Hitting all the right notes: LSSO turns 70

The London Schools Symphony Orchestra (LSSO), the flagship ensemble of the Centre for Young Musicians for 14- to 19-year-olds, is celebrating 70 years of fruitful collaboration with young people this year. The orchestra marked the anniversary with an awe-inspiring concert featuring the world-premiere of Jamaican-born composer Eleanor Alberga's Trumpet Concerto: Invocation – a leading solo from renowned trumpet player Pacho Flores. Returning to live performance after the forced isolation of the past year, the performance held immense power and professionalism from the bright-eyed orchestra.

Held in the Barbican Concert Hall, the evening was like stepping into a pre-pandemic time machine (aside from the odd face mask on audience members and non-wind instrument players). The orchestra performed Claude Debussy's Prélude l’après midi d’un faune, followed by Igor Stravinsky's Petrushka, before Alberga's specially commissioned piece. In addition to parents, friends and the general public, there was also a group of 300 school students in the audience, with tickets supplied through the Scops Arts Trust.

I spoke to conductor, composer and LSSO's artistic director Peter Ash, who was immensely proud of the event, and two of the young musicians who performed: violinist Emmeline MacDonald and Lydie Horsford who plays the double bass. Ash exudes passion for the orchestra, saying: ‘The audience was utterly engaged with the [anniversary performance], and [the young musicians] presented the pieces like they were beasts!’ He adds: ‘Of course, there were imperfections, but I feel like we gave real performances of all three works.’

Diversifying what's on stage

Alberga's Trumpet Concerto was born out of Ash's request for a hybrid piece – a trumpet concerto that would show off Flores’ virtuosity and that could also be a dance piece. He suggested a loose narrative around the shared myths and cultures of the islands and mainland coastline of the Caribbean, and dances were planned to be choreographed alongside the piece by Colombian dancer Fernando Montano. Unfortunately, the pandemic intervened with Ash's ambitious plan to take the orchestra on a summer tour of Colombia, and also halted the accompanying dance project. However, the concerto evolved into an epic piece with ‘astral dimensions’ according to Ash, detailing the rich and varied traditions of Colombia, combined with the creation of the Earth, and the impact of humanity on its ecosystem.

The journey told by the LSSO contained a story from Alberga's childhood in Jamaica, where the audience encounter Br’er Anansi – a spider-like trickster with a cunning and manipulative streak, before they meet the comforting and powerful horned guardian of the forest – the half-man half-goat Papa Bois, from the traditions of Grenada, St Lucia and Trinidad. Horsford, who led the double basses in the concert, tells me she was really excited about playing Alberga's concerto in a world premiere, particularly as she comes from a Caribbean background. ‘These are stories that I grew up with,’ she says. ‘My dad told me Anansi stories every night before I went to bed when I was little. I am used to playing things like Swan Lake, so it is so nice to see my stories out there now. I was really excited for it.’

The privilege of performing the world premiere of Alberga's Invocation was not lost on the orchestra. ‘It was a big responsibility,’ says MacDonald. ‘Telling such a huge story was so important, but it was amazing to have Eleanor there in rehearsals to say what part was what. There is one bit where Atabey [the supreme deity of the Taíno people] gives birth to the sun, and Eleanor really helped us communicate that to the audience.’ The LSSO performers conveyed the complex story expertly and learnt that ‘certain music can be diverse in what it tells the listener’, which is a brilliant lesson for all. ‘Eleanor has an incredible imagination for colour, and she's just born to write for the symphony orchestra.’ said Ash. ‘In terms of the presentation of the piece, because it goes through peaks and troughs, you have to constantly create a feeling of “what's next?” for the audience – and I think we managed that.’

A global mission in equality

In the finale of Alberga's Trumpet Concerto, in the third movement titled ‘The Divide’, the story follows a present-day world, where humanity forces the environment to a breaking point. Among the strife and suffering, there is also a call to future generations towards the bright ending of the piece, with hope that all races and nations may unite for a better future. The LSSO are living and breathing that mission, uniting cultures through music and continuing to go on tours around the globe to discover the history and importance of an array of music genres.

As the celebratory event signifies, the orchestra has been active for the past 70 years, nurturing an orchestral community that is not focused on grades, or necessarily playing at the peak of musical excellence. Ash holds the enjoyment of instrumental playing in the highest regard and reassures me that when young people feel like they are enjoying themselves, that is when they play at their best. ‘Peter always says that it doesn't matter how many mistakes you have made, you've just got to enjoy what you're playing,’ says MacDonald. ‘I think that's quite nice; that's what's amazing about the LSSO – there's no pressure to be these amazing young people who play to perfection all the time.’

‘I know people who haven't felt very accepted by peer groups in school, and as soon as they enter the LSSO they come out of their shell,’ agrees Horsford. ‘Young people can transform from being quiet and timid to being huge characters, just from being in the inclusive and friendly environment that the LSSO provides.’ The orchestra's worldwide tours appear to be the highlight of the year for many of the young musicians, where they get to make friends and learn about different cultures – with some music thrown in for good measure. So far, the summer tour has taken the young talent of London as far as Turkey, Japan, Poland, Argentina, Italy, the USA, and last season, Sweden.

The LSSO on tour in Transylvania (2018) © COURTESY LSSO 

Musicians of the future

The LSSO has been seen as ‘valuable’ for the past 70 years, says Ash. Many of the LSSO's young musicians come from non-musical families, or attend schools that do not have an orchestra, making this a unique space for so many of its participants. The orchestra was originally free to join, and Ash is striving to make this the case once again. Although the orchestra offers ‘generous bursaries to anyone who can't afford the fees’, Ash believes that no student should have to apply for a scholarship. ‘I'd like for it just to be available for anyone who plays at the right standard. I don't actually care about the idea of “standard” either, because what I care about is someone who really engages their instrument in the right way and is passionate about joining this amazing group.’

Ash has a joyful attitude that I can't help but warm to, and a striking passion for the success of the LSSO.

I find myself singing back to him with his students on our video call and leaving with tips to become a better instrumentalist. His one tip for any musician is to imagine what you want the sound to sound like prior to playing your instrument, otherwise you are ‘performing blind’.

It is not hard to understand why ‘everyone involved thinks of the LSSO as a family’, as Horsford says. ‘I can't think of anyone who doesn't! It's the feeling of being taken in as a professional musician, rather than a child, and finding like-minded friends from all walks of life.’ While the glorious anniversary concert was a sight to behold, the everyday collaboration the LSSO continues to practise is far from mundane. If you have an opportunity to see the LSSO in performance, I highly recommend it; I for one will be keeping a keen eye on the orchestra's next steps.

A concert from the LSSO will take place at the Barbican Concert Hall on 11 January 2022.

www.barbican.org.uk

www.scopsartstrust.org.uk

www.cym.org.uk/lsso