Bristol Beacon Youth Music Tour

Last month (24-28 July 2022) 59 young musicians from Bristol Youth Orchestra and Bristol Youth Choir embarked on their first international tour to the Loire region of France. They were joined by Bristol Beacon staff Rhian Cocker, Ebony Love and Lu Bristow along with the leaders of both youth ensembles Tim Harrison, David Ogden, Maddy Stonehewer and Sandie Middleton.

Now they’ve all arrived back in Bristol safely, we take a look back at how they got on.

A long time coming

This tour was organised by Rhian Cocker, Music Centre Coordinator, to celebrate commitment and share the talent of the young musicians we support in Bristol. For some, this was their first experience performing music abroad and travelling independently. The tour itself was long awaited, with previous tour plans postponed twice due to COVID-19.

“I can’t express how proud I am of all 59 young musicians for the dedication and hard work that they put in for the duration of the tour and in the rehearsals leading up to it.” Rhian said, “the sound they made was incredible and the finale of ‘Ev’ry Time I Feel The Spirit’ in the last concert brought me to tears (of joy)!”

For the tour concerts, they performed a varied programme including Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony, extracts from Bizet’s Carmen and Vois Sur Ton Chemin from the soundtrack to French film Les Choristes. The concerts finished with crowd pleasing traditional pieces ‘This Train’ and ‘Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit’.

From Southmead to Sainte-Gemmes-sur-Loire

Bristol Youth Orchestra and Bristol Youth Choir performed concerts for the local community, performing in contemporary music venues including the Salle Art Image in Sainte-Gemmes sur Loire and in the historic church Eglise Fougeré in Fougeré.

Rehearsals began well in advance back home in Bristol, with a preview of some pieces performed at the Bristol Youth Choir Summer Concert earlier this year at St George’s Bristol.

The local audience gave the musicians a very warm welcome, selling out the complimentary tickets for each performance and singing along to pieces in the finale, with some locals enjoying the first concert so much, they went to see it again the following day!

During the week the young musicians had the opportunity to visit Château de Brézé and have a boat tour on the Loire river. Students also had time to relax in the historic city of Angers and even had an afternoon swimming in the lake near their accommodation.

“There were so many young people who bravely came along despite knowing hardly any one else, who by the end of the week, had formed strong new friendships.”  Music Education Coordinator, Ebony Love said, “It was amazing to watch them all grow in confidence over the week, mix as a choir and orchestra and perform on stage together. We are all so proud of them all.”