Rehearsal Orchestra

A music-themed graphic with the text: "Charities supporting Arts and Culture Special Draw. Open 10-19 October 2025. Please nominate us to receive £5,000 - it only takes a minute and can make a huge difference! culture.movementforgood.com Movement for Good. Benefact Group."

PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE TO HELP US WIN! £5,000 would make a huge difference to our work in nurturing orchestral musicians. It could fund our Play ON and Co-Principal bursary schemes for a year – or cover most of our annual music and instrument hire costs.
culture.movementforgood.com/index.php?cn...

"Hensel wrote more than 466 numbered works, that we know about, and when I started looking at her, only a couple dozen of them were available online. … I think, now, I have something like 185 of my own editions of the scores on there (henselpushers.com)." - @henselpushers.bsky.social Incredible!

Rehearsal Orchestra's Edinburgh course has run every August since 1957 (except 2020 & 2021) and has enabled generations of musicians to develop their orchestral skills.

"The Rehearsal Orchestra does invaluable work on the quiet and with the minimum of fuss."
Sir Simon Rattle

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The pieces to be worked on have been voted by the course participants from the huge amount of repertoire covered during the week, and will include selections from Prokofiev (Romeo and Juliet), Shostakovich (Symphony No. 1), Hermann (Vertigo) and Brahms (Symphony No. 1).

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Orchestra in rehearsal in a hall with a dark high ceiling and rows of bright spotlights. The conductor standing on the podium, with both his arms raised high, turned towards the violins and horns. In the foreground is a harpist and violinists seen from behind.

And just like that, our Edinburgh week 2025 is nearly over!
But you can see Rehearsal Orchestra at work in tomorrow's Open Rehearsal:

Friday 8th August, 2pm-4pm in the School Hall, George Heriot's School, Lauriston Place (entry via The Vennel gate), Edinburgh EH3 9EQ. WELCOME!
FREE ADMISSION

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Please get in touch ASAP if you are interested in playing, at admin@rehearsal-orchestra.org ! If you could only do some of the days, drop us a line to discuss and for more detailed information on session times.

Bernstein - Candide Overture
Bliss - Colour Symphony
Dvořák - Carnival Overture
Gershwin - Tip-Toes Overture
Herrmann - Vertigo Concert Suite
Holmès - La Nuit et l’Amour
Lutosławski - Symphony No. 1
Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet Suite No 2
Ravel - Daphnis & Chloé, Suite 2
Shostakovich - Symphony No 1

A harpist's hands playing.

LAST-MINUTE PLACE: HARP! Our annual Edinburgh course from this Saturday 2nd August to Friday 8th August (leaving Saturday morning). Accommodation is available.

It's a week of amazing repertoire (full list for harp and more information in thread).

Thanks for sharing!

A view of the orchestra during the open rehearsal, pictured from the First Violin side - some dynamic bowing in progress! Artistic Director Lev Parikian conducting from the podium, cueing with his left hand.

A close view of the car horn player in Gershwin's An American in Paris.

A view of the whole orchestra from the gallery, above the double basses.

A view of the woodwind and brass sections, with saxophones in the foreground.

A fortnight ago we shunned the London sunshine and closed our weekend-course season with musical trips to two other capital cities in Duke Ellington's Harlem & Gershwin's An American in Paris, with Artistic Director @levparikian.bsky.social as our guide - and what a fantastic journey it was!

A rocket graphic, with the text "We're doubling the money in our next draw." Logos for the Benefact Group and their Movement for Good.

If you haven't already nominated RO for the Benefact Group's 2025 Movement for Good regular draws, now is the perfect time - £2,000 would be a massive help to our charitable work in nurturing orchestral musicians. It's very quick and easy to nominate!
👉 movementforgood.com/index.php?cn...

My new answer to any and all questions in rehearsal.

Four car horns on a stand in front of a music stand with a percussion part for Gershwin’s An American in Paris.

Two saxophones and a clarinet on their stands

A hugely enjoyable day with @rehorch.bsky.social. An American in Paris is always fun, but the highlight was conducting Duke Ellington’s Harlem for the first time and discovering first-hand what a cracking piece it is. Should be done far more often.

This is now sorted - thanks for your help!

Two double-bass players at rehearsal, discussing a musical point in their part during a break in play.

A DOUBLE BASS has had to withdraw on short notice from this Sunday's course on Ellington HARLEM and Gershwin AN AMERICAN IN PARIS in central London (Henry Wood Hall) - could you join us? Get in touch!
👉 www.rehearsal-orchestra.org/courses#cour...

Three student trombonists playing in an orchestra.

We still have a vacancy for a TENOR TROMBONE for our Ellington & Gershwin course in central London this Sunday (29th). We can also fit in a few more STRINGS (if you're quick) - get in touch now!
Some student bursary funding is available.
👉 www.rehearsal-orchestra.org/courses#cour...

What a lovely thing!

Photo: Tam Lan Truong (Tam Photography)

A half-portrait photo of Johann Stuckenbruck, showing him during an intensely internal moment whilst conducting, eyes closed, hands drawing in to gather momentum. He is wearing a black shirt against a dark blue background, a spotlight creating a chiaroscuro effect on his features and clothing.

Sharing conducting duties at our Edinburgh residential course this August is Johann Stuckenbruck, announced last week as the new Music Director of l’Orchestre Symphonique du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (OSSLSJ) from 2025/26!
jstuckenbruck.com

Two cellists chatting cheerfully during a break in play, both of their instruments resting against their bodies, one of them gesticulating with their hand, blurred in motion.

We currently have a few vacancies for STRINGS on Sunday 29th June (in central London): a great opportunity to study Duke Ellington's Harlem and Gershwin's An American in Paris, two exciting and atmospheric 'city' pieces written three decades apart!

APPLY NOW rehearsal-orchestra.org/courses#cour...

Would £1,000 help you to catapult your creativity? If you’re an amateur musician, we’d love to hear a solo instrumental piece (up to 3 mins) inspired by birds 🕊️ Any music inspired by birds is perfect for this brief, whether in title or lyrics, a well-known song or your own composition.

Ooooh envious!

The strings, pictures from the back of the cello section, playing with focus and decisive bows.

Composer Edward Longstaff introducing his piece to the Open Rehearsal attendees. Conductor Stephen Bell and the orchestra are also clearly entertained by the story behind it.

The two very long rows of woodwind and brass required for Rachmaninov and Longstaff, pictured from the horn end.

The long row of percussionists (and percussion instruments!) pictured from behind, at the timpani end. The copper of the timpani shines warmly.

A few more photos from last weekend's Symphonic Dances course in sunny Manchester, conducted by the fantastic Stephen Bell. And such a treat and privilege to have composer Edward Longstaff with us to introduce his piece (as well as join the cello section). What a brilliant day we had!

Hallé St Peter’s in the blazing mid-morning sun.

Rehearsal Orchestra in rehearsal at Hallé St Peter’s. Sunshine streams in through the high windows, creating patches of light on the floor.

Like last year, Manchester greets us with glorious sunshine - one could get the impression that it’s always like this… 😉

A viola player at rehearsal.

Last-minute places for a viola and a double-bass have just become available for our course in Manchester tomorrow (Sunday 11th May) - Symphonic Dances by Rachmaninov and Longstaff. Get in touch if you’d like to play!
rehearsal-orchestra.org/courses

A headshot of composer Edward Longstaff, in soft light. He is looking off-camera with a quiet smile, as though reminiscing about something.

For our course in Manchester tomorrow, we are pairing Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances with the central movement of Edward Longstaff’s piece of the same name. ‘Reach for the moon’ celebrates the “power of the creative spirit to imagine new and better worlds”.
www.edwardlongstaff.com/five-symphon...

Now sorted, thanks for your help!

Now sorted, thanks for your help!

A tuba player, pictured over their shoulder, playing on a Rehearsal Orchestra course.

TUBA VACANCY! We're looking for a tuba player for our course in Manchester this Sunday 11 May. We'll be working on Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances, alongside a movement from Edward Longstaff's composition of the same name, conducted by the Hallé's Stephen Bell.
rehearsal-orchestra.org/courses#cour...

Many happy returns to RO Artistic Director @levparikian.bsky.social!

Edinburgh - 2-9 August 2025 (residential course)
Tons of gorgeous repertoire from Bacewicz and Farrenc to Ravel and Shostakovich! (And the delights of the Festival in the evenings...)

Applications still open, please enquire about specific vacancies in STRINGS, DOUBLE REEDS, BRASS.
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