Love Chocolate - Love Viola
workshop fun
NYO needs Viola Players!
Not only did we have the wonderful Tamaki Higashi working with our senior strings in the autumn term to get the most out of Dvorak’s lyrical 8th Symphony, but at the end of the Spring term another fabulous member of the Villiers Quartet, Carmen Flores, led a workshop to around 50 upper string players designed to inspire Violinists to take up the Viola.
The Viola is on NYO's 'Endangered Instrument' list (alongside double basses, oboes, bassoons and lower brass) as the viola is no longer being taught in schools. Furthermore amateur and professional ensembles are seeing fewer viola players which are needed to bring their warm mellow sound to the heart of the musical score. NYO and Carmen are striving to address this issue.
At the workshop:
🔸Carmen Flores gave a beautiful performance of a Bach Suite movement arranged for viola which demonstrated why this stringed instrument has a sound likened to warm, smooth chocolate.
🔸There were around 15 violas of varying sizes for students to try and ensemble music written in both alto (viola clef) and treble clef to help demystify this element and bolster the youngsters' music theory knowledge. It was impressive how many were tackling both clef and larger instrument with great results! There was even a duet by novice violists!
🔸There was a show of hands where all the NYO tutors revealed that they, like many others, play both violin and viola thereby having more opportunities to perform - and for students more opportunity to sit at the front of the string section and move more quickly through NYO's tiered orchestra system.
🔸Plus did we mention that this event also featured FREE CHOCOLATE!? NYO's bespoke chocolate bars were a hit and had special wrappers citing the reasons why youngsters should seriously consider giving the viola a go - see wrapper below for answers...
How NYO may be able to support students...
NYO has three violas (1 full size 15", plus 2 Tertis 13+¼" violas with violin size fingerboards), and three violins adapted to viola pitch which provide a handy first step to the real thing. These instruments are available through a loan agreement at no charge to NYO members. NYO's tutors can further help with reading viola clef. If NYO had just six players take up these six instruments that more than doubles the current number of viola players in NYO's three symphony orchestras!
Carmen's Viola Club
In addition, the other exciting news is Carmen Flores is setting up a Viola Club in Beeston to support our musicians should they want to explore the viola further (again with access to instruments). Please see the flyer below for more information and direct any enquires to: carmen@nottchamberfest.com
Find out more about Carmen Flores and the Villiers Quartet here:
https://carmen-flores.com | https://villiersquartet.com
Interested in joining NYO on Violin or Viola? Find out more here:
