Spring Orchestral Weeks: Cosmic with Anna Lapwood

Introducing our final spring Orchestral Weeks blog!

While our younger musicians were in residence at Shrewsbury School, our 13–14-year-old orchestra returned to Sherborne School for a week of rehearsals and preparation.

This was an exciting and ambitious week, with the orchestra working towards Cosmic with Anna Lapwood at Bristol Beacon, conducted by Enyi Okpara. The programme brought together orchestral and cinematic repertoire, including works by Richard Strauss, Gustav Holst, Kristina Arakelyan, John Williams, John Powell and Hans Zimmer.

Midweek, the orchestra took part in Surround Sound, led by NCO creative lead Jonathan James, bringing musicians together in mixed groups to respond to a theme and create short musical ideas, with some groups incorporating movement to support their storytelling.

One memorable moment came when the orchestra created their own playful “check-in hats” to organise themselves for Surround Sound groups, with Enyi later helping judge a winner.

A real buzz was brought into the week with the arrival of Anna Lapwood. A world-renowned organist and NCO alumna, she spoke to the orchestra about her musical journey before joining rehearsals on Friday evening as they prepared for the final run-through.

The following morning, Anna led the final Thought for the Day, speaking openly about performance anxiety and encouraging musicians to share their own experiences. Her honesty and advice offered reassurance and perspective ahead of the concert.

Across the week, there were also plenty of creative social media moments within sections. The flute section shared a playful social media reel featuring Pink Pony Club, the percussion section captured behind-the-scenes moments, and the viola section explored movement and musical response in a creative rehearsal game.

A special interview was also filmed with Anna, in which harpist Effie spoke with her about her career journey, her memories of NCO, her transition from harpist to organist, and even who she would want to play her in a film. The conversation captures curiosity, inspiration and the many paths music can lead to.

Anna also worked closely with the young presenters in their final preparation session, helping them shape their introductions and build confidence ahead of the concert.

The week culminated in Cosmic with Anna Lapwood at Bristol Beacon. The orchestra performed with energy and focus, with Anna both performing and presenting. Alongside this, our young presenters guided the packed audience through the programme, introducing the music and sharing insights throughout the evening. It was the perfect end to an inspiring residential week.