Making brilliant music - side by side

The smiles say it all - and looking at these photos, it’s hard to say who enjoyed this workshop at Ealing Fields Cof E High School more - the members of Nonesuch or the students! We were working on Tim Watts’ new composition There was a Tree - specially written for the Nonesuch Orchestra to play side-by-side with students from five west London schools. We performed the work at the end of the afternoon to an invited audience. Two weeks later we convened again, this time at Chiswick School, to allow more young players experience the joy of playing this remarkable piece together.

Is this cool, or what…?

It’s been a busy few months for the orchestra and for lots of young musicians at five west London schools. Co-ordinating the work of so many, across so many locations, towards such an ambitious goal, was every bit as complex as you might imagine, but Nonesuch member Catherine Barlen skillfully pulled it all together. The culmination was a grand concert of at St Peter’s Church Acton Green, which formed part of the 2026 Festival of Contemporary Music for All; there were cakes, tea, and standing room only for the first public performance of There was a Tree. And much more besides - including ten masterly new compositions by accomplished Year 11 and 12 students. Eight of the young composers were present to receive the enthusiastic applause of the capacity audience.

Acclaim from the crowd - richly deserved!

Conductor Dan Shilladay asks: “Wouldn’t the world be a better place if everyone played music together?”

The retiring collection, together with the generous contributions from our sponsors - Cow & Co, Acre Properties, Alisha Pharmacy, and CoMA - will help support Nonesuch in our work with schools. THANK YOU for your generosity!

These kind words from Simon Appleman - Assistant Headteacher and Head of Music at Park High School, Stanmore - capture the feelings of many on that special evening:

“Thank you SO much to you, Dan, Tim, and the entire orchestra for the wonderful concert on Sunday. It was an absolute joy from start to finish.

Hearing our students’ compositions performed with such care, musicianship, and enthusiasm was truly special, and the rest of the programme was equally inspiring. The atmosphere you all created—supportive, vibrant, and deeply musical—made the whole event feel unforgettable.

Please pass on my sincere thanks to everyone involved. The dedication and artistry on display were remarkable, and it meant a great deal to all of us who were there.

With much appreciation, Simon”

"...so much hope for the future of music and composition"

That’s how guest conductor Bill Carslake summed up Nonesuch’s Student Composition Workshop at Chiswick School on 14th January.

There were students from Chiswick School, Park High School, and Twyford CofE High School and a dozen GCSE and A-level compositions for us to get our collective teeth into.  The diversity and depth of the pieces was striking and the attentiveness of the students exceptional.  Many of the works were unfinished – some ending tantalisingly on a suspended cadence leaving us begging for more!

Composer Tim Watts explains a point during an early session in the autumn

Bill, together with composer Tim Watts, directed a focussed set of workshop sessions, bringing fascinating insights into the composition process (and some solid music theory). Completing the teaching team was Nonesuch leader Stephanie Waite, who demonstrated particular technical and interpretational points to the students.

Total concentration as young composer Marouf conducts his own piece at the Composition Workshop

 The result was a group of students who seemed genuinely inspired.  Many were characteristically modest in their comments but the quality of their work so far says much about their commitment and capabilities.  And of course, hearing the job delivered by a real orchestra as opposed to a piece of software made a deep impression on them all.

Now we look forward to hearing the progress towards the finished works, a selection of which we shall include in our concert of new music on Sunday 8th March at 5pm at St Peter’s Church, Southfield Road, London W4. Check our Events page for more details!

Nonesuch showcases young talent

Harry Gant

We talk a lot about the Nonesuch Orchestra’s efforts to bring music to London schools.  Another aspect of our work are the opportunities the orchestra creates for talented music students to perform with us. 

There was a special treat for the audience at St John’s Church in Harrow recently, when the Nonesuch played Finzi’s exquisite cantata for tenor and strings - Dies Natalis.  We were joined by the young tenor Harry Gant to sing the solo part in a beautiful and memorable performance.

Harry is currently studying for a Master’s degree in music at King’s College, Cambridge. During his four years at Cambridge, he has sung with the Choir of King’s College, featuring as a soloist on radio and television broadcasts.  He has also perfomed as a recitalist and in opera in world-class concert halls including Sydney Opera House, the Royal Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, and the Barbican Centre, London.

Harry was thrilled to have the chance to perform Dies Natalis with us.  After dashing back to Cambridge for end-of-term coursework and Christmas carol concerts, he sent this message: “Thank you so much for having me at your concert - it was such a treat. To be able to sing the Finzi alongside such a high-quality orchestra is a rare privilege, especially as a student.”  Well, Harry, it was a privilege for us too, and as your career takes off we shall always be proud to say that we shared a platform with you.

If you would like to sponsor an exceptional student like Harry to perform with us, do have a think about becoming a Sponsor of the Nonesuch Orchestra – more details here.

Nonesuch nominated by Jack Petchey Foundation award winner

We were proud to learn that Jai, a GCSE student at Richmond-upon-Thames School, had decided she wanted to allocate her Jack Petchey Achievement Award grant to a Nonesuch Orchestra workshop. It’s been 18 months since we were last at RTS, when pupils played with us at a very successful Side-by-Side session.

At two lively workshops in November, we performed Corelli’s Christmas Concerto while music teacher Mr Matt Ketley and his classes analysed this important Baroque work as part of their GCSE Music course. A well-loved piece but a new acquaintance for most of the students - and evidently they enjoyed it!

Congratulations to Jai on her brilliant achievement and thanks for inviting us!

Careful attention to Corelli’s score while Nonesuch performs

Award winner Jai takes centre stage with leader Stephanie Waite, conductor Dan Shilladay, and Mr Ketley

A souvenir of a great day

Smiles of satisfaction all round

There was a great sense of achievement after our final performance at the end of an intense workshop last week. We had just finished studying and playing another challenging work: Tchaikovsky’s glorious Souvenir de Florence, arranged for string orchestra from the original sextet version. St Martin’s Church Kensal Rise was the spacious and welcoming venue for this year’s Nonesuch Workshop Day - and we were delighted to welcome friends old and new as guests at this hugely enjoyable session.

the pirates and the octopus - reimagined!

Telemann’s lost opera, L’Omphale, is such a remarkable piece that we decided to give it another outing at Grimsdyke Primary School in Pinner, and see how the pupils there would recreate the story it might have told.

Presenting excerpts from the overture to the opera, conductor Dan Shilladay guided the children in focused listening, imagining context and setting, recognising high and low pitch, catching tricky rhythms (complete with mightily enthusiastic foot stamping and swaying) and even conducting, to which we enjoyed responding. Stories were once again created, bringing to life this time a dinosaur, a dolphin, a squirrel, a game of cricket, a beach, magicians, and even Humpty Dumpty! It was wonderful to witness the children's energy, excitement and laughter, which made for a hugely enjoyable experience for all. We hope we've inspired some future musicians!

Dan gives a conducting lesson to Grimsdyke Primary School pupils

“… a huge thank you to all the members of the Nonesuch Orchestra. It was such a treat for the children to be able to experience live orchestral music. I could see how much the children were enjoying the performance - as was I. All the staff I spoke to who were watching were incredibly complimentary and all have said that they would definitely recommend it. They also commented on how approachable all the musicians were….

“Thank you again for such a wonderful morning yesterday.”

Karen Tickner, Music Teacher

The pirates and the octopus

Nonesuch Orchestra has spent a glorious springtime morning with another enthusiastic group of children, this time at St Catherine's Catholic Primary School in Barnet. We are fortunate to have Mollie, a folk fiddler, in our group. As children gathered, she set the tone, with beautiful renditions of Shetland and American folk melodies.

With Telemann's Overture in E minor from his long-lost opera L'Omphale, as our focus, we then introduced the instruments and various musical concepts. There were gasps when the children learned the original manuscript was around 300 years old. They created stories as they listened, with images of pirates, a looming octopus, and a sea creature, and tales of loneliness, friendship and nature - with happy endings, eventually, all around. We were then joined by a skillful ensemble of students on violin, viola, guitar, flute, recorder and clarinet, complemented by lusty singing by the larger groups. Thank you, St Catherine's, for sharing your morning with us!

Nonesuch player Caroline directs the grand finale

Prepping for GSCE Music exam

J S Bach’s Badinerie from his much-loved Suite No.2 in B minor is on the syllabus for GCSE Music at Park High School in Stanmore; and Head of Music Simon Appleman sought out the Nonesuch Orchestra’s help to bring it to life for his students. We were delighted to oblige! The original piece is scored for flute and strings, but for this workshop, leader Stephanie Waite took the solo part on violin.

It was a lively and enjoyable morning - the first time we have participated in such an innovative class. The students sat in and around the orchestra while Simon coached and questioned them about the many aspects of the music on the exam syllabus. As well as performing the piece complete, the orchestra played excerpts with different styles and techniques to bring out important teaching points.

A great way to experience great music - and an approach we hope to repeat. Good luck to everyone at Park High with the exam!

Great music and great fun going hand in hand

"What a powerful evening that was...."

Thus did Cecilia McDowall, distinguished composer and member of the audience, sum up the Nonesuch Orchestra’s performance of Haydn’s Seven Last Words of our Saviour on the Cross at Christ Church, Turnham Green during Holy Week. For this deeply moving work we were privileged to be joined by actor Joanne Pearce, who read the Bible texts that Haydn so masterfully set to music.

Nonesuch chairman James Greener introduces, orchestra members prepare…

The welcome extended to us by the Vicar, staff and volunteers of the church could not have been warmer, nor could the capacity audience have been more appreciative. As well as countless enthusiastic messages of thanks, we were favoured with a sizeable retiring collection, which will help support the orchestra’s work bringing live music to London schools.

…and Dan Shilladay conducts before the rapt audience. Joanne Pearce, who read the Bible passages, is centre at the back

"Is this real? It's like a dream...."

That was the verdict of one of the Essex Primary School guitarists during the rehearsal with the Nonesuch Orchestra for a performance before the school.

What a joy for us to spend our morning at this lively school in Newham! The children's enthusiasm added to our own, as we looked out at so many lovely, smiling faces and heard their beautiful voices, obviously well rehearsed by their music teachers.

An ensemble of six guitarists from Years 5 and 6 - seen in the photo below - accompanied us for several tunes, including a fun Batman theme. The guitar ensemble also joined us for Peter and the Wolf, and the wolf theme seemed to stick, as children conjured up images of Little Red Riding Hood, along with other fairy tales, when responding to the other music we played, with our conductor Dan Shilladay introducing motifs from Gustav Holst and Haydn, and eliciting story themes from the children. Dan literally seemed to dance between the large groups of children, the guitarists and us, as he coordinated vibrant rounds of an adaptation of Frère Jacques.

And when we played as one group exited, and they began clapping heartily to the beat, we thought we'd struck a chord! The school staff were so welcoming, and we passed exuberant children in the playground as we left, with several shouting out "bye" and waving. So wonderful to feel we reached these children. They certainly warmed our hearts. 

No dreaming here! Guitarists concentrate in final rehearsal

"The children and staff loved it..."

The Nonesuch Orchestra has just returned from a concert workshop at Stoneydown Park Primary School in Walthamstow - another new school for Nonesuch and a day to remember for everyone who was there.

We played excerpts from Holst’s St Paul’s Suite, Bach’s 3rd Brandenburg Concerto, and Stravinsky’s Concerto in D. We showed how classical music can range from beautifully simple to deeply complex, but all the time telling a story. The pupils of Stoneydown Park shared how each piece made them feel, had a conducting lesson, and came up with some wonderfully creative ideas for the stories they heard in the music.

To finish, a delightful and talented group of Stoneydown musicians joined with Nonesuch to perform “Fire! Fire!” by Tony Osborne under the experienced hand of Robin Wedderburn.

It’s perhaps best left to teacher Fay Lenner to sum up the morning:

“Please pass on a huge thank you to everyone from all of us here at Stoneydown! It was lovely to meet you all. The children and staff loved it and I had so many wonderful emails from parents whose children had gone home and told their parents all about it!”

Robin Wedderburn directs the combined fire-fighting forces of Stoneydown Primary and Nonesuch Orchestra…

…and the whole team acknowledges the Head Teacher’s vote of thanks

How heavy is a double bass? And how do you get to play one?

Good questions - and a pupil at De Bohun Primary School in Enfield found out the answer to the first one during the Nonesuch Orchestra workshop at the end of October. You could probably say - not as heavy as it looks…

It was our first visit to the school, and five students joined the orchestra on recorders and clarinets to perform Tony Osborne’s delightful Frère Jazzer. Students and staff alike were so welcoming and receptive, it was a joy to make music with them and we hope we shall be invited to return!

Nonesuch’s guest wind section brought new tones and super-accurate rhythm to Frère Jazzer

But what about playing the bass? Let’s hear from our bassist Jonny Hayward - seen in the photo below - about his journey from home to his third year at the Royal Academy of Music:

“I'm from Belfast. I started playing Cello when I was eight and picked up Bass two years later. I played in my school and local youth orchestras and fell in love with orchestral music. After stints with the National Youth Orchestras of Ireland and Great Britain, I got a full scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music! London is one of the most musical cities in the world and top-notch concerts are happening daily.

“I practice for 3 or 4 hours a day, and have rehearsals throughout the week - so I am very busy. I also jam with my cello at weekly Irish Traditional sessions in North London. Outside of music, I love to run, especially on Hampstead Heath.

“Nonesuch is one of my favourite things during the week. I learn a lot at our weekly rehearsals as the repertoire is unique and excellent. I love tackling pieces I've never played before and for me, this is what makes Nonesuch a cut above the rest. I especially love the school projects. It's so refreshing to see that kids absolutely love classical music!”

Don’t drop it! Eager student tries out Jonny’s double bass for size

Workshop day with another luminous masterpiece

Once more, Nonesuch opened its new season with a hugely enjoyable Workshop Day. This year we explored Josef Suk’s Serenade for Strings - a piece mingling joy and melancholy with beautiful lyrical melodies.

We were hosted this year by the St Mary-le-Savoy with St George German Lutheran Church - a handsome modern church within the International Lutheran Student Centre near Kings Cross. We welcomed a number of guests who swelled the orchestra’s ranks in all sections, and after some hours of study and rehearsal we rounded off the day with a complete performance. Keep an eye on our Events page - we hope to perform this superb work at a public concert during the coming year.

We are extremely grateful to Edith, Mauricio, and Sebastian - and Sebastian’s delightful Dachshund - for making us so welcome at the German Lutheran Church for our Workshop Day. Thank you!

Dan Shilladay and the Nonesuch Orchestra bring Josef Suk’s youthful masterpiece to life

Building on strong foundations

Nonesuch Orchestra’s final school workshop of the season was at Sebright Primary School in Hackney. The enterprising Head of Music, Mr George Bunn, had been teaching his pupils about the ground bass - a short foundational theme, usually in the lowest register of the music, which is constantly repeated while the other parts weave melodies and harmonies around it. In the hands of the right composer it is a powerful and compelling device - we explored Walton’s heart-wrenching Death of Falstaff from the famous film of Henry V, and Purcell’s rarely-heard Three Parts on a Ground, with three different age groups of attentive pupils.

In the final session of the morning, we had the chance to give the first performance of compositions by six students from Year 5. They were thrilled to hear their work performed by a proper orchestra rather than a computer, and we were hugely impressed by the enthusiasm and quality of the work Mr Bunn is engaged in with his young scholars. Strong foundations are certainly being laid at Sebright Primary School!

Six proud young composers

Sand Dog and the Stolen Apples

The Nonesuch Orchestra has just visited the lovely St Nicholas CofE School in Elstree for the first time, and held another exciting workshop with the pupils.

This time, conductor Dan Shilladay showed how music can tell stories by using the first movement of Stravinsky’s Concerto in D for String Orchestra - with the pupils creating the story. The music - a wonderfully vivid piece recently performed by Nonesuch in our summer lunchtime concert - got the creative juices flowing and the children’s ideas were truly enthralling!

We learned about a boy called Peter building a sandcastle, a sinister dog emerging from the sand, an episode of stealing apples, and - as the ultimate sanction - the thief’s father confiscating his phone and unplugging his laptop! Stravinsky could hardly have predicted that his abrupt ending to the movement would have inspired such a dénouement, but we feel certain that he would have heartily approved…

Musicians listen while scriptwriters get to work

The headteacher, Mrs Johnston-Grant, sent this message:

“Thank you for organising this event to inspire musicality in our pupils…It was a most memorable and inspiring experience for the pupils and staff. Please pass on our thanks to the orchestra for giving of their time so generously to provide such a lovely morning of musical appreciation.”

World Premiere at St Clement Danes

Nonesuch was back at the gorgeous St Clement Danes Church in the Strand for our summer lunchtime concert in May. This time we were privileged to give the very first performance of Robin Wedderburn’s Variations. Robin is a playing member of the orchestra with a distinguished career as a musician, teacher and composer, and the new work earned heartfelt applause from audience and players alike.

Also in the programme: our principal cellist Alistair Baumann gave a spirited performance of CPE Bach’s Cello Concerto in A, and we finished the concert with Stravinsky’s riveting Concerto in D for String Orchestra.

Once again, we are extremely grateful to our large audience of supporters who donated generously to the closing collection in support of Nonesuch’s work with London schools. Thank you!

Alistair Baumann, centre stage with the Nonesuch Orchestra

Side by Side with Twyford Schools

Imogen Holst would have loved to see this…

Never before was such a large string orchestra assembled at Ealing Fields High School! Students from four Twyford CofE Academies Trust schools, and other local guest players, joined the Nonesuch Orchestra for a special Strings Day. We worked on Imogen Holst’s wonderful Variations on “Loth to Depart” - a jewel of a piece she composed for double string orchestra and string quartet in 1962 that has not been performed for nearly 60 years. Our young friends also participated as we rehearsed Caroline Shaw’s hauntingly beautiful Entr’acte and Gustav Holst’s much-loved suite Brook Green - their musicality and responsiveness to conductor Dan Shilladay’s guidance was exemplary, and we hope they gained something from the experience of playing alongside us.

At the end of the workshop we all performed for an invited audience. But there was more to come, for on the following Sunday afternoon, fortified by tea and delicious cakes, we played the pieces to an appreciative audience at a public concert in St Peter’s Church, Acton Green. Also on the programme was Andrew Toovey’s enthralling new work Perception. Andrew has a special relationship with the Nonesuch Orchestra, as he has supported us in the past on several student composition projects.

This momentous project formed part of CoMA's 2024 Festival of Contemporary Music for All. We are most grateful for CoMA’s financial support, together with that of our loyal local sponsors: Acre Properties, Alisha Pharmacy, Priory Lettings and Management, and Simon Buhl Davis Interior Design. Finally, a big “thank you” to Mrs Felix McGonigal, the Trust’s Head of Specialist Music College, and all the schools’ music staff - it wouldn’t have happened without you!

Nonesuch returns to Merlin School

Our annual visit to the Merlin School in Putney is something we always look forward to! A couple of weeks ago we held another pair of workshops - one for the younger pupils, one for the older ones - that were great fun for everyone. Some prospective parents visiting the school enjoyed a sample when they stopped by to listen to a little of our rehearsal beforehand. The theme of the music this year was dance; and we explored some favourite pieces by Purcell, Brahms, and Holst to show how a composer (and the performers) use pitch, tempo, rhythm and volume to make you want to leap to your feet and join in the fun.

One of our young listeners got the chance to conduct us and he got a taste of the power the conductor has - directing a group of musicians with one finger and without making a sound!

Many thanks to Head of Music Erin Alexander, the delightful pupils, and all the staff at the Merlin School for making us so welcome!

Young guest conductor in charge at the Merlin School

First outing to Bermondsey

It was a packed schedule for the Nonesuch Orchestra earlier in October, when we headed to Bermondsey to visit the two schools of the Mayflower Federation: Phoenix Primary and Ilderton Primary. The Music Teacher, Josh Solnick, is doing amazing work in both these schools, and a more enthusiastic and engaged crowd of children you could not hope to meet.

At Ilderton Primary, conductor Dan Shilladay “passed the baton” over to a volunteer from the audience, and she directed the orchestra with confidence and panache - to ringing applause from everyone. After listening intently to pieces by Purcell, Brahms and Holst, the pupils joined in with the orchestra for some favourite songs. We were bowled over by the quality and energy of the singing!

All in all, a busy and immensely rewarding morning for us all.

A special guest conductor takes the applause at Ilderton Primary School

Here’s what some of the pupils said afterwards:

“It was amazing…”

“I liked how the music was intense, and went quiet at unexpected moments.”

“I really thought the orchestra was good because before the performance I didn’t like classical music one bit, but now I find it interesting.”

“You guys made me have a happy day when I was having a bad day and you made me smile.”

“I loved it!”

Workshop Day - John Adams' Shaker Loops

Nonesuch Orchestra and friends, with conductor Dan Shilladay holding the score of Shaker Loops

This year’s Nonesuch Workshop Day was held in the gorgeous St Cyprian’s Church at Clarence Gate. Our task was to learn and perform John Adam’s exciting piece Shaker Loops. As in previous years, we were delighted to welcome a number of guest players, some for the first time.

The composer penned this programme note when he composed Shaker Loops (originally for string septet) in 1978: Although, as has since been pointed out to me, the term “Shaker” itself is derogatory, it nevertheless summons up the vision of these otherwise pious and industrious souls caught up in the ecstatic frenzy of a dance that culminated in an epiphany of physical and spiritual transcendence. This dynamic, almost electrically charged element, so out of place in the orderly mechanistic universe of Minimalism, gave the music its raison d’être and ultimately led to the full realization of the piece.

Mastering the insistent, repetitive rhythms, the subtle changes of harmony, and the ethereal harmonic effects of this amazing work required diligent focus. It was hugely rewarding. The result at the end of the afternoon was an electrifying final performance to an appreciative invited audience.

Exhilarating music, studied with care, played with concentration, and shared with friends old and new. Another Nonesuch day to remember!