Becoming more British by the day!

Henry Wood Hall in London Trinity Square

It’s only been a few months here in Wales, but some secrets of the British orchestral tradition are already opening up before me. Last week, I’ve had the chance to be exposed to the UK’s typical orchestral rhythm which is quite different than in North America. Here, orchestras prepare pieces in a very short time with few rehearsals. At the Rehearsal Orchestra, students like me can experience such intensive rhythm in a high-level setting. I rehearsed with them last weekend at the Henry Wood Hall in London. I received the music sheets in the morning, we rehearsed once, and once again in the afternoon with a final run-through before public in the evening. And that was it, Strauss’ Alpine Symphony mastered in one day! I played as well with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales as part of my placement scheme. We did Dutilleux’s Métaboles and Mozart’s Requiem in only 3 rehearsals. The entire Requiem! I’ve always been strong at sight-reading and enjoyed jumping head first in the unknown, learning new pieces. Here, such skills become requirements. With the BBC and the Rehearsal Orchestra I’m being trained to perform in the pure British style and I’m learning some of the tricks required to go through the repertoire quickly and effectively. That is a challenge, but excellent to further my technique and I’m quite pleased I followed without major hiccups. In North America, it’s not that we can’t sight-read, but the learning curve is often more flexible with more responsibility on the musician to learn his part individually as opposed to all together at once. I’m playing again with the Rehearsal Orchestra on February 21st. This time, I’ll be Co-leader of the First Violins, stepping up the challenge even further.