Education and Outreach
Classical music lessons, workshops and demonstrations for schools and higher education - for children & adults throughout North West and North East England. Musical operas for children and chamber music weekends also available.
School Visits
The EPO has an education programme, often working in tandem with their orchestral performances. Professional orchestral players go into schools, by arrangement, and promote single instrument playing and explore music performance with the children through discussion and participation. Their virtuosity dazzles and inspires young people.
Similarly, the EPO provides string and wind ensembles for schools. These professional players perform short pieces and, through workshops, demonstrate and discuss their instruments with the children and involve them in playing their own instruments and in musical performance. Again, we believe it is important that young people experience the best playing.
The EPO gives concerts specifically designed for children of all ages and for young families. They are particularly keen to promote this aspect of their music.
Musical Stories for Children
David Haslam collaborated with Johnny Morris in the creation of six musical stories called ‘animal operas’ for which Johnny wrote the lyrics and David the orchestral scores. These pieces have been recorded, produced for TV and performed throughout the UK as well as in Norway, Australia and America. Two of them involve choirs, which can be made up of adults or children or a mixture of both.
Northern Songs
David has also written, in addition to a Northern Overture and a Northern Medley, over a hundred arrangements and orchestrations of northern songs from the old Kingdom of Northumbria, many of which have been recorded by Sir Thomas Allen, Sheila Armstrong and the EPO. These are performed as concert pieces and can also be used by schools as a source of both the music and history of the region.
Furthering Your Musical Ambition
We will shortly be organising Chamber Music weekends for adults and more proficient players. The participants will stay at a hotel in pleasant surroundings and take part in either string or wind groups. They will play along with and be tutored by professional players and there will be opportunities for both individual and group teaching sessions. The weekend will culminate in a concert.