Orchestra ONE’s Greatest Hits – Competition Winners

“My name is Aramide Oyegoke, I am 15 years old and I’ve been participating in Orchestra One for the past 3 years, my first project being the ‘War and Peace’. I’ve made such lovely friends and have thoroughly enjoyed making and performing music with the best music leaders for each section.

It’s such a shame that Project 25 has to be postponed but revisiting all the projects has been very fun and exciting! I feel that I’ve grown so much not just as a violinist but a musician in general. I never would have thought I’d get solo opportunities and work with such a vast timbre of instruments that I wouldn’t get in a “regular” string orchestra. The last project which was Game Music has to be my favourite project because of the pirates theme and the Egyptian sounding melodies.

In my image I have tried to replicate as many various key symbols from each project: Zoo, Gaming, Halloween and many more. The Egyptian does seem to centre this image because as part of Game Music it was the most interesting. I’ve also tried to include as many instruments as I could think that I have played alongside at Orchestra One.

Thank you so much for giving me these opportunities!”

When I chose to play the cornet at eight and a half, in a marching band, I was a bit nervous but had little idea what a great choice in instrument I had made. Over the years this instrument has proved a very important part of my life and opened up many opportunities for me.

One of these opportunities occurred in April 2016, when my mother first told me about a new group she had discovered. It was called Orchestra One. I understood you attended workshops over 4 days and during this period you composed new music and then performed what you had created.  I was shocked, not only did this idea intrigue me, but it also awed me to an unknown point that you could write 3-4 pieces in less than a week. I thought to myself however, “It will probably be just some small, one-off thing, with a few random people”. As it turned out this was quite the opposite and attending O1 would shape my musical abilities into something I am proud of.

I was nine when my twin brother (who plays the violin) and I attended our first O1 session. The theme was Movement, the Music Director was Bracken Burns and I discovered I was the only brass player for that programme.

Considering I had just started learning the cornet, and it felt an achievement to play the most basic of notes, I was naturally nervous about being the solo brass. However, my concerns were soon put to rest by the O1 team, who introduced everyone with interactive games and made us all feel valued. Bracken as MD and Peter Bolton as lead of the Wind section, really encouraged me with playing more proudly and creatively. 

One of the things that struck me during my first O1 and still does today is how inclusive it is. Everyone is treated equally despite age and ability. I believe it is this attitude that gives O1 such a friendly welcoming feel.

On the day of the “Movement concert” I felt so proud of what we had created and it was amazing to hear the cheers and comments from the audience. 

After our first O1 project, my brother and I kept coming back. Over that time different Music Directors have lead the projects and each brings something new to the table to enhance our musical knowledge and performance skills. 

On my second project (Technology), I was relieved to see I would not be the only brass player and made friends with a fellow cornet/trumpet player and his brother who plays guitar. It was on this project too that I first met Simon Clarke, a saxophonist, who led and continues to lead the Wind section. Our wind pack is great fun and Simon always encourages us to push ourselves.

Over time the thrice-yearly O1 workshops have become a firm fixture in my calendar. I look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones. I look forward to intensive music composition and creative playing. I continue to be amazed by how we manage to put a whole show together in four days. Most importantly though, I continue to feel so proud to be an O1 member.