The Colne Valley Youth Orchestra is a
youth orchestra
A youth orchestra is an orchestra made of young musicians, typically ranging from pre-teens or teenagers to those of conservatory age. Depending on the age range and selectiveness, they may serve different purposes. Orchestras for young stude ...
in
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Grea ...
, England. It was founded in 1981, and has been playing and performing in North Essex. It provides a non-auditioning classical music provider for young people aged ten to 19. Established by Nigel Hildreth, who continues to both conduct and run the administrative side of the orchestra, its patron was Sir
Malcolm Arnold
Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold (21 October 1921 – 23 September 2006) was an English composer. His works feature music in many genres, including a cycle of nine symphonies, numerous concertos, concert works, chamber music, choral music and music ...
.
The current honorary President of the orchestra is Damon Albarn.
General
The Colne Valley Training Orchestra includes children aged 7 to 13 who have passed an
ABRSM
The ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) is an examination board and registered charity based in the United Kingdom. ABRSM is one of five examination boards accredited by Ofqual to award graded exams and diploma qualification ...
exam in their orchestral instrument. When they have advanced sufficiently, the CVTO members move up into the main orchestra, the youth orchestra.
As a
youth orchestra
A youth orchestra is an orchestra made of young musicians, typically ranging from pre-teens or teenagers to those of conservatory age. Depending on the age range and selectiveness, they may serve different purposes. Orchestras for young stude ...
, every musician in the CVYO is below the age of 19, with the youngest member being 10 years old. There are around 60 members in total. The standard of
performance is high, with new players having achieved typically Grade 5 or 6
ABRSM
The ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) is an examination board and registered charity based in the United Kingdom. ABRSM is one of five examination boards accredited by Ofqual to award graded exams and diploma qualification ...
, and the orchestra frequently performs in public, with much money being raised for
charity
Charity may refer to:
Giving
* Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons
* Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing
* C ...
. The orchestra holds residential weekends twice a year, and also tours during the summer, at the end of July. Past tours have involved concerts in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
,
Sweden, the
Netherlands
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, established_title = Before independence
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, and the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
. The orchestra has broadcast over
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
Essex and appeared on German National Television on a show devoted to youth orchestras.
The orchestra's repertoire is varied, ranging from symphonic pieces to Baroque chamber pieces to modern film music and jazz. Recently, the orchestra has tackled the Unfinished Symphony (No. 8 in B minor) by
The orchestra plays in several concerts throughout the academic year, culminating in a Gala Concert when the entire orchestra performs the whole of its repertoire as a formal evening, which is the older members' last event. Other staple concerts include the Teddy Bears' Picnic in late January/early February, held in Colchester's Moot Hall, a Strawberry Tea concert in late June in which the CVYO and the training orchestra play together; the Music in Miniature concert in which a number of chamber items are often performed and in recent years the orchestra has been asked to provide entertainment for Colchester's Oyster Feast.
. He founded the CVYO orchestra, and is helped by a committee of parents. He studied at the
, and has been teaching music in Essex for 25 years. He is known also for his compositions, including three symphonies, two concertos, as well as numerous chamber pieces, and he has also arranged many pieces for performance by the CVYO. In 1996 he was presented with the 'Arts For All' award for his service to the town of Colchester. The Queen awarded him an MBE for services to music education in 2012. The current assistant musical director is Jonathan Abbott.