Spring Orchestral Weeks: Music in Motion

Introducing our spring Music in Motion Orchestral Weeks blog!

This spring, our 12–13-year-old musicians gathered at Sherborne School for a week of music-making at their residential.

Rehearsals and sectionals formed the backbone of the week. Each day, young musicians worked closely with tutors to build confidence and explore the detail of the repertoire, feeding into full orchestra rehearsals as the programme steadily came together ahead of the final concert at Bristol Beacon.

Alongside the music-making, wellbeing sessions with Henry Cookey, NCO wellbeing lead and Ninja Warrior, offered a change of pace. Through outdoor activities in the Dorset sunshine, the orchestra explored teamwork, trust and communication, often working without speaking and learning to respond closely to one another both on and off the stage.

There were plenty of lighter moments too. Tutors brought humour into rehearsals with spontaneous dancing, while the Support Team organised an Easter-themed scavenger hunt during recreation time, giving everyone space to relax and enjoy time together between rehearsals.

Midweek, the orchestra took part in Surround Sound, led by NCO creative lead Jonathan James. Working in mixed groups, musicians stepped outside their usual sections to experiment, compose and share ideas. This year’s theme, The Mighty Mash, invited groups to think of music like a bowl of ramen, layering different textures and ideas to create something new. The day ended with a lively sharing performance of their group pieces.

Some of the week’s highlights also featured on social media, including a French horn Indiana Jones-inspired reel set to Raiders of the Lost Ark, a comic take on the chaos of section separation, a joyful flute performance of Pharrell Williams’ Happy, and magical playing from our harpists.

The week culminated in Music in Motion at Bristol Beacon, a vibrant concert full of energy and character. From the drama of Khachaturian and Borodin to the rhythms of Arturo Márquez and Pérez Prado, the programme carried a real sense of momentum and movement. Featuring works by Márquez, Bernstein and Pérez Prado, the performance had the audience engaged from start to finish, a fitting end to a week of creativity and music-making together.