Rehearsing together since September 25, teachers and classical music enthusiasts have joined forces to create East London’s newest musical ensemble, the Devo Chamber Orchestra.
The newly formed orchestra gave their official opening performance on Thursday night at the Stirling High School auditorium, where they have spent the last few months perfecting a number of musical compositions from baroque and romantic to modern classical styles.
The orchestra is the brainchild of Stirling High School music teacher Jacques du Plessis, who felt a need to create a space where teachers could get together and play music.
“Our aim is to promote orchestral music in East London, and also give teachers the opportunity to play and perform.
“Often, teachers just teach or train their students to perform, and never actually get the chance to perfect their craft or perform,” said Du Plessis, an avid viola player who has been part of a string quartet known as 16 Strings for four years.
Du Plessis said many of the musicians were either music teachers or school teachers who played an instrument.
Cambridge High School economics and accounting teacher Jon Buitendag said: “There hasn’t been an opportunity to play classical music in East London in this context for a long time and it’s been great to get together and explore that.”
From violin and viola players to cello, flute and keyboard masters, the orchestra has a dedicated group of talented adults, but has also welcomed a few matrics including Hudson Park High trumpeter Tristan Henderson, Stirling High pianist Daniel Brodie and Clarendon High recorder player Sinomtha Zake as guest musicians.
Merrifield College music teacher Una Driver-Boon said: “We hope to invite more young musicians from various schools to play with us and join in as guest performers next year.
‘It will give them the opportunity to experience playing within an orchestra, which is very different to playing in an ensemble at school.”
While the orchestra is relatively small for now, Du Plessis said it was not a closed group and despite not having every necessary instrument in their orchestra, they had persevered to make it happen.
“Strings are the basis of the orchestra, but there aren’t many string players in East London – the fact that there are three viola players sitting in this orchestra is amazing, but there are certain instruments we don’t have, like the bassoon and double bass,” Du Plessis said.
“So we’ve made space for pianists to recreate those sounds on the keyboards.
“There is also currently no conductor, but because the orchestra is small, the first violinist or soloist is able to lead them.
“It’s been overwhelming to find this many people who are so keen, because without their support we wouldn’t have a chance to develop something like this.
“We’re all doing this voluntarily so no one gets paid but everyone always shows up to every rehearsal, ” he said.
The opening concert was performed as a fundraising effort in aid of the EL Karel du Toit Centre and Du Plessis hopes the orchestra will have many more performances in 2019.
“For us music is also so much about giving back, so we felt it was only fitting to have a concert in aid of an organisation that assists children with hearing loss,” said Du Plessis...