Lodge Park pupils join with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra musicians to compose their own piece of music premiered at The Derngate

Pupils from Lodge Park in Corby were given the chance to compose with members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Image: DRET

Musical pupils at a Corby school were given the chance to work with professional musicians from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) and the renowned Berkeley Ensemble.

Twenty five students in years nine and ten from Lodge Park Academy in Shetland Way joined a collaborative session with the RPO, learning about orchestral instruments and exploring themes and motifs from Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, the New World Symphony.

Guided by a professional composer, Charlotte Harding, students and RPO musicians collaborated on a composition inspired by the concept of the New World Symphony.

25 Lodge Park students in years nine and ten were part of the masterclass. Image: DRET

The composition was premiered as the pre-show to the RPO’s concert at the Derngate Theatre in Northampton on Sunday, February 25.

Fellow pupils and parents joined the students from the David Ross Educational Trust in the audience and enjoyed the full concert by the RPO, featuring works by Beethoven, Haydn and Dvořák.

LPA has recently welcomed a new director of Music, Helen Della Torre, who has experience in three different continents, as well as a newly appointed Musician in Residence, Lucy Murphy, a much sought-after pianist who studied performance at Trinity Laban in London.

The school’s musical prowess continued, with five handpicked musicians who displayed excellence in composition selected to represent LPA in the DRET Composition Challenge.

The young musicians were lucky enough to work with ‘The Berkeley Ensemble’, a celebrated chamber music group, in a composition workshop at Malcolm Arnold Academy, another DRET school in Northampton.

These compositions were performed by the Berkeley Ensemble at Charnwood College, giving the students the unique opportunity to hear professional musicians performing the work that they had created.

Sue Jones, Executive Principal at Lodge Park Academy, said: “Our students were an absolute credit to LPA and represented us with creativity, enthusiasm

and respect. Well done to all involved!

“We are very grateful to the RPO and The Berkeley Ensemble for sharing their knowledge and expertise with our students. This has been a truly enriching experience for all.”

The school’s sponsor, tycoon David Ross, is himself behind the groundbreaking Nevill Holt opera which takes place just over the Leicestershire border in Mr Ross’s grand home.