SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS There can be as many as a hundred players in a symphony orchestra. For the musicians, taking their music to foreign lands and cultures can be an intensely rewarding experience, a chance to see other countries with a different perspective from that afforded to the regular tourist. But the practicalities of getting them all together in one place at one time to rehearse or perform can be a headache for even the best organised orchestra managers.
John McCarthy is joined by three people who have experienced both the joys and disappointments of travelling with a really big band. Philip Mackenzie is the founder and principle conductor with the Amadeus Orchestra and the main organiser of its tours. Dave Harries is a journalist and amateur French horn player with the orchestra. And Paul Hughes is the Manager of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Symphony Orchestra and a veteran of many orchestral tours.
Presented by John McCarthy
Photo: Amadeus Orchestra in Zheng Zhou, China in rehearsal for concert on 30 December 2006
(Courtesy of Dave Harries)
This week's guests:Ìý
started his professional musical life in the early nineties as a composer and formed an amateur orchestra at Exeter University from friends and any one who could play to play the music he’d written. He realised then that he was better conductor than composer. Philip is currently Principal Conductor of the Amadeus Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Crimean State Symphony Orchestra and Musical Director of Stockport Youth Orchestra.
Philip arranges all the travel and organisation for the Amadeus Orchestra, mostly by himself. The China trip took three months of planning compared and only two days of rehearsals.
British Recorder Concertos
Peformers: John Turner – Camerata Ensemble – Philip Mackenzie
Label: Epoch
ASIN: B0009VKR80
The Maid of Artoi
Composer: Michael William Balfe
Performer: Victorian Opera - Philip Mackenzie
Label: Cameo
ASIN: B000BC8FZ4
Dave Harries is a broadcast journalist who plays the French horn in a number of local orchestras in his home area of Gloucestershire as well as for the Amadeus Orchestra.Ìý Dave has recently returned from a two week touring China with the orchestra.ÌýÌý They played in many remote cities as well as in Shanghai, in all about 10-12 concerts.Ìý The 73 people in the party travelled from Heathrow to Shanghai.ÌýÌý Dave recounts the many trials and tribulations on the tour from unreliable transport to ensuring the safe transport of their precious instruments.
TheÌý is a training orchestra for young professionals and music students.
Paul Hughes is the general manager of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Symphony Orchestra.
The , founded by Adrian Boult in 1930 has played a central role at the heart of British musical life for over 70 years. As the flagship orchestra of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ is the backbone of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Proms. Its players (about 100) undertake four to six trips abroad a year to perform at a number of national and international music festivals as well as regular major overseas tours, including a recent South American tour.
-Ìýmusical instruments see under "outsize items".
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