I Have organised concerts before. They were substantial events, held in a large church hall with excellent facilities and a Steinway grand piano. The concerts showcased my students, raised money for a charity, and I always performed duets with a colleague. Success all round! However, putting on a concert showcasing my compositions and teaming up with another local composer has proved to be very different experience.A chamber orchestra and choir are involved, plus soloists and a pianist. That is a lot of people to find, engage and coordinate. I prepared scores with individual parts and mp3s for all the performers. Rehearsals needed to be organised, a budget to prepare and a marketing campaign. It feels as though all the organisation has taken over my life! Emails fly back and forth, needing answers and attention quickly.

I must emphasise that the process has almost all been very positive. I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting many other musicians, and people involved in our local music scene. The enthusiasm and goodwill of colleagues has been very humbling, and I feel honoured to be working with them all. The concert takes place on 15 March 2025 (save the date!) but preparations started last July 2024.

The first things I arranged were someone to make a recording, booked the venue and started contacting the local orchestras. There have been stresses, of course. I needed a guitarist, but could find no-one available. Eventually, I rewrote the pieces with guitar, I rescored one entirely for fiddle, and actually, I like it better! So I have two versions of this piece, which is good. The second piece was rescored to be played on a digital keyboard with guitar sound. This is a temporary, plan B, solution. The other problem was no French Horn player to be found. High and low I searched, until I was sure I would have to rescore the horn part for a flugelhorn, and then find a player. Local brass bands all have flugelhorns, but happily a horn player contacted me and agreed to come and play. This was only last week!

Finding the audience is not a given, as in the past. A marketing campaign in now in full force, and I worry not enough people will come. Firstly, all the efforts of so many people need to be rewarded with an audience, and secondly, there are considerable costs to cover, plus make some profit for the charity. It can be difficult to motivate people to attend something different, and with relatively unknown composers! But I believe it will be a great evening!

The programme begins with my composed music. There is a piano suite, flute and piano pieces, sax and piano plus two songs. This followed by my music suite about the Shetland Isles. The interval with refreshments is next. In the second half is Mark’s piece for clarinet quartet, and a piece for oboe and strings. Then the orchestra completes with Grieg’s Elegaic pieces, and Holst’s St Paul’s Suite. Estimated end time is 9.15pm.

If you are near enough, do come and support us. Date is 15 March, 7.30pm at St Mary’s Church, Richmond. Tickets are £10 in advance or £12 on the door, and available from The Castle Hill Bookshop, Richmond or at www.richmondchamberorchestra.co.uk