Like most people not immersed in the world of classical music, I had no clear idea of what a conductor does (other than a vague impression that they made contorted shapes in front of hyper attentive musicians!) but here I am one spring evening in a church hall in Brighton, watching a man with the incredible body language of Elvis Presley and Larry David combined, plucking gorgeous streams of melody from an enthusiastic group of players. As he swings his arms with a mix of delicate and firm musical instructions, his body movements appear totally entwined with the sound, as if he and the music were one and the same. It’s my first night working as a project coordinator/support worker for the New Note Orchestra, a charity which promotes music as a source of healing for people in recovery from addiction, and I am already mesmerised.
How did I get here? I am a singer and songwriter working in the folk and roots world; I have released six critically acclaimed albums, played Glastonbury & Cambridge folk festivals as well as venues all over the country and beyond. My albums have appeared in Mojo top ten end of year lists and I've had a Guardian album of the month, as well as live BBC radio sessions. I've even had a top 20 hit in a previous life, where I co-wrote and sang with the techno band Orbital, appearing with them on Later... with Jools Holland. But, as with many singers and musicians, I have had to supplement my musical income with other forms of work. In recent years I’ve worked for a homelessness charity, facilitating their workshops. Sadly, as so often, funding for the role dried up. So when I saw the opportunity of working with an organisation that combined both music and recovery, it seemed heaven sent.
New Note orchestra is the brainchild of former documentary maker Molly Mathieson, who quickly enlisted the help of conductor Conall Gleeson (pictured right). The initial idea was to form an ensemble made up of musicians who were recovering from addiction, but it soon expanded to include New Note Dance – an exploration of the 12 steps of recovery expressed through dance, art and creative writing, New Note Strummers – a weekly guitar playing forum and Key Changers, a scheme where musicians with lived experience of recovery take their skills into the communities and homeless hostels to provide music workshops for other vulnerable people.
New Note are often involved in exciting projects and this year has seen a wonderful collaboration between them and players from the London Philharmonic Orchestra, culminating in an album of originally composed and classic material. The album, Bloom, is now available to stream on Spotify.
One of the things I’ve found intriguing is how the orchestra incorporates new players, especially those with lots of enthusiasm but limited musical experience. Improvisation methods are used to unite experienced and non-experienced musicians, using instruments such as hand bells. When I think of orchestras I see people reading perfectly scored sheet music but participants here are never excluded if they can't follow staff notation. Conall uses a wonderful array of methods to allow everyone to play the complicated scores. Some players read, others have a hybrid of scored music with numbers, some are given tablature, and others are given squiggles, numbers and colours to follow. It’s inspirational to watch and to hear how it all unfolds.
So how has all of that led me to be standing in the middle of the only stork sanctuary in southern England on a summer afternoon? Some years ago Knepp nature reserve embarked on a project to recover the stork community, absent from the area for 600 years. That recovery theme chimed with the New Notes participants, and the orchestra were invited to travel together to play, reflect and be inspired whilst listening to the stork bills clattering! Those themes of nature and recovery are the themes we’re taking forward throughout the autumn, winter and onwards. Perhaps by springtime next year some of this creativity will Bloom into a whole new project?
