Paraorchestra, sometimes referred to as British Paraorchestra, based in Bristol, is an integrated

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...

of professional disabled and non-disabled musiciansthe first ever orchestra of its kind in the United Kingdom. The Paraorchestra was formed by conductor

Charles Hazlewood Charles Matthew Egerton Hazlewood (born 14 November 1966) is a British conductor. After winning the European Broadcasting Union conducting competition in 1995 whilst still in his twenties,integration Integration may refer to: Biology *Multisensory integration *Path integration * Pre-integration complex, viral genetic material used to insert a viral genome into a host genome *DNA integration, by means of site-specific recombinase technology, ...

of disabled people into music and

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...

. The orchestra performed its first live show at

Glastonbury Abbey Glastonbury Abbey was a monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. Its ruins, a grade I listed building and scheduled ancient monument, are open as a visitor attraction. The abbey was founded in the 8th century and enlarged in the 10th. It wa ...

in July 2012 (which was also the subject of a

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

documentary), and received international attention when it played alongside

Coldplay Coldplay are a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer and percussionist Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey (band m ...

during the

closing ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly constructed location or the start of an event.

of the

2012 Summer Paralympics The 2012 Summer Paralympics, branded as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were an international Multi-sport event, multi-sport parasports event held from 29 August to 9 September 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. They were the 14th Sum ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

in September 2012.

History

Origins

Charles Hazlewood was inspired by his youngest daughter Eliza to form the Paraorchestra; Eliza has

cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, spasticity, stiff muscles, Paresis, weak muscles, and tremors. There may b ...

, but Hazlewood believed that she was still an "outstanding" singer. Being the father of a child with a disability, he realized that throughout his career as an orchestral conductor, he had seen few disabled performers as members of orchestras. Hazlewood felt that since music is "universal", an orchestra should represent all members of a communitycomparing this ordeal to the time when only men performed in orchestras. He felt that an orchestra consisting only of disabled performers could spread awareness of this issue and help achieve greater

integration Integration may refer to: Biology *Multisensory integration *Path integration * Pre-integration complex, viral genetic material used to insert a viral genome into a host genome *DNA integration, by means of site-specific recombinase technology, ...

for disabled people in music and the performing arts.

Formation

Hazlewood officially announced the formation of the Paraorchestra in July 2011 at a TED conference in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

. He did not intend the Paraorchestra to be a

therapeutic A therapy or medical treatment is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a medical diagnosis. Both words, ''treatment'' and ''therapy'', are often abbreviated tx, Tx, or Tx. As a rule, each therapy has indications an ...

or "warm and fuzzy" project, but rather a platform to showcase disabled musicians with virtuosic qualities. When holding auditions, he aimed to find musicians who were "at the top of their game, technically, and with a spirit behind the virtuosity." The orchestra's first 17 members come from a variety of backgrounds and use a variety of instruments, including conventional instruments and electronic devices such as

tablet computer A tablet computer, commonly shortened to tablet, is a mobile device, typically with a mobile operating system and touchscreen display processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat package. Tablets, being computers ...

s and other assistive technology developed by

Rolf Gehlhaar Rolf Rainer Gehlhaar (30 December 1943 – 7 July 2019) was an American composer, Professor in Experimental Music at Coventry University and researcher in assistive technology for music. Life Born in Breslau, Gehlhaar was the son of a German rock ...

, Professor in Experimental Music at Coventry University and the technical director of the orchestra. After failing to partner with the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

, Hazlewood successfully commissioned British broadcaster

to produce a documentary following the formation of the Paraorchestra and its first performance, which aired on 9 September 2012. He felt airing its documentary on Channel 4 was a "no-brainer", as it was also the official broadcaster of the

. The Paraorchestra made its first public appearance on 1 July 2012 during Hazlewood's music festival "Orchestra in a Field" at

; the performance included its versions of "

Greensleeves "Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song. A broadside ballad by the name "A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves" was registered by Richard Jones at the London Stationers' Company in September 1580,Frank Kidson, ''English F ...

" and

Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...

's ''

Boléro ''Boléro'' is a 1928 work for large orchestra by French composer Maurice Ravel. It is one of Ravel's most famous compositions. It was also one of his last completed works before illness diminished his ability to write music. Composition T ...

''. The orchestra's style incorporates a large amount of

improvisation Improvisation, often shortened to improv, is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. The origin of the word itself is in the Latin "improvisus", which literally means un-foreseen. Improvis ...

, intended to allow the orchestra to feel a sense of "collective ownership" of their performances.

Involvement with the Paralympics

In 2012, Hazlewood campaigned for the Paraorchestra to be included in the ceremonies of the

in London. He felt that their inclusion in this international event would be a unique opportunity for the Paraorchestra and that it could also raise awareness of his cause. The Paraorchestra were ultimately incorporated into the

closing ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly constructed location or the start of an event.

of the Games, where it performed alongside British rock band

(accompanying them in a performance of " Strawberry Swing"), and played the Paralympic anthem. On 3 December 2012, coinciding with the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

International Day of Persons with Disabilities International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3) is an international observance promoted by the United Nations since 1992. It has been observed with varying degrees of success around the planet. The observance of the Day aims to promot ...

, the British Paraorchestra released a cover of " True Colors" as a

charity single A charity record, charity album, or charity single is a recording with most or all proceeds raised going to a dedicated foundation or charity. In 1956, The Lord's Taverners released a 78 rpm disc which contained six tracks donated by popular artis ...

, in a campaign to be Christmas number one. Accompanied by the

Kaos Signing Choir for Deaf and Hearing Children The Kaos Signing Choir for Deaf and Hearing Children is a project of The Kaos Organisation, a registered UK charity based in Haringey, London, founded in 1995 by Suzy Davies and Ali Jackson-Wood. The Kaos Signing Choir for Deaf and Hearing Child ...

and notable Britiah paralympians, the single was released to support the

British Paralympic Association The British Paralympic Association (BPA) is the National Paralympic Committee for ''Great Britain'' (GBR), and is responsible for the United Kingdom's participation in the Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics is a periodi ...

in preparation for the

2014 Winter Paralympics The 2014 Winter Paralympics (), the 11th Paralympic Winter Games, and also more generally known as the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, were an international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities governed by the International Par ...

, along with the Paraorchestra and Kaos Signing Choir themselves. The Paraorchestra was awarded a Big Society Award in September 2013. In 2022 they collaborated with the Irish composer Hannah Peel and that resulted in an album titled: ''The Unfolding'', featuring the soprano Victoria Otuwari.

Members

The Paraorchestra began with 17 members. Its founder members in 2012 included Nicholas McCarthy, a one-handed pianist who was a recent graduate from the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music (RCM) is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including pe ...

, Clarence Adoo, a former jazz trumpet player who was paralysed below the shoulders after a car accident in 1995 (and who played an instrument known as "Headspace", which is controlled by breath and head motions, developed for him by

), Gemma Lunt, a

viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

player who uses a

wheelchair A wheelchair is a mobilized form of chair using two or more wheels, a footrest, and an armrest usually cushioned. It is used when walking is difficult or impossible to do due to illnesses, injury, disabilities, or age-related health conditio ...

and Lyn Levett, who uses a

Macintosh Mac is a brand of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple since 1984. The name is short for Macintosh (its official name until 1999), a reference to the McIntosh (apple), McIntosh apple. The current product lineup inclu ...

to play what Hazlewood feels is "dizzyingly creative"

electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...

. Blind members of the Paraorchestra in 2012 included pianist and violinist Abi Baker, James Risdon on recorder,

Matthew Wadsworth Matthew Wadsworth (born 1974) is an English lutenist. Wadsworth was born in Manchester with blindness. He attended a school for the visually impaired as a child, but at age 16 he became the first blind student at Chetham's School of Music in Man ...

on the

lute A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck (music), neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lu ...

, violist Takashi Kikuchi, and multi-instrumentalists Baluji Shrivastav and Ziad Sinno. In 2012 the Paraorchestra added 15-year-old hearing-impaired

player Tilly Chester to its lineup. Hazlewood had encountered her playing with the National Youth Orchestraof which she was also a member.

References

External links

*
The debut of the British Paraorchestra
at TEDxBrussels in 2011 {{DEFAULTSORT:Paraorchestra Disability in the arts Musical groups established in 2012 2012 establishments in England Disability organisations based in the United Kingdom English orchestras