Wessex New & Apprentice Strings

Conductor: Jennifer Barrett

Wessex New Strings - Saturdays - 9am - 10.15am
Playing level: Grades 0 - 3 - no audition requirement

​As the name suggests, this ensemble welcomes the newest string players, giving these young musicians their first taste of orchestral playing. 

The New Strings rehearsals enable youngsters to begin to make use of the skills they are learning in their instrumental lessons. The focus is on playing together, listening to each other, maintaining good posture and keeping going!

It brings a vital extra purpose to their instrumental lessons and practice at home, enables these newest young musicians to meet and make new friends with the same interests.

​Wessex Apprentice Strings - Saturdays - 10.30am - 12pm
Playing level: Grades 4 - 6+ - no audition requirement

This more advanced string ensemble encourages instrumental progression, tackling music of an intermediate level. The 90 minute rehearsals allow for a more in depth look at string playing and ensemble work; focusing on rhythmic control and tone production, building stamina, concentration skills and general performance confidence - especially useful skills if considering auditioning for the Wessex Youth Symphony Orchestra. 

The Wessex Apprentice Strings also the pathway to participation in the Wessex Young Apprentice Orchestra - an intermediate symphony orchestra, running on a project to project basis, offering intermediate level musicians an introduction to full orchestral performance. ​


* Graded exams need not have been taken - the grade level simply allows us to select the appropriate ensemble for each player