Why is it that secondary school - the time in your life when classical music is at its most uninspiring - is the only time most of us get to play in an orchestra? If you fancy dusting off your instrument to belt through some rip-roaring classics - and do your bit for Oxfam at the same time - we need your help on 6th October.
Oxjam 2007 is Oxfam's largest ever music event, with concerts in thousands of venues across the UK throughout October. One such event is Orchestra Reunited, where a crack team of orchestral performers will come together for one night only to astound and bewilder audiences with their renditions of orchestral classics from Copland, Tchaikovsky, Grieg and Elgar (see programme, left). It'll take place on Saturday 6th October at Shoreditch Church (which is an amazing venue), with a rehearsal from 2pm and a concert at 8pm.
We're looking for a full symphony orchestra - the list of instruments required is below. There are a few conditions performers must meet. You must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Play one of the instruments on the list below
- Have your own instrument*
- Be able to read music (one rehearsal and we'll be performing to a paying audience)
- Be able to get to Shoreditch and be free all day on Saturday 6th October
- Be willing to make a small donation to participate (it is for charity after all). In return you would receive a CD recording of the performance.
There is no minimum ability requirement, but Grade 5-level players will find the concert a challenge. We're hoping to get a mixture of abilities, with experienced performers able to bolster and support the less experienced players. On the conducting rostrum we have David Corkhill, a professor at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, who has promised to whip us all into shape in our one and only rehearsal.
We also need other volunteers on the day, so if you'd like to get involved but don't fancy playing, then we especially need your help too.
To get involved, contact Kirsty at [email protected] or via Myspace, mentioning what instrument or other role you'd like to take. Places in the orchestra will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.
Please spread the word to family, friends, work colleagues - as many people as possible. If you have any contacts with music colleges, groups or other organisations that might be able to help out with sponsorship, publicity, printing or equipment hire, we would love to hear from you too!
*Percussionists: we're looking into helping you out with instruments
Instrument role call:
20 violins
10 violas
10 cellos
5 double basses
2 flutes
1 flute & piccolo
2 oboes
2 clarinets
1 clarinet & bass clarinet
2 bassoons
1 bassoon & contrabassoon
4 french horns
4 trumpets
3 trombones
1 tuba
2 harps
1 organist (to play the church organ)
2 timpani
4 percussion