Orchestra Winter 2008

 

 

Live music has always played a vital role in the performances of Scottish Ballet, and in its previous incarnations as Western Theatre Ballet and Scottish Theatre Ballet. Initially, as resources and venues allowed, small ensembles were employed, growing over the years through small orchestras with specifically commissioned re-orchestrations (Humphrey Searle's arrangement of Giselle for 16 players and Leonard Salzedo's small orchestra version of The Nutcracker) to the present position where the composer’s wishes are, as closely as the physical conditions of the theatres to which the Company tours will allow, fulfilled.

 

The Scottish Ballet Orchestra is a part-time, freelance orchestra of up to 70 musicians working for about 20 weeks of the year, usually broken up into three touring seasons. The number and composition of the orchestra depends on the repertoire and the size of the theatres to be visited. The Orchestra is based in Glasgow.

  

Music directors have included Gerald Krug, Terence Kern, Alan Morgan, Bramwell Tovey, Guy Hamilton and Alan Barker.

 

The Company has commissioned many scores of which the Scottish Ballet Orchestra has given the first performance:

 

Sun into Darkness (Malcolm Williamson 1966)
Beauty and the Beast (Thea Musgrave 1969)
The Tales of Hoffmann (Offenbach arr John Lanchbery 1972)
Mary, Queen of Scots (John McCabe 1976)
Cinderella (Rossini arr Bramwell Tovey 1979)
Chéri (David Earl 1980)
Carmen (Bizet arr Dominic Muldowney 1985)
Peter Pan (Eddie McGuire 1988)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Mendelssohn arr Barrington Pheloung 1993)
Aladdin (Carl Davis 2000)
The Snowman 2 act version (Howard Blake 2001)

 

 

The Scottish Ballet Orchestra

 

1st Violins
Justine Watts (Leader)
Tristan Gurney (Associate Leader)
Susan Henderson (Principal)
Ben Buurman (Sub-Principal)
Anne MacDonald
Kathleen Simans
Philip Burrin
Peter Markham
Gillian Risi
Stewart Webster

 

2nd Violins
Diane Merson-Jones (Principal)
Jackie Norrie (Sub-Principal)
Mark Wilson
Caroline Warren Marshall
Mark Hayward
Alan Mason
Diane James
Julie Reynolds

 

Violas
Michael Beeston (Principal)
George Cuthbertson (Sub-Principal)
No. 3 (vacant)
Angela Watson
Susan Harris
Joanna Galbraith
Kate Stables
Nina Kopparhed
David McCreadie

 

Celli
Mark Bailey (Principal)
Susan Dance (Sub-Principal)
No. 3 (vacant)
John Davidson
Rosemary Townhill
Helen McSherry
Robin Mason

 

Double Bass
Rick Standley (Principal)
Philip Venters (Sub-principal)
Jenny Warren
Neil Cameron

 

Flutes
Joanna Shaw (Principal)
Fiona Chisolm
Michelle McCabe

 

Oboes
Ruth Contractor (Principal)
Ilid Jones

 

Cor Anglais
Mary James

 

Clarinets
Robert Fairley (Principal)
Janet Laird

 

Bassoons
Grant MacKay (Principal)
Alex Walker 

 

Horns
Terry Johns (Principal)
Helen Shillito
Steven Cowling
Tim Hunter
Nicola Hopkinson

 

Trumpets 
Robert Baxter (Principal)
Alan Friel

 

Cornets
Sandy McGrattan (Principal)
Iain Archibald (Sub-Principal)

 

Trombones
Nigel Cox (Principal)
Gregor Stewart
Derek Bishop
 

Tuba
Jonathan Gawn (Principal)

 

Harp
Meredith McCraken (Principal)

 

Piano
Brian Prentice (Principal)

 

Timpani
Peter Evans (Principal)

 

Percussion
Ian Coulter (Principal)
Martin Willis (Sub-Principal)
Rhian Macleod (Sub-Principal)