User:Vgecko2/New London Orchestra

The New London Orchestra, based in London, was founded by Ronald Corp in 1988, to perform rarely heard 20th century works. The Orchestra and Corp pioneered the music of Martinu, now a familiar name with concert-goers, and have helped re-establish the popularity of ‘British Light Music' through a series of recordings on independent label Hyperion Records. In the field of education, the Orchestra have devised projects which use music as a tool to enhance learning in the primary curriculum subjects of Maths, Literacy and Science, and found new ways to engage children in crucial learning and social skills. Based on the success of its 'Newham Welcomes the World' community project, the New London Orchestra is focusing its concert giving and outreach work in the local community in the London borough of Newham.

Concerts
The trademark of the New London Orchestra is its programming of unusual repertoire. Composers who have been particularly featured over the last 20 years include Martinu, of whom a piece of music was featured in every concert from the Orchestra’s launch until his centenary in 1990, as well as works by those such as Satie, Ibert, Milhaud, Thomson, Ravel, Kabalevsky, Honegger, Roussel and Sibelius.

Building on the success of its 'Newham Welcomes the World' community project, from 2009 the New London Orchestra is focusing its concert giving activity in Newham. This started in March 2009, with a concert at the Stratford Rex, a nightclub venue. The programme featured TV star Michelle Collins narrating Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. This concert was followed by a performance at the Stratford Circus in May 2009 of Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals. A concert series for 2009/10 is planned to follow. All of the New London Orchestra's concerts in Newham aim to be affordable and accessible, offering reduced price tickets to schools and local community groups and opening rehearsals up to school groups to experience the orchestra up close.

Recordings
The New London Orchestra has recorded over 20 discs on the independent label Hyperion Records. These fall into three categories:
 * British Light Music Classics and other light music, including works from America and Europe


 * chamber orchestra repertoire by composers such as Poulenc, Milhaud, Satie and Prokofiev


 * operettas by composers such as Sullivan and Sidney Jones

Its forthcoming disc, due for release in November 2009, features works for string orchestra by the female Polish composer Grazyna Bacewicz.

Education and outreach work
The New London Orchestra’s curriculum-based education projects have sought to enhance children’s learning in the key subjects of Maths, Literacy and Science through music-based activities. The Orchestra have worked in the London boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham, Westminster, Camden, Lambeth, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, and Newham.

Other projects have included:
 * Residencies in schools for deaf children
 * Workshops with adults with learning difficulties from Look Ahead Housing and Care Centres
 * Reminiscence projects with the elderly in Camden
 * Workshops with adults in homeless hostels in Camden
 * Theatre projects with the Bloomsbury Theatre, including a collaboration with City & Islington college called Underground Reflections

Newham Welcomes the World
In 2007, the Orchestra devised an ongoing series of large-scale projects in the Olympic borough of Newham; working with a huge variety of people from across the borough of all ages, and collaborating with a number of local institutions including the Theatre Royal Stratford East. Each year, the Orchestra work with different groups within the community to create new music and give performances. So far these have included primary and secondary schools, local sports teams, Look Ahead Housing and Care residents and theatre groups and in the future aims to incorporate dance groups (including Newham's world ranked cheerleaders the Ascension Eagles), music groups, local heritage organisations and also cross-Channel groups. Its latest project culminated in a concert at the Stratford Rex in June 2009, featuring local sports teams performing anthems, alongside live orchestra and electronic music.