'.playing from the Northern Chamber Orchestra that was quite simply world class'

- Opera Magazine, Buxton Festival

Northern Chamber Orchestra
Artistic Director and Leader, Nicholas Ward
Season 2009 - 2010

The Northern Chamber Orchestra was formed in the 1960s and has gained a formidable reputation from its engaging and exciting concerts, tackling a wide range of repertoire from Corelli to Stravinsky and beyond. The members of the orchestra are distinguished chamber musicians who play as principals with other orchestras and regularly appear as soloists.

The NCO gives a series of eight concerts at the Heritage Centre, Macclesfield and appears regularly in Blackburn, Skipton/Settle and Tatton Park, Knutsford. They are promoting two concerts at Parr Hall, Warrington – in October and March.

Their engagements include concerts for Lancaster International Concert Series, Kendal (Lakeland Sinfonia Concert Series), Beverley (Orchestras Live), Hoylake (Hoylake Chamber Concerts), Manchester (Salford Choral), Sheffield (Sheffield Oratorio Chorus) and Hoghton Tower (near Preston).

Soloists for this season include Nicholas Daniel, Alexandra Dariescu, Martin Roscoe, Raphael Wallfisch and Angela Whelan.
 
On the recording front...In October, Raphael Wallfisch and the NCO will be recording cello concertos by Spohr and Reicha along with Weber’s Grand Potpourri and Danzi’s Variations on a theme by Mozart. This will be their first recording for Nimbus and has been made possible with generous donations from their supporters.  Another recording featuring the NCO, to be released by Naxos at Christmas, is Manchester Carols (composed by Sasha Johnson Manning with words by poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy). 

With over thirty CDs to its name, the majority being for Naxos, the NCO is now known in every continent; the series of Haydn, Mozart and Mendelssohn symphonies have received outstanding reviews and their recording of Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale was considered by BBC Radio 3’s CD Review programme to be the best English version. Their recording for Naxos, Boccherini Cello Concertos nos. 9 – 12 with Raphael Wallfisch, has also received critical acclaim.

Their long association with Buxton Festival continues in July 2010; the orchestra will again be accompanying the main opera productions - playing in the pit for Louisa Miller (Verdi), Barber of Baghdad (Cornelius) and on stage for the concert performances of Idomeneo (Mozart arranged Richard Strauss).

The NCO is involved in an extensive education programme run by their Learning and Development Officer, Helen Quayle. Workshops are given in many of the locations where they give concerts. The NCO, which is ‘Orchestra in Residence’ of Manchester Metropolitan University, is involved in a scheme of workshops with the MMU Institute of Education trainee teachers and their schools.  Funded with money raised from North West Universities Association, a part-time one year training course will be starting up in January at MMU specifically for players from the three local chamber orchestras (Manchester Camerata, NCO and Lancashire Sinfonietta).  This will help to develop the extra skills required for the delivery of successful education projects.