National Youth Orchestra and Minnesota Orchestra meet at Brixton

A peaceful Sunday afternoon in Brixton was recently pleasantly disrupted by the South African National Youth Orchestra (Sanyo).

The orchestra paid a visit to the community and performed classical and local pieces at the Brixton Church in Putney Road.

Sanyo managing director, Sophia Welz told the audience that the performance is a demonstration of why people need to invest in the arts.

The youth orchestra had been practising alongside the visiting Minnesota Orchestra, perfecting their performances. Welz said it had been an honour to learn from their musicians.

The Minnesota Orchestra was ending off their five-city tour of South Africa. It marked the first visit to the country by a professional US orchestra.

The orchestra’s associate conductor Roderick Cox led the concert in Brixton.

After the 2-hour performance, the youth orchestra led the audience outside the church hall and continued to play on the sidewalk. This quickly drew attention from neighbours.

Many of the community members, like a group from the Children of Fire home in Auckland Park, had never seen a live orchestra and were clearly mesmerised.

First-timer Matlhatsi Mphahlele was taken away by the performance. “It hits you right in the chest,” she said.

The South African National Youth Orchestra is a non-profit foundation and relies heavily on donations to help nourish young South African musical talent, and Welz encouraged any contribution.

Visit www.sanyo.org.za for more information.

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