We are planning to hold our next PlayDay on Tuesday 15th September 2020, conditions permitting. And the project will be Dvořák’s sublime Serenade for Strings in E major Op. 22. After months without playing together, the prospect is exciting.

The orchestra decided to try and see if we could rehearse some of the more tricky parts of this (pretty challenging) work together somehow. Many of us had grave doubts about the idea. Was it really going to be feasible to do anything together, in real time, over Zoom? But we gave the first movement a go last week and it was a big surprise to discover how useful and enjoyable the experience was. We split into sections, with Stephanie, Dan and Joe leading the violins, violas and cellos respectively. Judicious management of the Mute facility was vital! But illuminating insights were shared and demonstrated by our professional coaches and we had so much fun that we overran the allotted time. We will be tackling all the movements during the coming weeks.

If you are an experienced string player and would like to spend a day working on this masterpiece with us, please contact us - we would love to have you join, and we will keep you posted on developments as the date approaches.