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

 

2nd Violins

Diane Merson-Jones (Principal)

Elizabeth Bailey (Sub-Principal)

Jackie Norrie

Caroline Warren Marshall

Alan Mason

Mark Hayward

 

Violas

Michael Beeston (Principal)

George Cuthbertson (Sub-Principal)

No 3 vacant

Angela Tickle

 

Cellos

Mark Bailey (Principal)

Susan Dance (Sub-Principal)

Anna Morrison

Rosemary Townhill

 

Double Basses

Rick Standley (Principal)

Philip Venters (Sub-principal)

Jenny Warren

 

Flutes

Joanna Shaw (Principal)

Fiona Chisholm (Sub-principal)

 

Oboes

Ruth Contractor (Principal)

Mary James (Sub-principal)

 

Clarinets

Robert Fairley (Principal)

Janet Laird (Sub-principal)

 

Bassoons

Grant MacKay (Principal)

Alexander Walker (Sub-principal)

 

Horns

Principal vacant

Helen Shillito (Sub-principal)

Steven Cowling (Principal)

Tim Hunter (Sub-principal)

 

Trumpets

Alexander McGrattan (Principal)

Alan Friel (Sub-principal)

 

Trombones

Nigel Cox (Principal)

Sub Principal vacant

Derek Bishop (Principal)

 

Tuba

Jonathan Gawn (Principal)

 

Harp

Meredith McCracken (Principal)

 

Timpani

Peter Evans (Principal)

 

Percussion

Ian Coulter (Principal)

Martin Willis (Sub Principal)