It’s a Silver Jubilee for Bath Philharmonia as they celebrate two and a half decades of orchestral music as well as music-making support in schools and for young carers. We talk to a selection of people who have strong links with the orchestra.
Bath Philharmonia kicked off with a bang in May 2000, gathering nearly 1000 musicians to perform Mahler’s 8th Symphony in Bath’s iconic Green Park Station. Since then, this dynamic ensemble led by inspirational music director Jason Thornton, has evolved into the city’s premier professional orchestra, featuring stellar soloists like Nicola Benedetti, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, and Peter Donohoe. Today, Bath Philharmonia delights over 20,000 people each year across the south west, and in its 25th anniversary year it stands as a cornerstone of Bath’s cultural scene, bringing world-class talent to the city.
But Bath Phil isn’t just about grand performances. It spends as much time in community halls and schools as it does on stage, offering music-making workshops that help young people discover their musical talents. For the past 14 years, Bath Phil has also been a champion for Young Carers, shining a light on these unsung heroes and empowering them to express themselves through music, boosting their confidence and resilience.
The orchestra’s legacy is a tribute to initial investor Brian Roper, a local businessman who believed in civic pride and understood the impact of arts and culture on local communities. Bath Phil is a registered charity that is reliant on the generosity of many trusts, foundations and individuals to support their work.
Known for its friendliness and inclusivity, Bath Philharmonia is offering every household in Bath & North East Somerset a complimentary ticket to one of its concerts during its 25th Anniversary Season. bathphil.co.uk/bathphilforfree
Jason Thornton, music director
I can’t quite believe it’s 25 years. It has been the privilege of my life to work alongside a group of virtuoso orchestral musicians for so long that we have become family. I’m proud to say that Bath Phil is acknowledged as one of the happiest orchestras in the UK, and I wouldn’t change any of our musical adventures together.
So many memorable moments, but I’d mention us being the first orchestra to play at the Eden Project in 2003, in front of the beautifully lit domes in a concert narrated by Jenny Agutter. I also remember pianist Peter Donohoe joining Bath Phil in 2001 for the first time at the Bath Festival for Busoni’s monumental Piano Concerto. Another notable date in more recent years was performing Richard Strauss’ Four Last Songs with Renee Fleming in 2012 at Doddington Hall.
During 2020 we mounted the only live orchestral concert in the UK with Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason with a socially distanced orchestra and audience with all of us wearing masks and spraying every music stand with disinfectant. In 2023 we took members of Bath Phil and a group of Young Carers to Parliament to perform in front of MPs and Lords highlighting Young Carer issues – an incredibly emotional performance and the only live music ever performed while the house was sitting. And since 2022 we have co-created work with school children and young carers in all our concerts.
It is never a chore to come together and play. We all absolutely love it, so the sound we produce has presence and joy – as a result people seem to love to come to our concerts, and soloists want to come back again and again. I also think that our collective non-formal, entertaining and experimental programming and welcoming approach on stage makes our music-making resonate with the same sense of fun and love. When you have this, everything remains fresh.
Cam Johnson, drummer and percussionist
I’m a drummer and percussionist and I did a placement with Bath Phil as part of my university course and fell in love with the projects – I was so excited when they offered me a chance to train with them as a music leader. Nine years on, the projects we do are still the favourite parts of my year. I love getting to see how excited the young people get about pulling their ideas into the final performances, and especially the looks on their faces on stage at The Forum for the pieces we integrate into the concerts.
One of my favourite memories is a project where on the first day there was a young carer who was exceedingly nervous. They wouldn’t take their jacket off, hid under a table, and wouldn’t talk to anyone. That afternoon during an art activity, they were drawing in incredible detail and I gently asked them about it. We started talking about their love of animation, then the video games we both enjoyed, then cartoon series – and from there, they felt safe enough to join my music group for the afternoon. They then stuck with me every day for the rest of the project! They even opened up to making friends with other young carers.
Everything Bath Phil aims to do is incredible: giving children a chance to explore music, gain confidence in creating and performing, tackling social barriers and exploring wellbeing alongside the art and music, experiencing what a professional performance looks and feels like. I feel incredibly lucky to get to be a part of such a caring, passionate, and genuinely lovely team.
Bryn Williams, Venue Manager at The Forum
Bath Forum and The Phil’s relationship goes back decades with performances in the building before The Forum was a proper venue. In more recent times the relationship has grown, until now the orchestra presents a full programme of works each season. Bath Phil are a vital part of our own programme giving the people of Bath access to wonderful musicians and guest soloists.
I’ve especially loved the relationship that the orchestra has developed with the Kanneh-Mason family as we’ve invited multiple members of the family to play in the Forum with Bath Philharmonia, providing encouragement and a professional platform for them. The orchestra is embedded in the community, and as a venue we are hugely supportive of the audience experience. Indeed it’s that togetherness in music, including with their music-based Young Carers projects, that gives such an uplifting feel to their evenings.
Declan Daly, principal 2nd violinist
I have been a member of the orchestra for coming up to 15 years. When I was invited all those years ago to perform a concert in Bath, little did I know I would be offered a senior position in the band and the orchestra would be instrumental in my leaving London and settling in the west with my young family. Best move ever.
What I love about the orchestra is the friendliness and open mindedness of the musicians and audiences here in Bath and Bristol. Nothing is too much, everyone is up for trying something new and people smile more in the west, not to mention some good rugby too!
With excellent direction from Jason the conductor and Simone our MD, the orchestra has gone from strength to strength with world-famous soloists performing with us and fabulous workshops and concerts with Young Carers. The Joy and Love of music and life is so precious and this orchestra and its members are doing great work for all the people of Bath to enjoy.
Charlotte Foley, ex-Young Carer and participant in many of Bath Phil’s education projects
I was a teenage Young Carer struggling to cope with my life and education when I met the Bath Phil Creative Learning team a decade ago. It was a lifeline as I was able to talk about my challenges and experiences through shared music-making with them in such a safe, warm and supported environment.
I never imagined that I would this year be helping give the same support to other young people, let alone standing on stage confidently with the full symphony orchestra, singing solos, meeting world-class musicians and performing my own co-written song with young carers to a standing ovation from a full concert hall! That was such a special moment.
The Creative Learning Team has a unique formula that makes creating original songs with powerful messages really accessible to everyone. It’s been fabulous to see the enthusiasm of the young people and the professionalism of the performances. There were some truly magic moments for me, like standing up front in Bath Abbey conducting, especially leading a verse silently using Makaton sign language at the opening of Bath Festival.
I will forever be grateful for the opportunities that Jason Thornton and his team have given me.
Jeremy Little, founder member and timpani/percussion
Playing in an orchestra is such a joy. It is an amazing experience to see so many people coming together and working in such a dedicated and detailed way to produce something so close to perfection. The orchestra is very friendly and has a lovely atmosphere and family feel. The programme for each concert is well thought out and it is always a pleasure to play a wide variety of music. The soloists are always excellent and it is great to work with some up and coming young musicians too. My personal highlight was playing a piece by John Williams called Catch Me if You Can for saxophone, vibraphone, double bass and orchestra with the fabulous Jess Gillam.
Rupert Drury, Director of Music, King Edward’s School (KES)
King Edward’s School is extremely proud of its partnership with our city’s fabulous professional orchestra, Bath Philharmonia, and we have been working together for 11 years.
The programme has had a huge impact on hundreds of pupils, principally orchestral musicians, but also singers and popular music instrumentalists. The showcase is our annual Bath Orchestral Gala Concert where the KES Senior Orchestra and Bath Phil play repertoire together, and separately.
This year the Gala Concert performance at The Forum, Our Diverse World, saw the massed forces of 300 performers on stage with over 1000 audience members. There was the KES Community Choir, two orchestras, three top KES pupil concerto soloists, four KES pupil choirs, the KES Soul funk band and performances by the KES Baroque Group, the KES Percussion Ensemble, and numerous vocal and orchestral pupil soloists, plus three bespoke stage bands! What a night!
We also work together on a set of rousing and nurturing musical opportunities. This includes orchestral workshops; solo performance masterclasses from Bath Phil; the opportunity to watch Bath Phil rehearsals and attend their concerts and to meet international musical superstars. I can’t tell you how much we are grateful to Bath Phil – it’s no accident that we have had so many of our A-Level musicians going on to higher education and conservatoires to train for careers in the music industry. There is no other orchestra like it!
Jo Sercombe, from Bath Phil’s Creative Learning Team
What I love about the creative learning work is how transformative it can be, particularly for young people who have limited opportunities to experience live music-making, playing instruments, creating their own music, and performing in a large ensemble. The first time I heard a symphony orchestra I was amazed at the sound and I want other young people to share that moment of wonder. You never know, it could set them on a path to a whole new passion in their life, both playing and appreciating live music.
It’s a joy to be the host of the annual ‘Snowman’ concert – seeing The Forum full of excited families and hearing the orchestra play the sound-track live is a special Christmas treat. I’ll always remember the Creative Learning Team’s project for the arrival of the Olympic torch on Bournemouth Beach in 2012. Dressed in a costume made of deckchair fabric, surrounded by talented young musicians and playing keyboards in their piece, to an audience of 10,000 people was a real ‘wow, is this really my job?’ moment for me!
Elsa, Widcombe Junior School pupil
Bath Phil invited my year to do a workshop – it was incredibly fun because we got to make sounds like the ocean, using our voices, hands and bodies. We put the sounds together and it sounded great. Then we got to see the orchestra perform their piece of music about the ocean.
I play the piano and I love to sing. My favourite instrument in the orchestra is a violin because it makes me feel so many things – I shut my eyes and can just go anywhere in the sound.
I loved seeing The Snowman as it felt magical to be inside the music and feel it glow inside me. I have also seen Young Carers on stage with Bath Phil and the music has been emotional; I’ve felt like crying because it’s beautiful. It has really made me think about how it’s important to give young carers time to make music.
I’m lucky that my Mum often takes me to see the orchestra. I specially like to see The Snowman and the Christmas music. When I see the Young Carers or school choirs sing, I feel proud that children have a voice and the freedom to make their own music with their own words in Bath.
My favourite piece of music (which I think is being performed this year) is The Lark Ascending by Vaughan Williams. My mum played it to me when it was time to go to sleep, and whenever I hear it I feel calm and think of hugs and love.
