Led by cellist Matthew Barley, the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Philharmonic ventured out of their usual home inside Â鶹ԼÅÄ North on Oxford Road and set up a collaboration with a 15-strong group of A Level music students for Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 3’s Sunday afternoon show Discovering Music.
 | | It wasn't all hard work! |
The programme picks apart the details of a classic piece of music, in this case Mark-Anthony Turnage’s chamber piece Kai, before it is performed in front of a live audience. It’s normally staged in studios and concert halls with professional musicians, so this was a first. Not only that but for this edition, the programme took the music exploration one step further, with the students creating their own musical response to the Turnage work.
 | | A student playing with the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Philharmonic |
After rehearsals at the college, the students and professionals decamped to Oxford Road to record the finished piece, , which they were all very happy with. For Barley though, it was more about the process than the finished result: "I really enjoyed my week working with the students," he explained, "I like to get into the detail of the music at the beginning, and it's been fantastic to watch the students struggle with it a bit at first then see how pleased they are when they finally get it.Ìý
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"It's also been really exciting to watch the different groups of musicians - students, players, choir all work together."
 | | In rehearsal at the college |
As for the students themselves, they too have got a lot out of the week. When asked about it, some admitted that the week had changed them "not just as a musician but as a person", while for others, it had been an insight into "the kind of person you have to be to be a musician". But it was the presence of the professionals that seemed to impress the students the most. As one of those involved put it, "meeting Matthew and the musicians has probably been the best part of the week. They have been inspirational and very supportive - answering the many questions we all have and demonstrating on demand!" Discovering Music is on Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 3 on Sunday 20 May at 5pm, presented by Charles Hazlewood All pictures by Jon Super | 
