Suffolk Youth Orchestra 2019 tour diary by Anton Avis

Posted by Suffolk County Music Service on 15 October 2019 | Comments

Rehearsal day 1:

Spirits were high as everyone arrived at Northgate Arts Centre. Excitement tinged the air as instruments were unpacked and tuned. Since Easter, the improvement was clearly tangible for the orchestra as we played works by Elgar that had been opened merely once.

Rehearsal day 2:

Having split into sectionals, it became clear that these were not possible due to the extreme heat of one of the rooms; it was likened to a sauna. The sound produced by the string section was well toned and together, meeting the needs of the repertoire.

In an age where appreciation for music is dwindling, nothing is more important than illustrating the beauty of music

Rehearsal day 3:

Back in full, we opened the Tchaikovsky. Having briefly played it at Framlingham, it sounded absolutely wonderful and it was evident that everyone had practised in their own time. During the final rehearsal of the day, Suffolk Young Strings (SYS) came to watch us perform Verdi's Nabucco Overture. We played it exceptionally well. However, that wasn't the important aspect of the rehearsal. The chief idea was to inspire SYS. In an age where appreciation for music is dwindling, nothing is more important than illustrating the beauty of music and getting others to aspire to make music too.

Rehearsal day 4:

Today was time to shake the dust off the Easter repertoire and we weren't to be disappointed. The Borodin and Fauré sounded exquisite and left us all with great confidence. After lunch, we split into sectionals to allow SYS and Suffolk Youth Wind Orchestra (SYWO) to perform their concerts. Unfortunately, it was not possible for us to watch but I am told they were both excellent and optimistic that the future of Suffolk Youth Orchestra is in safe hands. Once the rehearsal was finished, the van was loaded with cellos, basses and everything and anything that could be called percussion.

Tour day 1: 

The anticipation of this year's tour to Italy rose high as coaches were loaded and instruments and passports were checked. Naturally, a violinist (who shall remain nameless) had the classic disappearing passport scare. After that was resolved, a resounding cheer gripped the coach as we departed.

The journey was extremely comfortable. The historically notorious air conditioning worked delightfully and in no time at all, we were on the ferry indulging in overpriced cuisine from their kitchens.

Once in Calais, we pushed on towards the Belgian border and transgressed through to Luxembourg. Soon enough, we pulled in at a service station in Luxembourg to eat dinner. Unsure of the local language, French German and everything in between was spoken to the cashier's but somehow the linguistic barrier was overcome. Once satisfied, we were back on the road testing the possibility of sleep.

Tour day 2:

When we woke, many of us were stunned. While we'd slept, the coach drivers had worked hard and we had crossed the Swiss border. The beauty of Switzerland is not something that can be expressed using any degree of vocabulary and the natural beauty was truly extraordinary. After taking some excellent (and some truly awful) photos, we crossed the border into Italy and Forli was now within our gasp. A few hours later we made it to the hotel. Instantly, the architectural grandeur of the hotel took our breath away. Having gone through the fiasco of assigning key cards, rooms and complaining about the stairs, we found our rooms to be exceptionally well presented and rather suave. The view was stunning. Most peculiarly, the hotel possessed a rooftop swimming pool and yet another astounding view of Italy. The hotel welcomed us with highly delectable Italian cuisine and we went to bed feeling heavily satisfied.

The concert was a triumph

Tour day 3:

Waking early, breakfast did not cease to amaze; row upon row of pastries and meats and fruits lay before us to fuel a busy day. After a brief coach journey through the natural beauty of Italy, we arrived in Cesena. With exceptional teamwork, the venue was set up and ready for rehearsal. After having done this, we took in the incredible architecture of the church and then set off to explore. Many petite and niche shops were situated all over the town. Pizzerias and Gelaterias leapt from every alcove offering plenty of choice for indulgence in the local foods. We returned to the church to rehearse. The natural resonance of the venue improved the sound of the orchestra and under the masterful direction of our two conductors, we were concert ready in no time. Soon after the rehearsal drew to a close, we embarked the coaches to the restaurant and were not disappointed. The food was excellent and of top quality, setting us in good stead for the upcoming performance. The concert was a triumph. We sounded tight and together and were received with tumultuous applause. Our first concert of the tour went without a hitch and left the orchestra and staff elated and proud. Our hard work had without doubt payed off on the stage.

Tour day 4:

Today's concert would transpire in the picturesque town of Ravenna. After we transferred out by coach, we were let loose in the city and found many a shop to appease every need of the typical tourist. Once again, there was no shortage of food options and we had plenty of variety. Ravenna was beautiful with narrow streets and an air of delightful charm about it. When we returned to the venue, setting up was once again swift and decisive due to the admirable cooperative spirit embodied by the orchestra.

When we were done with running the repertoire, we walked on to the restaurant before the performance. In similar fashion to the previous culinary experiences, the food was once again impeccable. Halfway through the concert, my music stand decided to give in and collapse and a very kind gentleman emerged from the audience to put it back up. When we finished we received a standing ovation which left us feeling ecstatic. Thanks to the exceptional lead of the conductors, the concert was another grand success.

Tour day 5:

Today was destined to be busy. Not only was there a concert in the evening, but we had to change hotels too. Rising early, we packed and naturally searched every tiny crevice of each room for missing socks or forgotten items. Only when tutors were satisfied did we board the coaches. However, departure was somewhat delayed due to the unfortunate misplacement of key cards. But in no time at all, we were beyond it and said farewell to Forli. The trip to the new hotel lasted approximately two or three hours and excitement was tangible in the air as we drew into the car park of the new hotel. It was a very decoratively furnished, well designed building with a positively sophisticated aura. The instant we put suitcases into rooms, we were immediately back on coaches in order to travel to Foligno.

After setting up, the rehearsal went well, despite a peculiarly placed statue of Jesus hanging over our heads listening to the sweet sounds of Verdi and Gershwin. As per usual, rehearsals fluidly rolled past with no complications and left us feeling optimistic as we made our way to the restaurant. As ever, the food was of high standard and didn't fail to please. The concert sounded superb. It was somewhat emotional for it would be the last time ever we were to play Gershwin's American in Paris and Verdi's Nabucco Overture. As send offs go, this was fitting for we played them to an exceptional standard and were gifted another standing ovation by the audience. Three amazing concerts down; one to go.

even sneezing sounded unbelievably good

Tour day 6:

Ready for our last concert, we left for Orvieto. The journey took an hour or so. When we got there, the heat was more intense than previous places, the scenery more striking and the buildings more classical. We traversed through many tourist shops and restaurants amazed by the beauty of it all. Following a lengthy walk, we could not miss the colossal bulk of the Cathedral. Even from a distance the building towered over us and its surroundings, making them all appear to be minuscule. As we came inside we were all stunned by the magnificent architectural feat that this was. Not only was the sheer size impressive, but stone windows and great depth to the church were extraordinary.

While we set up we became extremely optimistic for the concert; even sneezing sounded unbelievably good. Rehearsals went exceedingly well and further reinforced the good feeling. Even a venue of this size was packed full. The concert we gave was spectacular. Each piece sounded brilliant and the concert went down a storm with the audience who gave a standing ovation and the perfect end to an absolutely wonderful tour. Musically, the orchestra was arguably the best it has ever sounded and played to a level well beyond what any of us could have imagined. Still feeling elated we traversed through Orvieto and ate dinner at another great restaurant. In high spirits parties were thrown on the coaches and many songs by Queen and the Village People and other 80s bands were blasted out loudly on the way back to the hotel. Even the staff were singing. What an incredible way to end a truly exceptional music tour.

Tour day 7:

In accordance with a well-known cliché, all good things must come to an end and with great regret, the tour was no different. Once the coaches were loaded with a sea of suitcases, we said goodbye to the beautiful charm of Perugia and pushed home. Hills and mountains rolled by as Italy quickly transformed into Switzerland. We pushed on until we reached a service station where we bought snacks, food and drinks. When we got back onto the coaches, we buckled in for the night.

Unfortunately, his instrument was not within range of my wire cutters

Tour day 8:

As we reached Luxembourg, a violist felt the need to chant "Luxembourg Luxembourg Luxembourg" at the top of his voice at 5AM. Unsurprisingly this ended all hopes of attaining any more sleep. Unfortunately, his instrument was not within range of my wire cutters which I carry with my bass. Despite this, we drove on through Belgium and skin enough reached France and made for Calais. After trudging through the soul-destroying experience of UK border control, we boarded the ferry and gorged ourselves on much needed ferry food and heavily weighted our bags with chocolate and other amenities from the duty free shop. In classic British style, Dover was grey, cold and awfully miserable. At the back of one of the coaches, we attempted a mindfulness session. It is fair to say that it was probably a waste of time and extremely frustrating for the person who thought we were capable. As we neared Northgate Arts Centre, we sung in our best voices until we pulled in. A resounding cheer went around the coach for we had beaten the other bus back home. Disembarking from the buses was quite something as we looked back on an extraordinary week of amazing music, places and memories.

Snape Proms: 

Feeling buoyed by the success of the tour, Suffolk Youth Orchestra came together and converged at Snape Maltings to rehearse for the prom concert that evening. Rehearsals went very well apart from one unfortunate mishap. Whilst playing, my double bass bow broke. Nathan, another bassist was kind enough to lend me a spare. Thanks to his help and knowledge, I was able to adjust to a completely different type of bow in two hours before the concert. This is the sort of supportive attitude of Suffolk Youth Orchestra that sets it apart. Without him, I'd almost certainly not have been able to play in the concert.

When the concert came, the Maltings was packed to the rafters. We'd sold out. We delivered an absolutely stunning concert that the Music Service was undoubtedly immensely proud of. Everything sounded wonderful and left us with thunderous applause from the audience.

The whole experience of the tour and proms has been an incredible one that will never be forgotten.

Thanks to the hard work of the staff and the dedication of the musicians, this was a very rewarding way to encase our talent and show why Suffolk Youth Orchestra is as prestigious as it is.

Take a look at the concert programme for more information about Suffolk Youth Orchestra's performances.

Suffolk Youth Orchestra is one of the Music Service's 'County Ensembles'; a bespoke programme for Suffolk's finest young musicians. These orchestras and bands offer exciting rehearsal and performance opportunities throughout the academic year. If you would like to find out more information or apply to join an ensemble, please click here.