Pupils at the Yehudi Menuhin School rarely get a chance to work with wind players. However, this term, Bennet Ortman had the wonderful opportunity to perform with Emma Johnson in Mozart's Kegelstatt Trio, and on Saturday our string orchestra had the opportunity to rehearse the slow movement of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with young Lucas Dick, son of Amanda Hurton, herself a past pupil at the school when she was a young pianist.
Although only 9 years old, and having been learning the clarinet for only a year and a half, Lucas has won the opportunity to perform the work with a youth orchestra later this month.
Our rehearsal with him was an opportunity for him to gain some experience playing with an orchestra, and it was a wonderful experience for all of us. His clarinet teacher, the great clarinettist David Campbell (pictured here with Lucas and our Director of Music, Malcolm Singer), came to help out at the session.