Posted on 9 January 2012
The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain kicked off the 2012 Cultural Olympiad with the world premiere of HandsFree, a new commission - without instruments - proudly supported by the Musicians Benevolent Fund in partnership with PRS for Music Foundation.
At the end of their concerts at Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall and the Barbican in London on 5 and 6 January, the 150 young musicians of the National Youth Orchestra put down their instruments to perform Handsfree, a new and innovative commission by composer Anna Meredith.
They created a unique spectacle combining clapping, body percussion, beat boxing, stamping and swaying leaving both the audience and players exhilarated. Critics hailed it as a ‘tour de force’ for the NYO and In The Times Richard Morrison said ‘The year is only a week old, but I will be amazed if I hear a more original orchestral piece’.
The commission was part of New Music 20x12, a Cultural Olympiad programme consisting of twenty new pieces of music, each of 12 minutes in length, celebrating the talent and imagination of the UK’s musical community. Following premieres across Britain, all 20 pieces will be performed at a festival at London’s Southbank Centre from 13-15 July.
Tom Service spoke to Anna Meredith and members of the NYO about the piece on Radio 3’s Music Matters on Saturday 7 January. Listen online or download the podcast. The full performance – recorded live in Liverpool on 5 January – will be broadcast on Radio 3’s Hear and Now on 21 April. Listen to Anna Meredith give an introduction about the piece and take a sneak preview.