This year was momentous for the Armidale Youth Orchestra, 50 years! It has been another busy year, with performances at the Garden party, Eisteddfod and a celebratory Gala concert and world premiere of “Where the Mountains Kiss the Sky” in August.
AYO celebrated the end of their 50th year with a trip down the mountain and a day spent sharing repertoire with the Bellingen Youth Orchestra and Annie Phelan. It was particularly thrilling to see so many cellos, and fantastic to have four bass players!
It was a wonderful day of music, with lots of hard work and some sore lips from the wind and brass players! Four hours of rehearsals under the baton of Annie and myself, as well as a few aspiring students from Bellingen, resulted in an inspiring concert, culminating in a powerful rendition of the complete 1812 overture – a challenging feat even for professional orchestras! It was a privilege working with so many outstanding young musicians.
I would like to thank the ayo committee, in particular Caroline Downer, for organising this and all of our successful events this year.
Paul Marshall
Conductor