Past players have just a few more days to sign up for a celebration of the Manx Youth Orchestra’s 40th anniversary.
A reunion of ex-players will take place on the morning of Saturday 24th March at St Ninian’s High School.
Ex-members will join the current MYO for an hour and half's rehearsal from 10am before performing a 30-minute concert for friends, family and well-wishers at noon. The music will be selected from the MYO’s past repertoire. A social occasion will follow at 12.30pm.
The orchestra, run by the Department of Education and Children’s Music Service, was formed in September 1971 and gave its first concert in the spring of 1972.
In October it appealed for ex-members to dust off their instruments and rejoin it for the celebration.
John Kinley, from the Music Service, said: ‘We've got 71 ex-members coming back but there is still room for more and I’ve extended the closing date until Thursday 26th January. If any further people want to play, they need to get in touch as soon as possible as we won't be able to accommodate musicians turning up on the day to play.’
The ad-hoc orchestra will be conducted by the current musical director, the DEC’s Head of Music Service Maggie Richardson, and former conductors/heads of music service Graham Kirkland and Bernard Osborne. John, who played with the orchestra as a teenager, will also lead part of the performance.
Subject to copyright clearances, the music will be drawn from the orchestra's repertoire over the years and includes:
• 'Hoe Down' from 'Rodeo' – Aaron Copland
• 'Band of Brothers' – Michael Kamen
• 'Berceuse & Finale' from 'The Firebird' – Stravinsky
• 'Little Suite for Orchestra Number 1' – Malcolm Arnold (the orchestra's former patron)
To take part, collect a form from the Music Centre in Lord Street, Douglas, download it from the wiki at https://www2.sch.im/groups/isleofmanmusicservice/ or email music.admin@doe.sch.im
Details of how to obtain tickets for the concert will be available soon.
At a post-concert reception, organised by the Friends of the Manx Youth Orchestra, it is hoped to have photographs/memorabilia of the MYO on display. Players and audience members are invited to bring along anything of interest.
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