Author: ersosite

At the Ernest Read Symphony Orchestra we are so excited to be planning our big 90th Birthday season, including our fabulous Birthday Gala concert at the Duke’s Hall at the RAM in spring 2021 (date TBC as soon as possible!) and it has inspired us to look at some of our amazing history.

We would love to hear from people who have fond memories of ERSO as players or audience members.

It was wonderful to hear from Geoffrey Phillips the other day who sent us a picture of his mum Mollie playing the violin with ERSO back in 1938 and we would love to hear other stories of how being involved with ERSO has played a part in musical careers or starting off a lifetime love of music.  Please do get in touch on ersoinfo@gmail.com or on Facebook!

 

Also, if you are interested in being added to our mailing list so we can send you information about our concerts then let us know.

 

 

 

 

Digging through Ernest Read’s long history of offering opportunities to young musicians at the start of their careers, we came up with another find! The Ernest Read Youth Orchestra was Read’s junior orchestra whose members were talented amateurs and music students up to the age of 25.  On March 29, 1980 they performed with Steven Isserlis at St John Smith Square under the baton of Terence Lovett.

At this stage the 22-year old Isserlis had graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and was at the beginning of his professional career.  In a 2015 interview he was asked if had found the path towards a professional career in music particularly challenging, to which he replied “Yes!!! I hardly had any engagements until my late 20s. It was tough!”

It’s a nice thought that one of those early engagements was with an Ernest Read orchestra!

 

At ERSO we’ve been digging into our history of giving young musicians their early solo opportunities, as we are so proud to continue this with our ERSO Talent Programme.  Today we found that ERSO gave legendary clarinettist Michael Collins a concerto opportunity at the age of only 16!

Michael had recently won the woodwind category of the first ever BBC Young Musician of the Year competition in April 1978, having just turned 16, and went on to perform Spohr’s fourth clarinet concerto with ERSO in November at St John Smith Square.  The Times called it a “personal triumph” and warmly applauded his “poised manner” and “elegant dexterity”.

As we all know, Michael went on to become the highest profile clarinettist of his generation in Britain and we’re so glad that the Ernest Read Symphony Orchestra played a small part in his very early career!

On Sunday, the intrepid cyclists of Team ERSO took on the massive challenge of the 100 mile Pudential RideLondon – and they smashed it!  We were so proud of our conductor Chris Stark, oboist Dan Elson, trumpeter Jonathan and supporter John.

Chris was worried it wouldn’t be a “Short ride” (he was conducting Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine the night before) but the team completed the course in a fantastic 6 hours and 37 minutes excluding rest breaks.

We’re so grateful for all of the support and delighted that so far we’ve raised £2,856.  If you would like to support our fundraising efforts it’s not too late: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/ERSOis90

Any donations, big or small, will contribute to our work with Camden children and young professional musicians in our 90th Birthday concert in 2021 at the Duke’s Hall.  We’ll be joined by youngsters from Camden who will sing and play with the adult musicians at this prestigious venue.  And a young composer will premiere two pieces, one of which will be written for and performed by the 2020 winner of the ERSO Soloist of the Year – huge and career boosting opportunities for both of these young musicians!

 

 

 

When Team ERSO bravely battle the 100 miles and huge hills of the Prudential Ride London, their cycling efforts will take longer than ERSO playing Mahler 1 a whopping 8 times over.  And it will be even harder work!

Support them if you can: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/ERSOis90

Any donations will go towards ERSO’s big 90th Birthday concert in 2021, giving opportunities to Camden children and to young professional musicians at the start of their careers.

 

 

Next year’s winner of the ERSO Soloist of the Year will have get even more of an opportunity:

• They will be our soloist in June 2020 at a packed concert in the Waterloo Festival
• AND the winner of our emerging composers’ competition will create a contemporary classical piece created for them
• AND they will be the soloist at our big 90th Birthday Gala concert at the Duke’s Hall in spring 2021

Interested? Check out the ERSO Soloist of the Year 2020 competition which is open to orchestral players who are ERSO members or who have done at least one project with ERSO in 2019/20.

Support our cyclists who will be riding 100 miles to help us raise funds for the 90th Birthday: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/ERSOis90

Why are Team ERSO (conductor Chris, oboist Dan, trumpeter Jonathan and supporter John) cycling 100 miles wearing these “stylish” tops?

We’ll give you a clue – it’s not because they love pink or very tall hills…….

It’s to raise money for ERSO’s historic 90th Birthday celebration.

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/ERSOis90

 

 

So, why are conductor Chris, oboist Dan, trumpeter Jonathan and supporter John cycling the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100?

 

It’s 100 miles long and includes some alarmingly big hills.  They will also be wearing these delightfully fetching tops…..

 

 

Its to raise money for ERSO’s 90^th Birthday concert in 2021.

ERSO has a long tradition of working with children and providing opportunities for young professional musicians at the start of their careers.

In our 90^th Birthday concert we’ll be joined by Camden children singing and playing with ERSO.  We’ll also premiere new music by the winner of our young composers’ competition and feature the winner of our 2020 ERSO Soloist of the Year competition.

Any money we raise will help to fund this charitable element of our Birthday concert.  Find out more and support us if you can at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/ERSOis90!

 

 

 

 

Would YOU like to win the chance to perform a concerto with ERSO, conducted by Chris Stark?

Fancy having a contemporary classical piece created especially for you by the winner of ERSO’s emerging composers’ competition?

AND then getting the chance to perform this with ERSO as a soloist in the Duke’s Hall at the Royal Academy of Music?

Then check out the ERSO Soloist of the Year 2020 competition which is open to orchestral players who are ERSO members or who have done at least one project with ERSO in 2019/20.

It’s only three weeks to go before intrepid Team ERSO attempt the Prudential Ride London 100 to raise money for the ERSO’s big 90th Birthday in 2021!!

Its a really TOUGH ride and it just shows how much our conductor Christopher Stark, trumpet player Jonathan Newby, oboist Dan Elson and supporter John Leeming must love ERSO!  They are all training super-hard though we’re not sure they will be quite as fast as this picture…..

Find out more and support us if you can: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/ERSOis90.  Any donations, big or small, will help our work with children and providing opportunities for young professional musicians in the 90th Birthday concert.

We are SO grateful to everyone who has supported us so far – this means so much to our riders, the orchestras and the young musicians we work with.