‘We take risks here. It's different. It surprises me that universities, conservatoires and other orchestras aren't doing what we're doing. That they don't take such a broad approach to music.’
Tony Haynes is the co-founder, director and composer of the Grand Union Orchestra (GUO), and, by extension, its ‘child’ ensemble, the Grand Union Youth Orchestra (GUYO). The latter was born from the former, after Haynes and his team recognised a demand for nurturing the talents and curiosities of musicians aged 12 to 26, and 12 years later, the GUYO is stronger than ever.
What makes the GUO so unique is that it encourages complete creativity; when GUYO musicians meet, improvisation is encouraged and music from other countries and cultures is celebrated. It is surely an exhilarating environment to learn in, but how and why was the youth arm of the orchestra established?
Haynes’ background is in musical theatre, and while composing scores for plays, he found a fire for political theatre. This – along with a tour of the musical theatre piece Strange Migration – formed the blueprint for what soon became the GUO.
‘Founded over 30 years ago, the GUO brings together musicians and singers from all parts of the world, many of them first-generation migrants,’ he says. ‘The music I write often reflects their personal experience, and from fairly early on in the GUO's professional touring years we began to produce large-scale participatory shows – usually intergenerational, but invariably also incorporating young musicians and ensembles from different backgrounds.
‘About 15 years ago, we decided that rather than trying to assemble youth ensembles from scratch for each project, we would create and run one on a regular basis.’
The resulting orchestra is now sustained by monthly workshops and masterclasses at Rich Mix in London's Shoreditch, led by GUO professionals or invited guests from a musical culture not usually represented in the orchestra. ‘These musicians not only pass on techniques from their musical discipline – be that Chinese, Indian or Caribbean – but something of the historical background, too,’ says Haynes.
The key takeaway, however, is not rooted in musical theory but rather the history bolsters the practical nature of the sessions. At GUYO, creativity and a desire to be adventurous are a must.
Learning experience
While it's true that in the GUYO, migrants’ experiences and music are integral, it is not a requirement that players are themselves migrants. In fact, players of all abilities and instruments are welcome, regardless of their background – and they are welcomed without needing to audition, and without charge. It is a testament to the powers of musical celebration that the orchestra is hugely successful – this year, it will be performing at the recently developed All Points East Festival.
Indeed, live performances are fundamental to the ethos of the orchestra, and this spring will see the GUO's 2nd Generation Orchestra present a season of free performances in a new home at Poplar Union arts centre. The 2nd Generation Orchestra is comprised of aspiring young professional musicians who firmly believe in the power of honing musical skills through performance, rather than by strict note reading or theory.
Grand Union Youth Orchestra brings together many instrumentalists and playing styles
Its conception is one that has been growing for a while, Haynes tells me: ‘Out of the GUYO has come promising natural talent. It's about artists absorbing music and making it their own, and the 2nd Generation Orchestra is for them to pass their knowledge on to their peers. Some musicians who have come up through the youth orchestra have already become members of the GUO core team. This is an attempt to formalise that transition.’
Development
I ask Haynes about the challenges that face the orchestra: ‘The problem with development is more funding than opportunity – the 18 to 25 age group tends to be overlooked by private funders, who are usually drawn to supporting more mainstream music organisations.’
And mainstream, the GUYO is not. Difference is to be celebrated here, not shied away from – it is rooted in the orchestra's history, as well as its current creative output. As for its position in a UK of divisive politics, Haynes says: ‘We need to experience and know more about the myriad cultures that flourish in Britain today, and explore ways of bringing them together to reflect and response to our inevitably changing demographic. This does not vitiate or lessen the importance of the European tradition.’
Looking to the year ahead, Haynes says that the GUYO will continue to be the entry-level ensemble for questing young musicians. Meanwhile, he hopes that the 2nd Generation Orchestra will find its own feet, ‘possibly replacing or at least rejuvenating the GUO,’ he says. ‘Our legacy will be to have inspired a new generation of musicians with the same integrity, originality and independence of spirit as the GUO today – albeit with its own identity and means of musical expression.’
Meanwhile, for those who are young, have a knack for creativity and a desire to delve right into something new and different, Haynes tells me that the GUYO's summer schools are an excellent place to start: ‘People have said the experience is like a smorgasbord – you are presented with plenty of musical possibilities and you choose the one that's most nourishing for you.’
If your pupils aren't sure it's for them, current and past members of the GUYO aren't short on enthusiasm. Joshua Brandler, who plays bass, double bass, guitar and drums, says: ‘Instantly I knew it was a special place – the music being so exciting and rich with culture, and the people who bring it are so engaging and knowledgeable. My favourite thing about it is the constantly evolving tradition.’
For sitar and table player Amisha Karsan, the orchestra not only boosted her confidence and benefit her university studies, she says, but the improvisation element also allowed for more creativity and collaboration in her music.
To learn more about the GUO, GUYO and 2nd Generation Orchestra, including upcoming events, as well as information about the summer school programme which is taking place at Writtle University go to grandunion.org.uk
