Rochdale Youth Orchestra ‘Summer Spectacular’

Christine Longhurst, Ken Davies MBE, Sian Morton, Chris Jolly, Keith Swift, Sue Etchells, Sue Verity, Mayor of Rochdale Councillor Biant, MP Liz McInnes, Joan Davies, Maureen Cooper MBE. Front: Ella Edwards, Jasper Bramwell and James Moore.

Rochdale Youth Orchestra’s ‘Summer Spectacular’ concert took place in the Gracie Fields Theatre on Saturday with special guests the Mayor of Rochdale, Councillor Surinder Biant, Liz McInnes, MP for Rochdale and Heywood, RYO President Keith Swift and dignitaries from Rochdale Childer which sponsors Rochdale Youth Orchestra, President Maureen Cooper MBE and Chairman Keith Fairhurst.

Master of Ceremonies for the evening was Ken Davies MBE. and guest performers for the evening were Holy Trinity C.E. School Choir with musical director Christine Longhurst.
The children delighted the audience with their enthusiastic singing of songs from their repertoire including ‘Sometime, Somewhere’ and the spiritual ‘All Night All Day’

The programme from the orchestra, with musical director Sue Verity, was on the theme of songs from the musicals and included ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ from The Wizard of Oz’ and ‘Tonight’ from ‘West Side Story’. A selection of favourites from Abba including ‘Money Money Money’ and ‘Mamma Mia’ involved the audience joining in with foot-tapping and singing.

RYO’s Jazz Ensemble, directed by Chris Jolly, performed the well-known ‘Waltz No 2 from Jazz suite No 2 by Shostakovich and Thriller by Michael Jackson.’

The concert concluded with all the children taking part in the finale which continued the theme of songs from the musicals – including ‘Do Re Mi’ from ‘The Sound of Music’ and ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ from ‘Mary Poppins’.