Soiree raises £1,220 for the National Children's Orchestra

About the NCO

The National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain is the country's premier symphony orchestra for children. They offer children a life-changing experience with training from top professional musicians. The NCO provides young people with a world-class foundation for orchestral performance and musicianship. By bringing together hundreds of 7-13 year olds from across the country, they offer a life-changing experience – meeting like-minded people and being guided by top professional musicians. As well as creating a safe, stimulating environment in which to explore and enhance their skills and passions, their friendly residential courses also help to broaden the social development of young musicians.

Established in 1978, the NCO has gone from strength to strength, building up an international reputation as an outstanding orchestra whose maturity belies the age of its members. The NCO has performed in a wide variety of concert venues, from the Royal Albert Hall in London to the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing, and promises audiences an entertaining and uplifting performance.

Breinton Recital Society fund raising

At the end of the first half of Katya Apekisheva's recital, we held a fund raising event for the NCO. Erika Smith-Gordon performed Wieniawski's Legende on violin, accompanied by John Forster on piano. Erika, aged eleven years old, has been in the NCO for two years and recently joined The Purcell School for Young Musicians in Watford. John is a highly accomplished pianist and violinist and was associated with the Royal College of Music for many years, both as a student and on the teaching staff (in fact being the youngest professor ever appointed).

Thank you to all our members for your thoughtful contributions.  With our doubling of members' donations, plus a further doubling by theBigGive's Christmas Campaign, we are pleased to announce a donation of £1,220 to the National Children's Orchestra which will help them to provide subsidies to children who otherwise would be unable to participate in their events.