Over the winter holidays, on something of an impulse I took up a last minute opportunity to join the newly founded Caledonian Chamber Orchestra course. I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I’m always up for a new musical challenge and so on a very snowy late December morning, my cello and I made the journey up to the beautiful town of Crieff in Perthshire.

The snowy conditions made it quite an adventure to get there (I had to be pushed up a hill by some very kind local dog walkers!) - but I’m so glad I made the effort. Aimed at trainee professional musicians and advanced amateurs, the course is an intensive four days of rehearsals culminating in two concerts. Bringing an orchestra together and preparing a programme in such a short space of time is a unique challenge, but one that everyone involved stepped up to admirably. A lot was accomplished in both the sectionals and full orchestra rehearsals , and we were able to explore some really detailed performance technicalities such as Baroque-style bowing for the lovely Christmas Concerto by Corelli.

The tutors were of course fabulous and inspiring, as they so often are in these kinds of events. One tutor commented to me how much she enjoys working with amateur musicians in particular, as she finds they bring with them a real dedication to and appreciation of the music (we shouldn’t forget that the word amateur, despite its modern connotations, stems from the word ‘love’). There are real possibilities for exceptional music making in the amateur music world, and as she put it, often the main difference between serious amateurs and professionals is simply a better ability to pretend they know what they are doing!

At the end of the third day, we carefully packed up the mini-bus with our instruments and took ourselves off to the venue for our first performance, Comrie parish church. Despite the freezing cold conditions (I must remember to wear more layers next time!), there was the sense of a real buzz amongst the musicians with a live audience to perform to and showcase our hard work. The second concert on the following day was in the stunning Fowlis Wester church, a historic building which dates back to the 13th century. What struck me in both cases was how genuinely appreciative the audiences were; it’s a real privilege to play in such beautiful venues and bring high quality performances to small communities such as these.

One of the particular joys of these courses is the spontaneous chamber music that takes place in the evenings once the serious business of rehearsing is over. After a relaxing dinner (and possibly a glass of wine or two…), out come the quartets and quintets and a good deal of laughter and fun, bringing some much needed light in the darkness of winter.