BBC Symphony Orchestra plays Hammersmith Town Hall

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Free concert was broadcast live on BBC Radio Three

The first anniversary of a pioneering partnership between the council’s music service and the BBC Symphony Orchestra was celebrated at Hammersmith Town Hall on Thursday, 18 November, when the entire BBCSO performed for an invited audience of young musicians, community music groups and other guests.

The free concert, featuring conductor Joseph Swensen and oboist Richard Simpson, was broadcast live on BBC Radio Three. The BBCSO played music by Schoenberg, Vaughan Williams and Nielsen. The afternoon performance was followed by a mayoral reception to thank the BBCSO for their work in the borough as Hammersmith & Fulham’s ‘orchestra in association’.

The borough’s mayor, Cllr Charlie Treloggan, said: “We launched the partnership between the BBCSO and the council’s music service a year ago. This exciting collaboration has provided valuable opportunities for local children to improve their musical skills as well as experience and perform in high-profile concerts.”

The council’s music service runs a borough youth orchestra, youth ensemble and youth choirs, as well as after-school music classes, weekend tuition and a variety of school-based music projects.

Joint projects between the borough’s youth orchestra and the BBCSO during the last year have included a performance at the Barbican to celebrate the work of American composer John Cage. The young people and BBC musicians will return to the Barbican in January to celebrate the work of Scottish composer James MacMillan.
BBCSO musicians have also played with the youth orchestra at the town hall, as well as running workshops in local schools, and they will be mentoring pupils who are learning ‘endangered species’ of instruments - including oboe, bassoon and double bass – as part of a Lottery-funded project to boost the popularity of the instruments.

Lincoln Abbotts, learning manager for the BBC Symphony Orchestra, said: “The partnership has been an exciting opportunity for professional musicians from the BBCSO to work alongside musicians from our local community. Those school and community musicians taking part have had the chance to broaden their musical knowledge and experiences, while our musicians have been able to adapt their skills to engage and reach out to new audiences.
This concert at Hammersmith Town Hall underlines the BBCSO’s commitment to developing music performance and education in the community in partnership with the council’s music service and other local groups.”

November 21, 2004