sufficiently, the CVTO members move up into the main orchestra, the youth orchestra.As a youth orchestra, every musician in the CVYO is below the age of 19, with the youngest member being 10 years old. There are around 60 members in total. The standard of performance
Performance
A performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which a performer or group of performers behave in a particular way for another group of people, the audience. Choral music and ballet are examples. Usually the performers participate in rehearsals beforehand. Afterwards audience...
is high, with new players having achieved typically Grade 5 or 6 ABRSM, and the orchestra frequently performs in public, with much money being raised for charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
. The orchestra holds residential weekends twice a year, and also tours during the summer, at the end of July. Past tours have involved concerts in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. The orchestra has broadcast over BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Essex and appeared on German National Television on a show devoted to youth orchestras.
Repertoire
The orchestra's repertoire is varied, ranging from symphonic pieces to Baroque chamber pieces to modern film music and jazz. Recently, the orchestra has tackled the Unfinished Symphony (No. 8 in B minor) by SchubertFranz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
, Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
' Fantasy on English Folk Songs, the Jupiter Symphony by Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
, as well as the 'Raiders March' by John Williams, 'Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean is a multi-billion dollar Walt Disney franchise encompassing a series of films, a theme park ride, and spinoff novels as well as numerous video games and other publications. The franchise originates with the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, which opened at Disneyland in...
' by Klaus Badelt
Klaus Badelt
Klaus Badelt is an award-winning German composer, best known for composing film scores.-Life and career:Badelt was born in Frankfurt, Germany. He started his musical career composing for many successful movies and commercials in his homeland...
.
Concerts
The orchestra plays in several concerts throughout the academic year, culminating in a Gala Concert when the entire orchestra performs the whole of its repertoire as a formal evening, which is the older members' last event. Other staple concerts include the Teddy Bears' Picnic in late January/early February, held in Colchester's Moot Hall, a Strawberry Tea concert in late June in which the CVYO and the training orchestra play together; the Music in Miniature concert in which a number of chamber items are often performed and in recent years the orchestra has been asked to provide entertainment for Colchester's Oyster Feast.Conductors
Nigel Hildreth, the Musical Director, is also Head of Performing Arts at the Colchester Sixth Form CollegeColchester Sixth Form College
The Sixth Form College, Colchester is situated on North Hill in central Colchester, Essex, England. Established in 1987, it provides further education in the north Essex area....
. He founded the CVYO orchestra, and is helped by a committee of parents. He studied at the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
, and has been teaching music in Essex for 25 years. He is known also for his compositions, including three symphonies, two concertos, as well as numerous chamber pieces, and he has also arranged many pieces for performance by the CVYO. In 1996 he was presented with the 'Arts For All' award for his service to the town of Colchester. The current assistan musical director is Jonathan Abbott.