Sir John Dankworth
20th September 1927 - 6th February 2010
The legendary Jazz composer, band leader and performer.
The Nottingham Youth Orchestra fondly remembers Sir John Dankworth who collaborated with them in 2007 -2008 on a Jazz violin concerto. The piece was specially written for the orchestra by Sir John and performed at the Royal Concert Hall in February 2008 to great acclaim. It was a challenging piece but the orchestra rose to the occasion and they also had the opportunity for a 'jam session' with him on stage at the concert as he played his saxophone to the great delight of the audience and players. It was a wonderful evening which will no doubt remain in their memories forever.
Review of the concert: Royal Concert Hall 3rd. March 2008.
Some people would say a three-hour concert - even if it is celebrating "The Best of British" - is too much of a good thing. But those who drifted out towards the end missed a major landmark in the NYO's distinguished history, when jazz legend Sir John Dankworth took to the stage and challenged the young players to improvise with him. It brought the house down. He was there for the world premiere of his Jazz Concerto, commissioned by the NYO and played by top jazz violinist Christian Garrick whose breathtaking ability to improvise was married to the exciting melodic and rhythmic ideas supplied by the composer.
Conductor Derek Williams directed no fewer than 16 other pieces ranging from Elgar, Holst, Parry, Walton and Addinsell (with Enpei Qu as brilliant soloist in the Warsaw Concerto) to The Beatles and Queen. About 250 musicians were crammed on to the stage, including a mass choir. Their size was not always enough to penetrate the enormous sound created by the NYO but they shone in works by Karl Jenkins, and their version of Bohemian Rhapsody (soloist Oliver Metcalfe) was certainly a crowd-pleaser. William Ruff - Nottingham Evening Post.
Audience comment:
What an excellent concert. Our 10yr old daughter thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it as did myself and my wife. The NYO performed excellently and didn't seem at all overawed to be playing with the Jazz maestros. John Dankworth and Christian Garrick's evident enjoyment at jamming with the youngsters was a real highlight and a great encouragement for the young musicians. If you missed it you missed a treat. Gareth Dickens, Aspley
For more info on the collaboration between NYO and Sir John you can download the Evening Post article from our archives. Download article.........
