Youth Jazz Orchestra Commissions project enters the next stage
Nikki Iles rehearsing Glow with Musica Youth Jazz
As we start 2025 the initial stage of the Youth Orchestra Commissions project is now coming to an end. All ten YJOs have had the commissioned works for about 9 months, have had their workshops with composers and many have performed the new pieces at their own local concerts. Lots of band leaders have been in touch to say how brilliant it was to have the composers working with their young musicians and I hope those sessions have been inspiring and memorable for the young band members.
I’m so grateful to all the band leaders and the young musicians for taking on the challenge of rehearsing and performing original music and for embracing it in the way that they have done. This is certainly not always an easy thing to do, but hopefully very rewarding to know that the music that they are playing has been written specifically for them by leading jazz musicians working in the UK today. Bringing professional musicians and young musicians together is always the right thing to do! So a very special thank you to all of them for taking part. And thank you to the Arts Council for funding this opportunity for everyone involved.
Now that the music is recorded, I hope that it will reach other YJOs across the UK*, allowing it to be performed by other young musicians. And I hope it inspires some young composers to get their pencils out and to start writing their own pieces!
Jo McCallum
* Youth Jazz Orchestras can contact the individual composers to find out about hiring or purchasing the charts.
Mike Walker working with the young musicians in the Musica Youth Jazz ensemble.