Lots Of Extras For London Repertoire Orchestra Session

Wednesday, 20^th of May 2026

#LondonRepertoireOrchestra #VaughanWilliams #LondonSymphony #orchestra #brass #wind #strings #contrabassoon #BassClarinet 

We had lots of extras in for the London Repertoire Orchestra session tonight – contrabassoon, bass clarinet, tuba, cor anglais, piccolo, cornets (actually trumpets pretending to be cornets). It was a fine sound for Vaughan Williams’ London Symphony. 

It felt historic, playing from parts that are 100 years old. 

The parts were bought by the British Council to promote British music overseas – and they travelled. They are marked in Rome, Kiev, Moscow, Tokyo, Rio de Janiero, Holland. Ruth Gipps acquired them for the London Repertoire Orchestra library probably in the 1970s. 

Lots of action for the brass!