Downing Street launches a new era for Orpheus
We had been very generously hosted by the Chancellor of the Exchequer for a special event that launched the orchestra into a new era in its history.
Guests were treated to performances of music by Schubert, Beethoven and Monteverdi, reflecting and inspired by the heritage of Downing Street and art on display there, with the line-up of musicians including our Artistic Director Thomas Carroll on cello.
Included on the bill was the world premiere of a new piece by composer Georgia Barnes. It had been inspired by an artwork hanging at No. 11 entitled Imagination, Life is Your Creation, the work being part of the Government Art Collection.
Those of you with long memories may well remember that line, and indeed the title is from Aqua’s chart-topping song ‘Barbie Girl’. The artist, Flora Yukhnovich, was inspired by Rococo and contemporary popular culture, notably the world of Walt Disney movies. Georgia in turn found inspiration in the contrasts found in the painter’s style and philosophy, with her piece decorated with snippets from the Baroque and Classical periods of musical history, and littered with Disney influences.
We think that the performance might well be the first piece of music to be premiered at No.11 Downing Street – adding a sense of history to this special occasion.
This all added up to a real sense of occasion as we celebrated a new era for the orchestra – with a new brand and logo, a shiny new website and the launch of a new artistic vision, embodied by our new tag-line Experience Music Differently.
We hope you like our new look – we’ll be exploring it more in a future post, and also that you enjoy having a look around our new website – do let us know what you think.
We’d like to thank everyone who made this very special event possible – including our musicians, board and the team at 11 Downing Street.
