While young people up and down the UK are going back to school, getting ready for a new academic year, more than a thousand 7- to 13-year-olds are also preparing for a new musical challenge – auditioning for the National Children's Orchestras (NCO). Successful candidates will join a year-long programme of residential courses and regional rehearsals. Competition is tough and standards are high; NCO alumni include superstar violinist Nicola Benedetti and conductor Robin Ticciati. Current members of the orchestras can't rest on their laurels and must re-audition each year.
What to expect
What exactly will hopeful young musicians be facing? In front of a panel of two, they'll play a pair of contrasting pieces of the candidate's choice. There's no sight-reading or scales – as they're auditioning for an orchestra, the candidates need to prepare orchestral excerpts. The excerpts are mostly taken from NCO repertoire of the last few years and will be challenging – the under-12 orchestra's next concert features Mussorgsky's ‘Night on a Bare Mountain’ and Shostakovich's ‘Gadfly Suite’.
I ask Catherine Arlidge, NCO's artistic and educational director, what it's like for the children on audition day. ‘We genuinely want each child to [do] their best and will do everything we can to help them feel happy and confident,’ she tells me. ‘Members of our social staff team host the “front of house” at auditions – they all know NCO and young musicians very well and check candidates are comfortable and have everything they need.’
Candidates are, unsurprisingly, likely to feel nervous, and NCO makes every effort to put them at ease. ‘NCO auditions are much more informal than a grade exam. We always chat to the young musicians and ask them to tell us a little bit about their musical life – how long they have been learning, what do they like about their pieces? Candidates can also ask us questions’, Arlidge says. The approach seems to work, with on candidate saying: ‘NCO is the first orchestra I have auditioned for and I loved the experience. Even if I don't get in, I thoroughly enjoyed auditioning and I will try again next year!’
Part of Arlidge's role is to moderate the auditions – she watches the footage of every single candidate alongside a relevant instrument specialist. Last year she watched a total of 1,108.
Invaluable advice
If anyone knows what it takes to achieve success in the auditions, it's Arlidge – alongside her work with NCO she is a violinist with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. ‘A successful candidate is one we feel plays at a level where rehearsing and performing in one of our orchestras would be a super positive experience’, she tells me, ‘while we aim to stretch and develop young musicians we are also keen [to ensure] that no one is out of their depth[…] candidates are judged on both current achievement and potential. We always look for candidates who are well set up, with the foundations of a strong technique while also demonstrating great posture and musicality. This does vary quite a lot from instrument to instrument. Their course might be happening nine months ahead, so we do very much look for children who have the potential to really develop in those nine months.’
Violinists and cellists unsurprisingly make up the bulk of candidates, though flutes are not far behind. ‘We have the fewest applicants playing trombone, tuba, oboe, French horn and percussion, so we would always love to hear more of those in particular.’
I ask Arlidge what advice she would give to a candidate who hasn't made it through the auditions. ‘We do send out feedback to all unsuccessful candidates and this is tailored to each child. The most common reason for being unsuccessful is quite simply that there are others playing at a slightly higher level currently. It can very much depend on who applies in any given year. Being unsuccessful can be really tough, so we try to be as encouraging as possible. We always like to see candidates again another year as you never know how they might have developed. Every year at least 25% of each of our five national orchestras are new to us, so it really is worth trying again.’
Access to all
Arlidge emphasises the long list of opportunities that NCO provides for children of all ages. ‘We have 11 orchestras and offered 724 places last year. The five national orchestras are age banded, from under 10s to 14 years old in the main NCO orchestra. Candidates who are successful in auditioning for the national orchestras may be able join one of our six regional orchestras. We offer quite a few reserve places too, as opportunities to join NCO can come up during the year. We also have a strong team of associate players who join our regional orchestras, depending upon where they live. Last year we were delighted to offer two thirds of those who auditioned a place within the NCO family.’
Live auditions are held in 13 different locations around the country – and this year NCO is also piloting a new approach. Video auditions are being introduced for all junior orchestra candidates, as well as harpists and percussionists, and senior orchestra applicants who can't travel to a live audition.
‘We want to be as accessible as possible. Because our applicants are so young and come from all over Great Britain, attending auditions can be a costly undertaking, requiring parents to take time off work and travel. Making a short video with a parent or teacher, should be a cheaper and more convenient task. From the adjudicators’ point of view, it also means that the same panel can assess all the players of their instrument at the same time.’
Arlidge has some final advice for candidates, whether they're in front of a panel of musicians or a camera. ‘Having been in many auditions myself both as a player and an adjudicator, I can say that any audition panel just wants the candidate to do their best. Really thorough preparation is key – practise and then run through the audition in front of anyone who will listen, as many times as is feasible. Making the experience as familiar as possible really helps. Having said all that, the children applying for NCO, for the most part, don't feel that doing an audition is anything to worry about – just an opportunity to share and show off a little bit! We certainly don't want to plant any ideas that what they are doing is difficult. It is a joy to listen to them all and it's a very life affirming experience as an adjudicator.’
For more information on audition days visit nco.org.uk
