Anna is one of the UK’s up and coming ambassadors for an instrument that has fallen out of favour with musicians. We’ve seen an 80% drop in young people taking up the recorder at Chetham’s in the last ten years, despite its versatility and accessibility.

Chris Orton, Recorder Tutor and European Recorder Teachers Association Chair, is leading the way to initiate projects that he hopes might save the recorder from extinction. He says that Anna offers a glimmer of hope for the instrument: “The recorder is increasingly overlooked by students, and yet it has a rich history and incredible versatility.   As well as making beautiful sounds, it’s an accessible instrument in that it is low-cost, in comparison to other woodwind instruments, and it’s light and easy to carry.

“The recorder first became popular during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Famous composers such as Claudio Monteverdi, Jean-Baptiste Lully and Johann Sebastian Bach wrote for the instrument. Not confined to the classical genre, bands like Led Zeppelin and The Beatles have used the recorder in their songs. More recently, talented musicians like Tali Rubinstein are championing it and the National Youth Recorder Orchestra is an excellent ensemble of young recorder players.

“I’m immensely proud of Anna for being selected to perform with the Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra. This is a first-time feat for a young musician, and I hope she will inspire new generations of recorder players and help to save this instrument from extinction.”

Anna began her musical journey as a chorister at Chetham’s aged eight and continued it by taking up the recorder a couple of years later.  She said: “I can’t wait to perform with the Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra this summer and show people why I love the recorder. I’m performing a piece that was written in 2009 and it’s encouraging that although the number of professional recorder players is dropping, new works are still being commissioned by celebrated contemporary composers.”

Tom Redmond, Joint Principal at Chetham’s School of Music, passionately believes that every child should be introduced to music at an early age: “The true wonder of music is that it can have a profound effect on quality of life. It should therefore be an important part of the school curriculum and the recorder is a fantastic place to start, but primary schools need more financial support so that all children can unlock the huge benefits of music.”

Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra at The Bridgewater Hall will include performances by several Chetham’s School of Music students and, for many of them, it marks the end of their current musical education before heading off to conservatoires and universities around the world. Conducted by Grant Llewellyn (Chetham’s Alumni 1971-1978), Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra take to The Bridgewater Hall stage on 6 July. Tickets are on sale now: https://chethamsschoolofmusic.com/whats-on/chethams-at-the-bridgewater-hall/

Three of our talented recorder students, Alastair Niven, 16, Anna Williams, 13, and Mabel Dalgleish-King, 12, were selected to take part in the Birmingham International Recorder Competition. On reaching the final Alastair gave a magnificent performance of works by Detri, Telemann and Chiel Meijering. Congratulations to Alastair, Anna and Mabel on your achievements!

“It was a wonderful opportunity to perform music that I really enjoy playing. Performing in the competition gave me the experience of performing to, and receiving feedback from a specialist panel of international recorder players. I really enjoyed meeting and performing alongside other young recorder players.” Alastair Niven

Chetham’s recorder tutor Chris Orton was on hand to give encouragement to our performers, and was also involved in the festival where he gave a number of recorder masterclasses to delegates. Since winning the Moeck/SRP International Solo Recorder Competition in 2007, Chris Orton has developed an international reputation as a recorder soloist, conductor and educator. Alongside his work at Chetham’s, Chris teaches at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Royal Northern College of Music, where he is the principal recorder teacher, and conducts the National Youth Recorder Orchestra.

“The opportunities at Chetham’s are second to none – as well as our wooden professional standard bass and great bass recorders by Yamaha, we also own and use a beautiful Renaissance consort hand built as a set by master maker Tom Prescott. The students explore solo, consort and mixed ensemble performance opportunities, work with young composers and learn how to play with live electronics and improvise in free and pastiche styles. A particular highlight is our involvement at the Royal Greenwich International Early Music Festival, where Chetham’s recorder players have performed for the last three years as part of our flourishing Historical Performance Programme.” Chris Orton

Chetham’s students give regular baroque recitals in the medieval Baronial Hall, introducing young musicians to period music and instruments and inviting audiences to enjoy ancient music in this unique historic setting. Since 2014, the baroque programme has been enhanced through a collaboration with the Early Music Shop, which has seen performances take place at Greenwich Early Music Festival, in Manchester and Saltaire, alongside outreach work in neighbouring schools.

The French baroque project planned for 2018 will see Dr Martyn Shaw, together with Christopher Orton and Helen Francis, direct Chetham’s students through works by some of the French-Baroque masters including Couperin, Rameau, Marais and Hotteterre. Highlights will include a concert at the University of Huddersfield on Tuesday 6 March 2018, in which the audience will be treated to a performance of the celebrated chamber version of Rameau’s Pieces de Clavecin, and Charpentier’s Te Deum.  Chetham’s musicians will also perform a programme of French chamber and cantata works in the school’s historic Baronial Hall on Wednesday 7 March.  Alongside recitals, project members will learn to engage with period instruments, develop a stylistic awareness of the genre, and share this knowledge with local school children through Chetham’s flourishing outreach department.

Book for the March concert in Manchester now. Further details of performances will be added to the website when they are announced.

“Performing Telemann’s music has given me a real understanding of his style. From Telemann’s imaginative instrumentation, to his use of timbre…and especially as we used period instruments – it’s been a really great experience” – Beth Stone, Year 12

The concerts began on Wednesday 8 February, with a performance of multiple-wind concertos, directed by Dr Martyn Shaw.  It was a wonderful opportunity to hear Telemann’s works performed on period instruments, within the historic setting of Chetham’s Baronial Hall.  Chetham’s Soloists gave wonderful interpretations of Telemann’s concerti for trumpet, flute, horn, chalumeau and recorder.

The following day was our A Level Baroque Study Day, which opened with a performance of Telemann’s music.  Telemann’s celebratory concerto for trumpet and two flutes raised the roof of the atrium. No celebration of Telemann’s music would be complete without the inclusion of his colourful Fantasias for solo flute.  Chetham’s flautists took up the challenge, performing all twelve fantasias in sequence, spread over two lunchtime concerts.

In early March, students travelled to Saltaire, Bradford, with Dr Shaw, where they performed to local school children at Saltaire Primary School, and helped to lead a baroque music and dance workshop.  Later in the day, our students were joined by artist Cheryl Dawson in a workshop, focusing upon baroque style through the visual arts. A reception at the Early Music Shop was followed by an evening concert by Chetham’s students at the Victorian Grade 1 listed Saltaire United Reformed Church featuring Telemann’s concertos and one of his celebrated Paris Quartets. Despite a coach breakdown on the way home, much praise to the twenty students on-board for their maturity, patience and teamwork!

We acknowledge the generous support of The Early Music Shop and Windstruments, and look forward to working together on future musical collaborations.