Musicians from National Open Youth Orchestra (NOYO) and local amateur players united with professional musicians from Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and BSO Resound for a weekend of inclusive music-making at The Purbeck School, Dorset.

Together, the ensemble played the first movement from Vaughan Williams’ A London Symphony alongside a Pirates from the Caribbean medley — performing both to an audience at the culmination of the weekend.

The aim of the weekend is to open up symphonic music-making to disabled musicians alongside both amateur and professional musicians, providing an inclusive environment in which all can play symphonic music as part of a large ensemble.

To ensure there are not barriers to participation, parts are arranged or adapted for new instruments, braille transcriptions and audio parts are made and The Clarion patterns and other learning resources are created. ‘Hands on’ sessions are held by BSO musicians so that visually impaired musicians can feel the instruments, their size and how they make sound.

Jess Craig, BSO Participate Senior Programme Manager, said it is particularly important that “visually impaired musicians are able to feel the different instruments, enabling them to build a picture of the whole ensemble and how they feed into it”.

She went on to say that the project is about “eradicating barriers so that everyone has the option to access music-making like this” and added that “it is important for us to facilitate as much learning as possible around disability for our own staff and musicians too”.

The “beautiful choice of music […] and very supportive atmosphere” of the day was a highlight for one participant, as well as the “opportunity to network with fellow musicians”. Another cited the “the inclusivity of everyone, from young and old to those with disabilities, and from professionals to amateur musicians”.

The Symphony from Scratch programme is a part of wider work and research by Open Up Music, an organisation which champions 11-25 year old disabled and non-disabled musicians.

Symphony from Scratch is generously supported by:

The Pointer Family Trust

The Valentine Charitable Trust 

Lark Music has been Supporting Partner of BSO Resound since its formation and continues to support the BSO’s work in ensuring a creative and vibrant world of inclusive music-making.

 

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