Dear ERSO players,
We really hope that you and your families are well and coping in these uncertain times. We miss you all and can’t wait to see you all again.
We are currently waiting for updated Government guidance on when amateur orchestras will be allowed to start rehearsing again, and we are making plans to ensure that we have protocols in place to allow this to happen safely once we are given the green light.
Please be reassured that we will make sure that we will follow the government’s rules fully and will only begin rehearsing when it has been decided that this is safe.
We also wanted to reassure you that, if you do not feel comfortable returning to orchestra until the Covid-19 situation is different, we will keep your space open and will be delighted to have you back when the time is right for you.
It is possible that we may be allowed to rehearse but not be able to have concerts with a paying audience, and in that event we propose to go ahead with rehearsals and hold a “lock-in” concert in our venue, possibly recording the event.
Changes to next year’s plans
Follow this link to see the DRAFT schedule for 2020-21. You will see that the first concert has been changed to be of a far smaller scale in order to allow better social distancing in rehearsal. We have also, sadly, decided to postpone our exciting 90th Birthday concert (which was to have been in February 2020 at the Royal Academy of Music) to later in the year. This event is a real landmark for the orchestra, and we want to be able to celebrate properly and safely in front of a decent sized audience.
Please bear with us during the season – we are planning based on the current situation and, as events unfold, the plan will need to be reviewed and adjusted as necessary.
Draft Schedule 2020/21 season
Concert 1 – 6.30pm on 25 October 2020, St Andrew’s Holborn
Conductors: Chris Stark
Soloist: winner of 2020 ERSO Soloist of the Year
Papp – Birthday Fanfare
2222-4221 – perc
Concerto – TBC (Winner of ERSO Finalist of the Year 2020)
Schumann – 3rd Symphony
2222 – 423 – timp
Strings required 12.10.8.7.5
Rehearsals (7 half days)
27 September 10am-1pm and 2-5pm.
10-1am Time on tricky areas of the soloist’s concertos.
2-5pm Final of ERSO Soloist of the Year (Open Rehearsal)
| Time | Finalist | Piece | Orchestration |
| 2 – 2.40 | Preston Yeo | Sibelius Violin Concerto | 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, strings |
| 2.40 – 3.20 | Grady Hassan | Vaughan Williams Tuba Concerto | 2 flutes (2nd also piccolo), oboe, 2 clarinets, bassoon, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani, snare drum, cymbals, triangle, bass drum, strings |
| 3.40 – 4.20 | Alastair Penman
(saxophone) |
Tableaux de Provence by Paule Maurice | 2.3(ca).2.1 / 2.1.0.0 / 1timb / 1perc / xyl / cel / hp / 7.7.5.5.2
|
| 4.20 – 5.00 | Hugo Mak | Rossini Bassoon Concerto | 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 1 bassoon / 2 horns, 2 trumpets / timpani / strings |
4 October 10 -1, 2-5pm (tutti).
11 October 10am-1pm (string sectionals) and 2-5pm.
18 October 2-5pm
25 October 2.30–5.30pm, concert 6.30pm (NB can only get into church at 2pm on the day)
Concert 2 – 4.30pm on 29 Nov – “A night at the movies” family concert with Camden Training Orchestra at Camden Girls School.
Presenter Caroline Welsh
Prokofiev Lieutenant Kije Suite 3222 – 4231 – tenor sax and cornet – piano, celeste, perc, harp, strings c. 20 mins
Debussy Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune 3 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets (A), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (F), 2 harps, 2 crotales, strings
(Strings required 12.10.8.6.4)
Rehearsals (4 half days)
November 15th 10 – 1 (tutti), 2-5pm (string sectionals)
November 22nd 10 – 1, 2-5pm
November 29th 1 – 4pm, concert 4.30pm
1 – 2.30pm ERSO only rehearsal
2.30 – 4pm Children from Camden Training orchestra will rehearse with ERSO
Concert 4.30pm
Concert 3 – 6.30pm on 14 Feb at St John’s Waterloo
Conductors: Chris Stark
Soloist: one of the finalists from 2020 ERSO Soloist of the Year
Destro – Fanfare 3232-4231 – perc
Concerto – TBC (Finalist of ERSO Finalist of the Year 2020)
Strauss – Symphony no 2 2222 – 42 (F and C)31 – timp
Strings required 12.10.10.8.6
Rehearsals (6 half days)
January 24th 10-1, 2-5pm
January 31st 10-1, 2-5pm
January 7th 10-1, 2-5pm
February 14th concert
Concert 4 – March – date TBC
Conductors: Chris Stark
Massenet – Suite d’orchestre No.7
2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 cornets, 3 trombones, tuba,timpani, percussion, strings, off-stage drums, bugles, bell, strings
Potentially with Camden School for Girls
Concert 5 – 6.30pm on 20 June 2021 – Waterloo Festival concert at St John’s Waterloo
Conductors: Chris Stark
Soloist: winner of 2021 ERSO Soloist of the Year
Concerto – TBC (Winner of ERSO Finalist of the Year 2021)
Strauss – Alpine Symphony (2 piccolos (also flutes), 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn (also oboe), heckelphone/bass oboe, clarinet (E♭), 2 clarinets (B♭), bass clarinet (B♭, also clarinet (C)), 3 bassoons, contrabassoon (also bassoon), 4 horns (F), 4 Wagner tubas (also horns 5-8), 4 trumpets (2 B♭, 2 in E, C), 4 trombones, 2 tubas, timpani (2 sets), percussion (snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tam-tam, cowbells, wind machine, thundersheet, glockenspiel) 2 harps, celesta, organ, strings,
Offstage brass (12 horns (E♭), 2 trumpets (C), 2 trombones)
(Strings required 14.12.10.8.6)
Rehearsals (10 half days)
25 April 2-5pm
9 May 10-1, 2-5pm (pm will be the final of E0RSO soloist of the Year)
16 May 10-1 (string sectionals), 2-5pm (tutti)
23 May 10-1, 2-5pm
6 June 10-1, 2-5pm (incl soloist rehearsal)
13 June 2-5pm. Open Event at St John’s Waterloo
20 June 2.30–5.30pm, concert 6.30pm
