Photo Credit above: Somerset Youth County Band
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"During the summer holidays I was given the chance to go and play music around Bavaria in Germany for one unforgettable week. In 2023 I auditioned and successfully got into Somerset Youth County Band, and since then have been able to play in many venues and to widely varied audiences as a first flute.
This July the band toured around Bavaria, playing in churches, parks, abbeys, and concert halls. We played a wide variety of music, ranging from sonatas to movie and theatre pieces. Each concert was unique but amazing, with audiences ranging from a church with eleven people in it, to concert halls and parks packed with several hundred people watching the band at once.
In between concerts we would have three rehearsals a day: one after breakfast for half an hour, one before dinner for an hour, and finally a two-hour-long rehearsal from seven until nine. In the evening, we had the option of staying at the youth hostel until eleven o'clock, or leaving the site to go to a shop or café until ten o'clock. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that gave me new friends, new skills, and new memories.
When we were not rehearsing or playing concerts, the band went to castles, went on cruises, and ventured on many other trips around Germany. One of the highlights of my trip was playing in an abbey right in the middle of Bavaria. The building was huge, with domed ceilings that reached up into the towers, creating a truly astonishing feeling. The acoustics were incredible, with the stone walls and open ceilings making the sound go up and around the room, surrounding the audience. It was an unforgettable moment that really showed how good you can be if you go on these adventures and open up to new experiences, new people, and new places.
The band has helped me to open my mind, realise what I am capable of, make new friends, and has boosted my playing level as well as my confidence. This means I now feel like I belong in musical groups and can add to the incredible sound we can make.
Links to YouTube videos of the band performing will be shared below for anyone who wishes to hear us play."