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A search for the orchestra that best captures the spirit of British amateur music-making. In episode two the four remaining amateur orchestras must get to grips with opera.

Four-part series looking for the orchestra that best captures the spirit of great British amateur music-making in the UK.

Presented by Proms host and former Strictly Come Dancing finalist Katie Derham, it attempts to get under the skin of the real musical and personal challenges that face five amateur orchestras as they try to truly come together and rise to new musical heights. Can the players master their sheet music while also getting on with their varied day jobs as farmers, supermarket workers, carers and undertakers? Who will rise to the challenge? And who will find themselves dismissed from the contest?

In episode two, the five amateur orchestras have become four - The North Devon Sinfonia, The London Gay Symphony Orchestra, The Stirling Orchestra and The People's Orchestra from Birmingham, who must all get to grips with opera. It's hard enough for professionals to play with opera singers - how will the cheesemakers, lupin-growers and GCSE students of our amateur orchestras cope?

Each orchestra receives a masterclass from the series judge, world-renowned conductor Paul Daniel, while double-bass maestro Chi-chi Nwanoku mentors each orchestra as they strive to reach their full potential.

1 hour

Last on

Sun 11 Sep 2016 01:15

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:00

    Edward Elgar

    Pomp snd Circumstance March No 1 

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Barry Tuckwell.
  • 00:00

    Ludwig van Beethoven

    Symphony No 5 

    Orchestra: North Devon Sinfonia .
  • 00:01

    Hector Louis Berlioz

    Symphonie Fantastique: IV. Marche au supplice

    Orchestra: The People's Orchestra .
  • 00:01

    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Symphony VI

    Orchestra: The London Gay Orchestra .
  • 00:01

    Antonín Dvořák

    New World Symphony 

    Orchestra: The Stirling Orchestra .
  • 00:01

    Sergey Rachmaninov

    Symphony No 2 

    Orchestra: The Slaithwaite Orchestra .
  • 00:03

    Composer: Bizet, Georges

    Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre from Carmen

    Librettist: Ludovic Halévy. Librettist: Henri Meilhac. Orchestra: The People's Orchestra . Featured Artist: Rick Zwart.
  • 00:05

    Georges Bizet

    Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre from Carmen

    Librettist: Ludovic Halévy. Librettist: Henri Meilhac. Performer: Jacqueline Burke.
  • 00:07

    Giacomo Puccini

    Musetta's Waltz from La Boheme

    Orchestra: London Gay Orchestra. Featured Artist: Elizabeth Karani .
  • 00:10

    Bastille

    Good Grief

  • 00:11

    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Lensky's Aria from Eugene Onegin

    Orchestra: North Devon Sinfonia. Featured Artist: Peter Aisha.
  • 00:16

    James

    Nothing But Love

  • 00:17

    Giacomo Puccini

    Un Bel Di from Madam Butterfly

    Orchestra: Stirling Orchestra. Featured Artist: Charlie Drummond .
  • 00:19

    Giacomo Puccini

    Un Bel Di from Madam Butterfly

    Performer: Jen van der Zwet.
  • 00:21

    Georges Bizet

    Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre from Carmen

    Librettist: Ludovic Halévy. Librettist: Henri Meilhac. Performer: Nigel and Danny from The People's Orchestra.
  • 00:22

    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Lensky's Aria from Eugene Onegin (double Bass) 

    Performer: Jo Townsend from North Devon Sinfonia.
  • 00:26

    Giacomo Puccini

    Un Bel Di from Madam Butterfly 

    Orchestra: Stirling Orchestra .
  • 00:26

    Giacomo Puccini

    Un Bel Di from Madam Butterfly

    Performer: Fraser and Elliot Harris from Stirling Orchestra.
  • 00:28

    Georges Bizet

    Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre from Carmen

    Librettist: Ludovic Halévy. Librettist: Henri Meilhac. Orchestra: The People's Orchestra .
  • 00:29

    Sergey Rachmaninov

    Morceaux de Fantaisie 

    Performer: Sheku & Isata Kanneh-mason .
  • 00:31

    Giacomo Puccini

    Musetta's Waltz From La Boheme

    Orchestra: London Gay Orchestra. Featured Artist: Elizabeth Karani .
  • 00:32

    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Lensky's Aria From Eugene Onegin

    Performer: Sarah Conibear from North Devon Sinfonia.
  • 00:33

    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Lensky's Aria From Eugene Onegin

    Performer: North Devon Sinfonia Woodwind Section.
  • 00:35

    Giacomo Puccini

    Musetta's Waltz From La Boheme

    Performer: Des & Peter from London Gay Orchestra on flute .
  • 00:36

    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Lensky's Aria from Eugene Onegin 

    Orchestra: North Devon Sinfonia .
  • 00:37

    Johann Sebastian Bach

    °Õ´Ç³¦³¦²¹³Ù²¹Ìý

    Performer: Myleene Klass.
  • 00:40

    Giacomo Puccini

    Un Bel Di from Madam Butterfly

    Orchestra: Stirling Orchestra. Featured Artist: Jennifer Davids.
  • 00:44

    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Lensky's Aria From Eugene Onegin

    Orchestra: North Devon Sinfonia. Featured Artist: Samuel Sakker.
  • 00:48

    Giacomo Puccini

    Musetta's Waltz From La Boheme

    Orchestra: London Gay Orchestra. Featured Artist: Lauren Fagan.
  • 00:50

    Coldplay

    A Sky Full of Stars

  • 00:51

    Georges Bizet

    Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre from Carmen

    Librettist: Ludovic Halévy. Librettist: Henri Meilhac. Orchestra: People's Orchestra. Featured Artist: Samuel Dale Johnson .
  • 00:55

    Ludovico Einaudi

    ³¢´Ç²µ´Ç²õÌý

  • 00:58

    Richard Strauss

    Concerto For Oboe In D Major 

    Orchestra: London Gay Symphony Orchestra .
  • 00:58

    Derek David Bourgeois

    Concerto For Trombone, 3rd Movement 

    Orchestra: North Devon Sinfonia .
  • 00:58

    Richard Strauss

    Concerto For Oboe in D Major 

    Orchestra: London Gay Symphony Orchestra .
  • 00:58

    Peter Miles Davies

    An Orkney Wedding with Sunrise 

    Orchestra: Stirling Orchestra .
  • 00:58

    Ludwig van Beethoven

    Symphony No 7 - In A Presto 

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Katie Derham
Series Producer Chi Ukairo
Executive Producer Claire Whalley
Producer James Taylor
Director James Taylor

Broadcasts