James Allen Community Orchestra
Conductor: Leigh O'Hara
Leader: Caroline Davis

Listening to James Allen Community Orchestra’s stunning performance of Schubert’s Symphony No.8 (unfinished) and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 in E minor on Saturday 25 April, you could thank your lucky stars for the enlightened vision that saw the birth of JACO several years ago, and gave senior JAGS girls the opportunity to play with ex-pupils, together with current and ex-members of staff, as well as local professional and non-professional musicians. A true community collaboration, fund-raising for a community charity, Dulwich Helpline, in a long-established partnership.

It is immediately striking that conductor Leigh O’Hara, JAGS Director of Music, is working with immensely talented people, across a huge age-range, and that the youngest and the oldest players are united in their enthusiasm for playing great works. Local musician Libby Wilde values the opportunity for teachers and professionals to play with young people.  Ex pupil Lizzie Thompson (Percussion at the Royal College of Music and violin and choral scholar at Kings College London ) loves the chance to sink her teeth into repertoire that she wouldn’t normally get to play; the orchestra always plays major classical works and recent performances include Sibelius’ Second Symphony, Shostakovich’s  Fifth Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Dvorak’s Eighth Symphony, Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony and Mahler’s First Symphony. A lot of the orchestra clearly appreciate the meaty repertoire Leigh chooses and the way in which the rehearsals work: ‘classical music in a relaxed atmosphere’. James Allen Community Orchestra rehearses intensively over a period of two days before each of its two local performances. There’s a clear community spirit when you are thrown together for that purpose. Claire Cheshire, an NHS manager, really likes the social aspect of playing in the orchestra, making friends with other musicians and re-kindling friendships at each concert. It’s a good way to keep in touch with and support the school for ex-pupils. Jessica Smith left JAGS in 1991 and is now a French and Spanish teacher, and enjoys coming back to JAGS. Catherine Borner (Music at York and Repetiteur Studies at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music)  has played with the orchestra since its inception, and has been teaching piano at JASSPA for five years.

With the sun streaming through the Holst stained glass windows, it was easy to imagine that a little of his genius was there on Saturday. As a former teacher of music at JAGS, he would have approved of the philosophy behind JACO. You can’t overstate the value of the experience for everyone involved.

If you would like to be involved with the orchestra in any way, please email jaco@jags.org.uk or phone 020 8613 6436. To find out more about the work of Dulwich Helpline, which offers friendly volunteer support for isolated older people, visit www.dulwich-helpline.org.uk