Anyone had them yet?

We've never had anything to do with NCO but I remember looking at their website recently and the dates were all on there as to when results could be expected.

At the last Northerlies rehearsal Roger Clarkson said it would be the end of November at the earliest...

It depends which orchestra you are waiting for. Those waiting to hear about the Main Orchestra won't hear until after the concert on December 6th. Younger orchestras will probably hear earlier.

Good luck to everyone waiting. THis is our first stress free year in a while, as violin daughter has to retire after the Concert on Dec. 6th. Sad day!
Violinma

We've not heard yet - under 11s - I keep checking the post box! This is our first time so I guess not as nerve wracking as waiting to see whether one has kept a place from before.

Post brought results for Training Orchestra this morning. My daughter got in so she'll be thrilled. Will do wonders for her confidence and prepare her for what must be tougher auditions for the older orchestras later.

That's excellent news! Well done to your daughter, purplesam.

My daughter will be waiting to hear if she has got back into the Main Orchestra so a few nerve-wracking weeks ahead of her (us). She had a stumble in one of her pieces at the audition so it's all touch and go. She's looking forward to the London weekend though!

We got ours today too. Claudia didn't get into the Under 11s. The letter says that there were twice as many applicants for the Under 11s as places. Given that overall there were 800 applicants for 500 places, it looks as though the Under 11s may have been quite competitive.

The feedback is very valuable though so I'm glad we did the audition. Sightreading and playing were fine but she failed on technical aspects namely bow hold and vibrato wrist position. I'm surprised she has been allowed to get to this stage with these defects but at least we now know she has them so can take steps to remedy them. Funny that these things have never been mentioned before!

Good luck to everyone else. I'm secretly rather relieved not to have to go all the way to Yorkshire!

Still havn't heard anything. Waiting for under 13's. Last night at Orchestra rehearsel, a under 13's cellist had recieved his results and got in. I'd really like them to just hurry up and come, put us out of our misery!

Sorry to hear about that. Always worth doing these things for the feedback - Music Festivals as well. Certainly worth taking the advice on board and trying again as the courses are really good fun (yes Yorkshire is miles away . . we live on south coast . . but still worth it!!)
Good Luck

Thank you Nosiyhouse. We're trying to decide whether to go for Pro Corda instead - they called yesterday with an audition date so that was good timing!

Came today. unfortunatley a no. This is our first year so we'll try again for mains

Ours is a no too for under 13 (violin) although he is on the reserve list. Hey ho. He's OK about it, planning some Christmas busking with battery powered lights on the violin and a gruesome backing track on CD

If you tried for under 13's then it might be worth trying for the National Schools Symphony Orchestra as I would have thought that your child would be old enough (I can't complely remember the age range) and the website doesn't say. The closing date for applications is end of December and the website is www.nsso.org or just google the National Schools Symphony Orchestra if that doesnt work.

I have no experience of the NSSO but my daughter did do the IAPSOT National COncert Band course a few years ago and really enjoyed it.

Yes we got ours yesterday - luckily a yes for an under 13s cellist. I think it gets move difficult for them as they get older and have had the NCO experience and made so many good friendships - when they audition they really appreciate what it is for. Our thoughts are definately with all those children who didn't get a place this year.
Diana

Can anyone enlighten me on what standards of playing are really required?

Spoke to the teacher today and the comments we got back for the Under 11's on technical issues are appropriate for grade 7+ she thinks whereas the literature says the Under 11's is for Grade 3-6 standard. Is this possibly wrong and the standard much higher than grade 6?

PS I should say for Violin (as I know they always need higher grades for violin than other instruments because children start it so much earlier and have been playing longer)

It is my understanding that the NCO leaflet says something along the lines of "there is no particular standard but as a GUIDE last year's orchestra were grade 3 - 6 etc"

It says the following on the website:

"Please note that the following grades are those given by parents/teachers on the application form. The standard fluctuates from year to year according to the level of competition for places within instruments and age groups. No account is taken of the grades claimed on the application form in the selection process. The information is used for advisory purposes only. The list below, therefore, is given solely for guidance. If you need clarification, please contact the NCO office.

Under 11 Orchestra
Violins from grade 4 to grade 7


Training Orchestra
Violins from grade 3 to grade 6"


When my daughter auditioned in 2007 for the U11's at the age of 10 on trombone they said she showed evidence of very good teaching and her technique was excellent so I do think that they comment on technique etc right from the beginning so that bad habits are not formed. We found their feedback very useful and although my daughter didn't particularly enjoy the course and has not been back since (although she is now in the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Youth Orchestra instead) the whole audition experience and feedboack was most worthwhile and helped us immensly for future auditions.

Thanks for that info - so it's already 4-7 for violins last year rather than 3-6 so if they had a lot of applicants this year then it might even be higher. Or there might be a lot more at the top end of the scale rather than evenly spread.

The teacher was just surprised that the comments related to something that wouldn't normally be learned until grade 7ish. Guess all teachers are different!

When people talk about grades is it the one you are working towards or the one you have passed that counts? eg. if you are on Grade 6 standard does that mean you have passed grade 5 or 6?

Sorry to hear about those, who didn't get a place this year. I would say try again. My daughter didn't get a place in the Under 11's. She was on the reserve list for the Under 12's and got a place in the Under 13's and again this year in Main. She has always had good technique (teacher a stickler from the word go) and a beautiful vibrato, due to being left handed! She was an atrocious sight reader though when she was younger. I would say that good technique was essential. NCO has been wonderful for my daughter, she is very sad to retire. She got into Pro Corda, so we are trying that this year.

Violinma

Thanks Violinma for giving us hope. Well done to your daughter for her stamina. I really admire that.
We're still weighing up whether to go for Pro Corda or not.

Wouldn't you have thought the NCO people would know the difference between practice and practise?!

One of my Year 4 students at Guildhall (just 9) got in on double bass . His mum is also a student of mine and is very proud!

I'm glad someone else thinks it matters.

Claudia's Mum, being "Grade 6" means playing AT Grade 6 level. If you have done the exam and have continued to progress, you'd be over Grade 6 standard, but not necessarily Grade 7. When I write my end-of-year reports, I comment on all areas of technique, sight reading, aural, etc but also give them an overall level as this is often easier for parents to understand. I use decimals like schools do - Grade 2.2 for example would mean consolidating by learning more pieces at a Grade 2ish standard, with maybe a few new notes and scales, Grade 3.8 would be ready to start work on Grade 4 pieces. It works for me, and parents have thanked me for using "in between" numbers. It has also stopped one or two over-enthusiastic people from trying to push me into entering their children for the next exam before they are ready.

Sorry, back on topic now!

Thanks Elliewelly for clarifying.

Your decimal idea is great but I haven't come across it elsewhere. Would be useful as there is huge difference in ability at the higher grades.

I had to laugh about your people pushing you to enter their children for exams - I am the other way round when the teachers suggest exams I groan and say do we have to and ask if they can postpone (because I am too lazy to make sure all the scales are learned etc)!!

Thanks, I originally used it for pre-Grade 1 pupils whose parents were keen to know how they were progressing, but have seen it used for other school subjects (e.g. English Level 7.6). I had a parent recently who'd already DECIDED without consulting me that her child would be doing Grade 4 in the summer, but despite having a Grade 3 certificate, she was not really Grade 3. I've stressed that plenty of progress has been made and that she is now around 3.3 and will take Grade 4 when she has reached Grade 4 level - not before! I think a lot of pupils (and some teachers I've inherited pupils from) seem to forget about the very large chunk of work between grades! No doubt someone will come along and accuse me of reducing music-making to a set of numbers though!

For what it's worth, I'm inclined to be the same as you - my four year old's swimming teachers want to move her up but I want that postponed because her lesson would be so late! She also plays the recorder a bit, but only when she asks to, and if she doesn't want to do it again until she's 7 or 8 it certainly isn't going to bother me!

Congratulations to Claudia on the scholarship btw.

I think it's really helpful particularly for parents who are not musicians. you are giving them a sense of progression without taking exams.

That's a wonderful idea, Elliewelly.
Would you mind if I think about incorporating something like that into my reports?

Please do!

I realise that it's possible to be able to do Grade 5 aural, for example, while playing Grade 4 pieces but only Grade 3 scales. And that some people don't want to do exams at all. But I find it helpful to show parents how much further down the road to the next eventual grade we are, or just how far we've moved forward since last year. I give marks for all sorts of other things (effort, practice, etc) and also write comments - I'd hope that they take more notice of the comments than the number, but most people seem familiar with the grades so it's easy to understand.

Thank you!

Thank you!

Back to the original message, just heard today (finally!) that daughter has got back into the Main Orchestra for next year on the violin.

Her thoughts are also with her friends who didn't get back in though.

Congratulations!

My son didn't get back in this year, (he knew he didn't play well on the day - came down with Swine Flu two days later!), however all is not lost and there is life after NCO for those who are unlucky not get a spot. He has been offered a place in the NYCO, which seems to have a lot of great playing opportunities with it. So he is happy after initial disappointment and now even more excited!

Sorry to hear that pepys.

Hope he enjoys the NYCO-it's probably something we might look at for our daughter too once she 'retires' from NCO in an year's time.

Hope your son enjoyed the London weekend and concert. btw, did you see the review in the Guardian for that?