Vanessa's Irish Tour report
It was another fantastic experience for all those involved in EYO’s summer tour to Ireland. Rehearsals started as usual in the well equipped and impressive St Thomas Aquinas High School. With a challenging and full repertoire of Arnold’s Irish dances, Weber’s Andante and Hungarian Rondo for Bassoon and orchestra, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto no. 1 and Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, we were pushed hard by our beloved conductor Garry Walker. After a few days of solely orchestral rehearsals we were joined by our soloists: Karen ex-eyo lead bassoon and Sophie “all the way from Dublin, because that’s where she’s from”. There was a good atmosphere about the orchestra and almost a week's worth of rehearsals, bowling and football seemed to fly past.

Then we were off to Ireland. After an early start, we made it to the ferry where we were in the prestigious company of Geri Halliwell, Batman, Buzz Lightyear and Dumbledore to name but a few. Hours of coach travelling later we arrived at our first destination, Dublin.

Our first night in DCU halls was marked by a private party at the bar on campus and an informal concert organised and compared by the players committee convenors Ralph and Vanessa. Previously unknown talents were unleashed such as that of Patrick Kenny on the recorder and Iona Bain on the violin. A wonderful and good humoured concert turned into an impromptu ceilidh, equally successful. After a tour of Dublin we arrived at the concert hall and performed a successful and well attended concert. Our last stop in Dublin was a tour of the famous Guinness factory before heading off to Limerick.

Limerick halls proved equally comfortable as that in Dublin and our evening’s entertainment was enjoyed by all. The staff at Limerick University, headed up by the lovely Dolores (an Irish version of Marjory) organised a winning evening of traditional Irish music and dancing. Four “Irish” dancers showed us their stuff before it was the turn of the EYO to take to the floor. Our impressive Irish dancing and singing skills were not unnoticed by the pianist and caller of the band who remarked “fair play to you all”. Distant cries of “Sarah, Sarah will you come out tonight, Sarah, Sarah the moon is shining bright, put your hat and jacket on...” were heard into the early hours of the morning.

Our last rehearsal in Limerick was perhaps our least successful with strange sounds coming from the brass and Marjory taking a turn of the baton. Also, poor Sophie suffered a dramatic accident which almost cancelled our last concert. However, true to form, EYO managed to overcome these obstacles to produce the best concert of the tour. This was recognised with a standing ovation from the audience. The hugely successful evening was matched by an amazing disco where we danced to all tunes from Cotton Eyed Joe to the Proclaimers and Grease! The jovial spirit of the tour was enjoyed by everyone; however one member of the orchestra let it get to his head slightly... Ralph Whyte’s naked form was spotted by many members of the orchestra running through the courtyard of the campus. We apologise to any who may have been scarred by the sighting.

The EYO tour to Ireland was certainly one to remember. Many new friends were made and we will all treasure the memories and look forward to another fantastic Easter Course in 2009. All that remains is to thank Garry, Sophie and Karen, all the EYO Board members, the housestaff, the Edinburgh Piano Company, Polly, Gordon, Lawrence, Andrew and Ailsa, our legendary Bus Drivers Graham, Jim and Javid and of course our beloved Marjory, for all their involvement in the tour.

Edinburgh Youth Orchestra, City Halls, Glasgow
GRAHAM FRASER

Star rating: ****
An Exuberant Edinburgh Youth Orchestra, under the baton of Garry Walker, gave a fine show in Glasgow as part of its spring concert tour.

The EYO's brass and percussion started the performance with Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man. Commendable timpani and bass-drum playing was spoiled to a degree by some wayward tuning in the high trumpet register. However, as a whole, the performance was pleasing.

It was then time for the main attraction of the evening - the fiendishly difficult Hummel Trumpet Concerto, performed by John Wallace, OBE. The Hummel tests its performer with some of the most difficult techniques on a brass instrument: delicate playing in the high register, clarity and exceptionally quiet dynamics. All of these were passed with ease by the former principal trumpet of the Philharmonia and current principal of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. It was the sort of performance that the audience could just sit back and enjoy. A true master at work.

The full Edinburgh Youth Orchestra took to the stage after the interval to perform Mahler's First Symphony. While there were some slight tuning issues overall and the odd blemish in the brass, it was a riveting performance of the work. Every section of the orchestra demonstrated some fabulous sounds, but a special mention must go to the French horns which, despite getting a little tired towards the end, brought the intensity of Mahler's score to life. The high strings' beautiful rendition of the famous, anguished slow melody in the final movement was another highlight.

The musicians of the EYO all responded to an excellent interpretation of Mahler from Garry Walker. The maestro himself, the orchestra and its supporters would all have been pleased with this performance.

Orchestra pick up the pace to mark 45 years

SANDY SCOTT
Edinburgh Youth Orchestra ****
Festival Theatre
IT'S easy to explain why the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra's 45th anniversary concert got off to a somewhat shaky start. Aaron Copland's well-known Fanfare for the Common Man calls for performing nerves of steel. Having to project it from well back in the Festival Theatre's orchestral tent was too much to ask of brass players whose experience is still fairly limited. Not, in other words, a good choice of opener.

Johann Nepomuk Hummel was highly regarded in his day. A pupil of Mozart, he also knew Haydn and Beethoven. In the spring of 1790, he created a stir here in Edinburgh during a three-month visit. He is perhaps best known nowadays by his Trumpet Concerto.

The distinguished soloist was John Wallace OBE, principal of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. In the first and second movements he offered a predictably considered approach, with delicately-turned nuances and subtly-varied dynamics. At full tilt in the third movement he threw in some virtuosic fireworks – to show that he can still move around on the trumpet at dazzling speed.

Garry Walker came into his own with an interpretation of Mahler's first symphony that never faltered from start to finish. There is hardly a page of the score that is without a taxing solo part and, although it may go largely unnoticed by the casual listener, the strings have huge numbers of notes to cope with.

Walker led his young players through the performance with an infallibly sure hand. Movements one and two concluded quite brilliantly; the funereal double bass solo of Frère Jacques at the start of the third was extremely well played; and, even although over-enthusiasm made the last few bars of the Finale a bit splashy, the spirit of the music was well and truly caught.