To mark the 40th anniversary of the government’s Music and Dance Scheme (MDS), young musicians from the UK’s five specialist music schools have released the results of an unprecedented collaboration, written and performed during lockdown.

Audio mixed by Gwilym Simcock
Video edited by Tom Bell



A new virtual orchestra brings together around 80 young musicians – aged 15 to 18 – who currently study here at The Purcell School, Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh, Wells Cathedral Music School in Somerset and the Yehudi  Menuhin School in Surrey.

This is the first time that five separate orchestras, located hundreds of miles apart, have been able to collaborate so successfully, and on such a large scale. Lockdown has not stopped these exceptionally creative young performers from creating something special.

The students recorded their own individual parts of a new piece, specially written for them by Gwilym Simcock, who has been critically acclaimed, at home and abroad, as one of the most gifted pianists and imaginative composers working in Europe today. He has toured extensively with the cream of British and international jazz artists; and he has performed with orchestras, choirs, big bands, dancers, as well as performing with musicians from diverse backgrounds including the classical, jazz, folk and rock traditions. His debut album “Perception” was nominated for Best Album in the BBC Jazz Awards 2008 and his 2011 album “Good Days At Schloss Elmau” was one of the twelve nominees for the Mercury Music Prize.
  
Established in 1981, the UK government's Music and Dance Scheme (MDS) allows talented young performers to fulfil their potential, regardless of their financial background, by funding world-class specialist training at one of the UK's famous five specialist music schools. The scheme has provided a vital for many of the country‘s finest classical musicians, such as Martin Bartlett, Nicola Benedetti, Jacob Collier and Steven Osborne. 
 
Composer Gwilym Simcock is himself one of many acclaimed musical graduates from the MDS funded system, having studied at Chetham’s School of Music.

His new piece of music, called Union Overture and Celebration, was specially composed for this joint project.

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