PURCELL STRINGS
Director: Bev Geen
FINZI STRINGS
Director: Vanessa Jarvis

These ensembles have been set up to meet the needs of string players who have been learning to play an instrument for about a year.  The standards of both ensembles are identical.  They serve different areas of the city.  The youngsters learn to play to a common pulse, starting and stopping in response to signals.  They learn to internalise the pulse and to match the volume of their sound to the rest of the orchestra.  The orchestras take youngsters up to and including grade I.

Both ensembles rehearse once a week during term time.  The Purcell Strings meet at Sholing Junior School on a Wednesday between 4pm and 5pm.  The Finzi Strings meet at Hollybrook Junior School on a Monday between 4pm and 5pm.

They perform three concerts a year of their own and also take part in the pyramid concert of all the Southampton Youth Orchestras. 


THE HOLST STRING ORCHESTRA
Director: Zoe Hunting

THE ELGAR STRING ORCHESTRA
Director: Christa Porter

The Holst and Elgar String Orchestras are aimed at the upper Primary, lower Secondary age group and for pupils between grades 1 and 3. 

The Elgar String Orchestra serves the Eastern side of the City and rehearses at Sholing Junior School every Wednesday during term time from 5.15pm to 6.15pm. 

The Holst String Orchestra serves the western side of the City and rehearses and Shirley Junior School every Monday during term time between 4pm and 5pm.

During the year they learn to play as a member of a large group, matching their sound to that of others around them.  They learn to follow simple directions for starting and stopping, to count bars rest, to vary their dynamic level according to instructions.  Most importantly of all, they learn that playing in an ensemble can be great fun and give an enormous sense of achievement.

They explore a varied programme of simple arrangements of famous pieces of music: popular, classical, film and TV.  They give concerts on their own and as part of the pyramid of orchestras.

The orchestras take work specially commissioned for them from local composers such as Peter White and Christopher Bluemel.

THE SOUTHAMPTON YOUTH SINFONIETTA
Director: Karen Hatton

The Southampton Youth Sinfonietta (SYS), under its original name of 'Southampton Junior Orchestra' was formed by Mr Peter Davies, in 1965 - alongside the Southampton Youth Orchestra and the Southampton Youth Brass Band.  At first it was a string ensemble for promising players in the City's Junior Schools.  As the City's music tuition thrived, the orchestra's remit gradually expanded until by 1980 it had become a full orchestra and expanded its age range so the younger members of the secondary schools could join too.  It has now evolved into the third of the current pyramid of Southampton's Youth Orchestras.

Currently it has nearly 90 players.  String players are usually of grade 3 - 5 standard whilst wind and brass players are of grade 4 - 6 standard.  Many players have already experienced playing in one of the many ensembles organised by the Southampton Music Services (SMS), or in their schools, and are recommended by their ensemble director or instrumental teacher.  Some parents contact SMS direct.  If you would like to do this please click here.

SYS rehearse on Saturday mornings at Cantell School from 9.30am - 11.45am.  They aim to develop the skills of playing in an ensemble to complement the solo work players do with their instrumental teachers. By exploring a wide and very varied repertoire, SYS aim to look at differing styles in an historical prospective as well as challenging players technical abilities.  These include practice at counting rests (the bugbear of wind, brass and percussion players) so that independent entries are played accurately and confidently, following metre and tempo changes and coping with varied rhythm patterns whilst simultaneously listening to the interplay and balance of tone colours.  Most of the music SYS study is performed in one of the concerts they give during the year.  These include a couple of carol services in December at local churches, participating with the other orchestra and ensembles in the Spring Concert Festival in March and culmination in a 'grand finale' in the 'Summer Serenade' concert in June.  Whenever possible SYS end the year with a VERY informal 'Midsummer Madness' celebration.

To celebrate the millennium SYS organised a residential weekend at the Avon Tyrrell Activities Centre near Bransgrove in the New Forest.  It was so successful that they have repeated this venture in subsequent years.  During this hectic January weekend SYS have a mix of intensive music coaching and rehearsing combined with various outdoor activities and lively social events. 

SOUTHAMPTON YOUTH CONCERT SINFONIA

Director: Martin Felton
Orchestra Manager: Joy Tricklebank

Formed in 1988 as the Youth Training Orchestra, the Youth Concert Sinfonia is a rehearsal orchestra that tackles a very wide repertoire including full orchestral works and symphonies as well as film scores, arrangements of music from shows and pieces especially composed and/or arranged for the orchestra.

Players learn to play with sensitivity to ensemble balance, tuning and phrasing.  They learn to project as an individual where the phrase requires.  They learn to follow subdivisions of beat.  Some of the repertoire that they explore is atonal, polyphonic or discordant.  Repertoire is carefully chosen to encourage string players to use vibrato, and to give confidence in playing in flat keys.  Much attention is paid to ensemble articulation.

String players are between grades V and VI, and Wind, Brass and Percussion between VI and VII.

As well as a significant concert programme, the orchestra enjoys either a residential weekend or a foreign tour each year. Rehearsal are every Saturday in term time at Regents Park School from 9.30 - 12.00.

How can I join?

If you are interested in joining one of the above orchestras please fill in our online enquiry form and you will be contacted shortly.