Category Archives: Conductor Notes

From the Conductor – June 2016

Thanks to all LYCO members, from the start with the Brass Ensemble to William Tell, what a good concert.

I know you will all have moments that you wish had been different but that is the life of a musician. What impressed me and made me so happy about this concert is that the line of the music spoke. The music wasn’t interrupted by transitions that didn’t quite work or wrong notes, it was carried by the exquisite things that did work. That makes conducting so fun, pieces are cohesive so I can work with the music, not just hold the orchestra together – the orchestra does that itself by its knowledge of the music. It was just such a good concert.

Fantastic work in the Piccolo Strings. I loved the energy of the pieces Virginia chose and the ensemble was so good. Such a good start to any orchestral program to have that excitement.

From the Conductor – November 2015

What a splendid concert!  Thanks to all for being part of it – from the great start of the Piccolos to the end, massed orchestra. I enjoyed the whole evening so much.

What a great job Virginia is doing in developing ensemble skills.  The age range is heart warming to see and the pieces well rehearsed and musically performed.  I enjoyed hearing it all.

Intermezzo Strings, you did such a good job on the variations, I was so proud of the way you all worked and learned this piece which stretched everyone.  In the end it all hung together and sounded great, and I’d been a bit concerned about a couple of the variations as you would know.

LSO, I just had fun!  When ‘it works’ an orchestra is quite improvisatory – what I hear, I can work with and so our music is not just what we rehearsed, but a new creation, born of this concert.   That’s a huge thing to have succeeded at.

The LYCO just keeps improving, we are all building this orchestra, even those of you who apologise for making mistakes or feel you aren’t good enough.  I’m not certain why what we do works, but it does.  Your loyalty and hard work are like me getting a better instrument, it suggests things and creates opportunities for musical things just to happen, you’re teaching me to be a better conductor all the time, so thanks!

Have a great summer break and we’ll look forward to more of the same next year.