A packed St Barnabas enjoyed the musical anniversary celebrations

( all photos courtesy of Roger Green)

Ealing Youth Orchestra is an independent youth orchestra which has encouraged thousands of young players since its foundation 1959 by Ealing music teacher John Railton MBE. It currently has about 90 members aged between 13 and 19 from a wide range of backgrounds who attend more than 30 different schools from West London.


Cutting the birthday cake at the 29 June 2019 Ealing Youth Orchestra 60th Anniversary Gala Concert at St Barnabas Church, Ealing are: Dr Rupa Huq MP, Ealing Acton & Central, Stephen Pound MP, Ealing North and Councillor Gregory Stafford, Leader of the Conservative Group on Ealing Council and himself a former EYO player.

Leading young composer Hannah Kendall with Christopher Brown, Chair, Ealing Youth Orchestra introduced the world premiere performance of weaves flowers and leaves, a piece commissioned by EYO for its 60th Anniversary Gala Concert.
Kendall – a former EYO player herself – explained that weaves flowers and leaves was inspired by the writing of pioneering computer programmer, mathematician and prominent Ealing figure Ada Lovelace (1815-52). The piece includes the use of a music box programmed by the composer.

For the final piece in the programme, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, the orchestra was joined by 90 former players dating back to 1959 and including two generations of the same family.

Pictured at Ealing Youth Orchestra’s 29 June 2019 60th anniversary gala concert at St Barnabas Church, Ealing are: (l-r) Dr Rupa Huq MP, Ealing Acton & Central; EYO music director Leon Gee; composer Hannah Kendall, herself former EYO member; Councillor Gregory Stafford, Leader of the Conservative Group on Ealing Council and also a former EYO player; Stephen Pound MP, Ealing North; and Christopher Brown, Chair, Ealing Youth Orchestra

1 July 2019