Adopt a Music Creator blog: Zooms and sax tunes

Foss Foster provides a second update on Aberdeenshire Saxophone Orchestra's Adopt a Music Creator 2020/21 journey.

Sunday 6 December marked Aberdeenshire Saxophone Orchestra’s last rehearsal of the autumn term and of 2020: a very strange year, but one which has brought several surprising benefits for ASO as well.

Sunday was really exciting as it was the first rehearsal of the beautiful new piece specially composed as a gift for ASO by our Making Music Adopted Music Creator, Ben Lunn, who himself was present. We also welcomed five members of Phoenix Saxophone Orchestra from Market Harborough to join our rehearsal, which was great fun. 

Aberdeenshire Saxophone Orchestra's final Zoom rehearsal of 2020

Phoenix, also members of Making Music, discovered our website while searching for suitably arranged music scores for a sax orchestra. They were interested to see how we organised our Zoom rehearsals, so we provided parts for them and they joined us in the breakout room sectional rehearsals - potentially new repertoire for them and maybe future work for Ben too!

Jonathan from Phoenix also brought his contrabass to show us. Laughter ensued when Richard suggested that our first baritone, Ben Armstrong, should save up for one. The consternation on Ben's father’s face was very funny - probably not worth asking Santa for one, Ben!

Ben’s composition was lovely. Everyone enjoyed it, and it is also sufficiently challenging to stretch us as an orchestra. Richard, our MD, and Ben shared the task of popping into breakout rooms with observations and advice.

These Zoom rehearsals have been going better than anyone could have expected and will provide an enhancement in future when 'normal' rehearsals resume.

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The Adopt a Music Creator project matches vocal and instrumental leisure-time music groups with some of the UK’s most promising music creators to collaborate on creating a new piece of music. The project leads to a premiere performance and broadcast on BBC Radio 3. If you’re a music group or music creator and you’d like to take part, find out more.