CIT CSM students were delighted to spend the day with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra yesterday. The six students, Ciara O’ Toole, Barry O’ Connell, Cian O’ Sullivan, Denise Crowley, Eva McNally and James Brockie sat in with the orchestra as they rehearsed for their upcoming concert of West End and Broadway Theatre music.
Popular Music Lecturer, David Hayes, contacted Mr. Stephen Hill (Guest Conductor) and Mr. Andrew Smith (RTÉCO Manager) both of whom responded with great enthusiasm and suggested that the students not only attend but also be placed amongst the 45-piece group. This gave the students the opportunity to see the various orchestral players’ perspectives and demands and get a genuine and exacting overview of a real world orchestral situation. The students’ had a bird’s-eye view of Conductor Stephen Hill and were alongside the legendary Jimmy Smyth on guitars, CIT CSM Lecturer Stephen Kelly on drums and CIT CSM Lecturer David Hayes on piano. Conducting a large ensemble as well as large ensemble brass and string orchestrations are module elements of BAPM course so the students gained great experience from this outing.
We are very grateful to Andrew Smith, Stephen Hill and the RTÉCO musicians, for such a fantastic experience. And indeed we are also grateful to the six students, all of whom, (despite a rather early start to the day!!!), represented the CIT CSM in such a positive light that we have since been invited back and this wonderful door is now opened. We look forward to developing this relationship with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.