Gateway Orchestra
Gateway Orchestra 2011-12 Season
Sectionals!
Sectionals are being arranged for all sections of the orchestra. Two sectionals for wind (woodwind and brass) with Liam have been arranged for:
Saturday 18 Feb, and
Saturday 25 Feb.
Both in the Bandroom from 14.00 to 16.00.
Sectionals for other sections will be put up later and announced at the next rehearsal. These will be in March, since we have no full orchestra practice that month.
Important notice
We are now approaching the serious part of the season as we prepare for the concert. We would ask all members to attend rehearsals from here on, unless they have genuinely good reasons for missing them.
If players miss too many rehearsals they will not be familiar with the way the pieces are to be played, and will have no chance of playing in the concert the way the way the rest of the orchestra is playing. The effect could be quite disruptive.
Even in the last rehearsal we started to play two new pieces, and changes were made to the way other pieces are to be played.
Rehearsal schedule
The rehearsal schedule for the remainder of the first term is set out below. The venue for rehearsals is the Fife and Drum Band Room.
February 26
April 1, 22
May 6, 13.
These are full rehearsals. Additional sectionals will be arranged.
Concert date update
The date for the concert had been fixed for Saturday 9 June 2012, so as not to clash with the match on the Sunday. The venue will be confirmed soon. We will be rehearsing in the afternoon, probably 2.30 or 3.00 until 6.00.
Sinfonia programme 2012
The Summer 2012 programme for the Sinfonia concert will be a variety of light classical and popular pieces. Anybody from Gateway who would consider playing some of the pieces will be more than welcome to try it out at rehearsals in the Spring. Keep an eye on the Sinfonia pages for the latest informtion.
CD
A recording of our performance of John's First Sympony, which we played in Wexford Opera House last May, is now available from Richard, price €5.
About the Orchestra
The Gateway Orchestra was launched in September 2003 by Wexford Sinfonia in association with the Arts Department of Wexford County Council.
This orchestra caters for ranging from complete beginners to approximately Grade 4. It is primarily an orchestra for adults, people who may have played an instrument in their youth and given it up, and people who are only now taking up an instrument for the first time. It is a unique opportunity for adults to play in an orchestra.
Players who require instrumental tuition are put in contact with a suitable teacher.
Working in an atmosphere of support and encouragement, the orchestra acts as a training ground for eventual membership of Wexford Sinfonia. Currently there are about 8 members of Sinfonia who have started in Gateway. Some of those continue to play in Gateway. Many members, however, are quite content to play in Gateway, with no ambition to move up to the premier orchestra, and this is perfectly OK. Gateway is a full orchestra in its own right and gives its own concert every year.
Rehearsals take place on Sunday afternoons in the Fife and Drum Bandroom, Bride Street, Wexford at 2.30pm and usually last for 3 hours.
For those who are complete beginners on a string instrument the music is specially arranged to be played on open strings, while slightly more advanced novices play an 'easy arrangement'.
John O'Brien is the conductor of the orchestra. Last season John wrote a Gateway Symphony for the orchestra, and it was performed for the first time at the concert in May.
The leader of the orchestra is Emer Collins.
There are also some experienced players who sit in with the various sections to provide some assistance and encouragement:
Wind : Liam Daly
Strings : James Warren