Side by Side with "the admirable Nonesuch Orchestra"

“Admirable” and “very high quality” is how Dame Judith Weir, Master of the King’s Music, describes the groundbreaking Nonesuch Orchestra. As well as thrilling public concerts, this enterprising group holds workshops in schools around London, giving many children their first-ever experience of live orchestral music, up close. Its pioneering work with local schools takes another stride forward on Sunday 10th March at 5pm at St Peter’s Church, Southfield Road, W4.

At an exciting concert of new and newly resurrected music, the Orchestra is teaming up with students from the Twyford CofE Academies Trust schools to perform Imogen Holst’s “Variations on ‘Loth to Depart’” – a piece for two orchestras and string quartet premièred in 1962 and last performed in 1967. She wrote the parts for the second orchestra for less-experienced players, so it is a perfect project for young musicians.

The Orchestra will also play the “Brook Green Suite” by Imogen’s father Gustav Holst, the London première of Andrew Toovey’s new work “Perception”, and the hauntingly beautiful “Entr’acte” by ris-ing star Caroline Shaw – the youngest ever winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Music.

The Nonesuch Orchestra is proud to be participating in CoMA’s biennial nationwide and international Festival of Contemporary Music for All (https://www.coma.org/whats-on/events/festival-2024/) for the third time.