Aurora Orchestra develops its regional residencies

The Aurora Orchestra has announced residencies in Bristol, Bury St Edmunds and Ashford, committing to taking a minimum of two performances annually to each venue. The venues involved, St George's Bristol, the Apex Bury St. Edmunds and St. Mary's Ashford, are all ones where Aurora has an existing relationship having started visiting all of the them in 2011, and these new residencies will build on these relationships. The residencies are being undertaken in partner with Orchestras Live, the national music charity which works across the orchestral sector, and last year delivered 700 orchestral events across England working with 25 professional British orchestras.


Community engagement his an important factor in the visits. In 2013 at St Mary's Ashford, Aurora musicians performed alongside local school students premiering a new piece specially composed by pupils for the concert and a highlight of the orchestra’s concert at the Apex, Bury St Edmunds, in May 2013, was the participation of local primary and secondary school students performing a song developed out of a series of sessions with Aurora workshop leader, John Barber, alongside Aurora musicians. At St. George's Bristol in 2012 the orchestra made an appearance as part of the BBC’s Music Nation weekend linked to the Cultural Olympiad. Working with in this way enables the orchestra to develop a broader appreciation of classical music amongst audiences in the regions they are visiting.

Aurora formally launches its residency at St George’s on Friday 14 March with KlezMahler – the orchestra’s New Moves programme pairing Mahler’s First Symphony, performed here in a new chamber orchestra arrangement by Iain Farrington, with eastern European folk music performed and arranged by the leading klezmer band, She’Koyokh, alongside members of Aurora. Aurora’s next performance at The Apex will be on Friday 23 May 2014 featuring Iain Farrington’s chamber orchestra arrangement of Mahler’s First Symphony. Their next concert at St Mary's is on 16 November 2014 and features Bjork's percussionist Manu Delago.
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