There are some concerts where you leave talking about a particular solo or favourite piece. Then there are concerts that make you rethink what an orchestras purpose can be. The National Open Youth Orchestra’s concert with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales at the Wales Millennium Centre was very much the latter.

NOYO is the world’s first disabled-led national youth orchestra, bringing together talented disabled and non-disabled young musicians from across the UK. For Cardiff, this orchestra has a special connection. The city is home to one of NOYO’s regional ensembles, based at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. Young musicians rehearse there throughout the year, building their confidence and musical skills before progressing to national performances like this one.

Since its launch in 2018, the National Open Youth Orchestra and its partners have successfully established a programme for young disabled musicians to develop their skills at an advanced level, offering accessible ensemble practice and performance opportunities in five regions. Alongside young musicians, the orchestra has pushed the boundaries of contemporary classical music, inspiring composers with a new range of instrument sounds and showing it could help widen audiences for contemporary classical music through relaxed performances. All National Open Youth Orchestra musicians have come through the ranks of five regional NOYO Ensembles, which are delivered through major partnerships in London, Bournemouth, Bristol, Birmingham and Cardiff.

The concert celebrated what an orchestra can become when accessibility is treated as part of the creative process rather than something added afterwards. Alongside violins, brass and percussion were electronic instruments such as the Clarion, played on an iPad. Rather than feeling unusual, they blended naturally into the orchestra’s sound, creating colours and textures that felt completely at home.

It’s easy to forget just how much work goes into a performance like this. Speaking about the tour, Cardiff NOYO member Josh Phelps, explained that preparation had started months before the concert.

“Since September, we have done three in-person rehearsals in Bristol, Birmingham and London. We spent four days together on a residential course over Easter as well as several online sessions.”

Asked what had stood out most, his answer was refreshingly simple.

“I’ve most enjoyed performing in prestigious venues, giving the premiere of The Orchestra: A Young Person’s Guide and seeing audiences enjoying our concerts.”

That enjoyment was obvious in Cardiff. There was a warmth between the players that couldn’t be rehearsed. Smiles were exchanged after solos, musicians encouraged one another throughout the performance and there was a genuine feeling that everyone on stage wanted each other to succeed. It created an atmosphere that was impossible not to respond to as an audience member.

The concert also highlighted another side of NOYO that often goes unseen. Daisy Evans, a graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, supports delivery of the Cardiff NOYO sessions and spoke about how working with the orchestra has shaped her own career.

Daisy explained that before joining NOYO she had worked in inclusive music-making and instrumental teaching, but the orchestra had allowed her to develop those skills in a professional orchestral environment. She has arranged music to suit different learning styles, conducted everything from classical repertoire to film music and improvisation, and worked one-to-one with musicians to ensure they can take part in rehearsals in ways that work best for them.

During this tour Daisy supported a musician performing on the Clarion, helping with setting up the instrument, following colour-coded notation during rehearsals and providing support during the performance itself. Sometimes that support was practical. Sometimes, she said, it was simply offering a reassuring smile after a solo.

After the Cardiff performance she asked some of the musicians how they had felt. One admitted to being nervous before walking on stage, but said those nerves disappeared once the music started.

For Daisy, that’s what makes live performance so important.

She believes making music together creates opportunities for young people to build friendships, express themselves and communicate in ways that don’t always rely on words. For many musicians, those shared experiences can be just as valuable as the performance itself.

That sense of belonging ran through the whole evening. The partnership with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales never felt like experienced professionals leading from the front. Instead, it felt like musicians sharing a stage, learning from one another and celebrating what could be achieved together.

Too often conversations around accessibility focus on what people can’t do. NOYO quietly turns that conversation around. It simply presents brilliant young musicians making ambitious music at the highest level, with the support and technology that allow everyone to contribute fully.

The centrepiece of the evening was The Orchestra: A Young Person’s Guide by Charlotte Harding, arranged by Liam Taylor-West, read by Niamh Moriarty .Inspired by Britten’s famous guide to the orchestra, this felt like a work written for today’s generation. Every section had its moment, but more importantly every musician seemed to have a place within the story the music was telling.

Thanks to NOYO for giving us permission to reproduce this below, a wonderful illustration of the power of culture and access working hand in hand.

The Orchestra: A Young Person’s Guide, Charlotte Harding, arr. Liam Taylor-West

I – Particles

It moves the energy in the air,
Particles, frequencies, vibes, sync into our skin, our bones, our hearts, our souls,
Waves of potential – traditional, experimental –
Enliven our senses through notes and tones,
That are heard, performed, composed, evolved by this unique sonic formula …
This is our orchestra.

II – Individuals

So this orchestra, it’s the sum of its parts,
Vibrations start with individual,
Bows, breaths, valves, keys pressed,
Strings, sticks, the flick of a switch,
And in this orchestra, everyone fits.

III – Sections

From individuals to aural connections,
When instruments come together, they unify into sections,
Winds, brass, percussion, electronics, strings, keys,
Melodic, homophonic, bass lines, voices, textures, beats,
There’s strength in numbers; we’re players in a team …

IV – Palettes

From individuals, to sections, to an orchestral palette …

… of kaleidoscopic colours that can paint and inhabit,
Realities, dreams, stories on a screen, variations on a theme; blue, red, yellow, green,
A portal to worlds of imagination, or a personal key for emotional articulation …

V – Tutti

This orchestra echoes the past, sounds in the present,
It’s creating a future sonically incandescent,
It’s a symphonic celebration of all that we are,
An open invitation to all play our part,
A universal language of joy and endeavour,
That moves us most when we are tutti, together.

NOYO play Bristol Beaon as part of this tour and the performance will be available to listen to from BCC Radio 3 here

You can find out more about the work of NOYO here