Outreach projects are central to the work of the Berkeley Ensemble; we’ve found taking live music into schools to be one of the most exciting ways of promoting interest in music amongst children. From introducing young listeners to the instruments of the ensemble by accompanying a retelling of Sleeping Beauty (above) to GCSE and A Level composition and performance masterclasses, we’ve devised tailor-made projects for work with pupils from Key Stage 1 to ‘A’ level.

Formed amongst members of the Southbank Sinfonia orchestral academy, the ensemble has drawn extensively on shared experiences of education training as part of the scheme, as well as work with the education teams from the Philharmonia, Royal Opera House and BBC Symphony Orchestras. We have collaborated with Southbank Sinfonia on projects in Durham and York and have also been fortunate to work with the Samling Foundation on their outreach projects in Cumbria and Northumberland. Following our trip to Cumbria with Samling in 2010, the group has been appointed ensemble-in-residence at Queen Elizabeth School, Kirkby Lonsdale.

Our most recent project with Samling in Hexham saw us writing animal-inspired songs with KS1 pupils, rehearsing and performing alongside a massed school orchestra and choir and working with GCSE composers at Queen Elizabeth High School, holding seminars on composition and recording their finished pieces.

For more information on our outreach work or to discuss a potential project, please contact the ensemble’s General Manager John Slack via e-mail info@berkeleyensemble.co.uk or 0208 1233953.