Day One: 17th February 2014

We found it extremely difficult to begin rehearsals of the Mozart Symphony without a conductor, it was a slow start to say the least! There was uncertainty over which direction we should go and who should lead it. However our seating plan of a circle, with an outer and inner line, created a friendly and united feel.

As the day went on, members of the ensemble moved into positions that best suited them, for example, the violins came closer together and the winds sat next to each another. This made me realise that the traditional seating of an orchestra is the best seating arrangement, as players sit where they can hear and see the parts they need. However the students in this orchestra have had years to get used to the traditional seating of orchestras and could have simply gravitated to the positions they were used to; perhaps we were seeking the comfort of the familiar to help us cope with the experimental nature of the project. By the end of the day we felt comfortable in this grouping. We were in the traditional sections of an orchestra without the strict hierarchy normally found. I think this allowed the players to feel comfortable and at ease, which perhaps gave them a sense of freedom and a feeling of independence.

One of the most difficult things was to begin the piece at the same time and in the same tempo! This improved as the day went on as we learnt to feel the pulse and move together. 

I feel this was the most important lesson of the day as everyone in the orchestra became more aware of all the other players and the overall sound we were trying to make as a single unit. After a lot of work on beginning together we were even able to accomplish this with our eyes closed! This demonstrates that as musicians we don't even one of our basic senses, let alone a conductor, to communicate and play the music as a united ensemble.

After initial rehearsals we looked at the Bruch Adagio on Celtic Melodies. The plan is to use this piece to explore how members of an orchestra can be creative, especially through improvising and expanding ideas. After an initial play through we chose sections for free improvisation - players held drones while others chose to improvise in the current key. I found it interesting to have the freedom to test out ideas and bounce them off fellow musicians but it often sounded messy and uncertain. Some instruments became lost in the texture while those loud and confident ones dominated. We decided to put the improvisations into different sections such as one for harps, for upper strings and for wind.

Unfortunately we were struggling to improvise confidently and creatively. It was obvious that we were classical musicians in an orchestral setting who were too used to the boundaries of a traditional orchestra. This issue led to improvising activities in which everyone actively took part. This began just clapping different rhythms, encouraging us to communicate, listen and loosen up. We then moved this to instruments and developed it from there. Eventually walking round the room, freely improvising ideas and bouncing thoughts off each other.

Although we hadn't yet found a set structure for the Bruch at that stage, we were all a lot more comfortable and confident with improvising. I believe improving and expanding upon ideas could be used within standard orchestras, encouraging players to be more creative and musical together.