Harrow Orchestra story

By Yixiang Zeng

A music prodigy with only one-hand won public acclaim yesterday at a concert organised by Trinity Orchestra in Harrow.

The event was a celebration of the Orchestra's 30th anniversary with the aim to showcase the country's most talented young musicians from the Royal College of Music in London.

Nicholas McCarthy, the 21-year-old pianist who only has a left-hand, is among one of many who showed their talent on Saturday night.

He said: “It was my first time to play this piece with an Orchestra, I was very pleased because it's such a good Orchestra to play with. The audience has good reaction as well.”

Nicholas performed Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, a piece composed specifically for a one-hand pianist.

Another highlight at the event was young composer Nick White, the 16-year-old from the college's junior department, who has been commissioned for the opening piece called Bugle to mark the groups' special occasion.

He said in his own note the main melody for 'Bugle' came while improvising at the piano, “I wanted to explore the more 'solo' aspect of the orchestra in this piece, so most of the melodies here are played by one instrument at a time.”



The music director of the Orchestra Michael Murray told The HA1: “The concert is not only to celebrate the past 30 years, but also to show the talent for the next 30 years. We want to have young performers and composers who can work with us.”

The best part of the concert was when the Orchestra performed Gustav Holst's The Planets, which requires a large Orchestra.

Peter Farrell, 64, a piano teacher from Hertfordshire, said: It's absolutely fantastic and wonderful, the standard is exceptional. I think the Planets is an extremely difficult Orchestra piece, the technique and the music. All the players are exceptional for the local Orchestra.”