Perse musician takes leading role in National Children’s Orchestra concert

2 May 2019

Emma Harris (Year 9) had the honour of co-leading the National Children’s Orchestra in their latest concert.

Prior to being crowned Perse Musician of the Year last week, the talented violinist was given her prestigious opportunity by the NCO GB for the Main Orchestra’s show Scene to be Believed: Orchestral and Operatic Music Inspired by Folk Tales at The Anvil in Basingstoke.

Among the pieces Emma helped to lead were excerpts from Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Rossini’s La Cenerentola, based on Cinderella story, Dvorak’s Rusalka and Rimsky Korsakov’s epic symphonic suite Scheherazade.

She was thrilled to be handed the chance to co-lead in her first year with the NCO and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Emma said: “We rehearsed for seven hours a day for a week leading up to the concert and I was only told the day before that I’d be co-leading the orchestra. It came as a shock because I wasn’t expecting it. You have to make sure you come in at the right time and you have to lead everyone else in with you, but it was really good and I really enjoyed doing it.”

She added that she would encourage other young musicians to try to get involved with the NCO.

Emma said: “I’d been thinking about auditioning for a few years because other people I know have really liked it. Everyone in the NCO loves music and shares the same passion, so it’s just been a great experience.”