THE Manx Youth Orchestra will be joining forces with the Cheshire Youth Orchestra for a concert at the beginning of next month.
The Cheshire Youth Orchestra is visiting the Island from April 29 to May 2.
The visitors will stay with Manx Youth Orchestra (MYO) members and will enjoy a packed programme of music-making and social activities.
They will rehearse all weekend and enjoy a ceilidh, featuring Manx music and dancing, on Saturday, April 30.
However, the high point of the weekend will be the joint concert, which is open to the public, on Sunday, May 1.
It takes place in the Sports Hall at St Ninian's High School, Douglas, and starts at 7pm.
People are being advised to book in advance and tickets are £5 (£3 for students) and will be available from the Department of Education and Children’s Music Centre on 686555 when it reopens on Tuesday (April 26).
Alternatively, ticket requests may be emailed to Music.Admin@doe.sch.im
The programme will include music performed by the combined orchestras and the MYO's wind orchestra, string orchestra, senior and intermediate orchestras and the swing band.
Maggie Richardson, head of the Department of Education and Children's Music Service and conductor of the senior orchestra said: "We'll be studying and performing a wide range of musical styles.
"The concert will include Frank Woolley's excellent Manx Suite, commissioned many years ago by Alan Pickard, as well as the MYO's favourite piece, The Pirates of the Caribbean.
"We will also be giving the first public performance of The Magician by Laura Willoughby, a gifted composer who is principal flute in the MYO.
"The MYO has worked with many youth orchestras in its 40 years, most recently the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra as part of the European City of Culture celebrations.
"Our members really enjoy meeting and performing with young musicians from other orchestras. It opens up so many opportunities to share ideas and music. They were delighted to be able to perform in the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool during the last collaboration.
"The Cheshire Youth Orchestra came to the Island during the early years of the MYO and it's great that both orchestras are still going strong and are able to repeat the experience with a new generation of performers."
Chris Bastock, of the Cheshire Youth Orchestra, said: "Our young players and their tutors are very much looking forward to visiting the Isle of Man.
"We're most grateful to the MYO for all their assistance in our arrangements and especially to families who have offered to host our members.
"The combination of fun and hard work we anticipate during our tour will, I am sure, help both orchestras to develop their skills and to make lasting friendships."
