Universities for Nottingham & BBC Concert Orchestra at the Royal Concert Hall

Tue 7 Jan 2025

Rarely do amateur singers have the opportunity to perform with a professional orchestra. For members of the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University Choirs, joining the BBC Concert Orchestra to perform Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana at the Royal Concert Hall on 4 December was particularly exhilarating and, for many, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

This concert was the highlight of the autumn project for the Universities for Nottingham and BBC Concert Orchestra residency partnership. Now in its second year, this unique collaboration provides students from both universities with unparalleled opportunities to engage with a world-class orchestra. Through performing, composing, creating film, and receiving career guidance from music professionals, students gain invaluable experience to propel their artistic journeys.

The University of Nottingham Choir, comprising students, staff, and alumni from diverse disciplines, rehearsed weekly under the expert direction of professional conductor Rachel Parkes and accompanist Rob Challinor. In the lead-up to the concert, intensive rehearsals over three days with the BBC CO’s conductor George Jackson, professional soloists, and choristers from Southwell Minster added a thrilling final touch. The performance was recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on 10 December at 7.30 pm that can be listened to here until 9 January 2025.

Rehearsals

a group of people photographed from the back singing with their conductor visible in the front — Photo by Alex Wilkinson

a male conductor instructing seated singers in a rehearsal hall — Photo by Alex Wilkinson

Each university choir showcased their individual talents during the first half of the concert. The University of Nottingham Choir performed Eric Whitacre’s Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine, an inventive and evocative a cappella piece selected by Lakeside Arts’s Head of Music, Catherine Hocking.

The success of the event was bolstered by the Marketing and Communications teams of both universities, who effectively promoted the concert, capturing video, photos, and enthusiastic student interviews. The turnout exceeded expectations, with an audience of over 1,800 filling the Royal Concert Hall. The concert earned a 4-star review from Reviewsgate.co.uk :

“This performance of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana set the pulse racing before even a note of it was heard.” (William Ruff)

For the performers, this was more than just a concert—it was a milestone achievement. The audience left inspired, and the students cherished memories they will carry for years to come.