Orkidstra's 12th End-Of-Year concert

They are getting better and better; this is a phenomenal success story, chapters of which I have mentioned from time to time in this blog.

Everyone together for the final item in the concert.

I believe I went to the first End-Of-Year concert put on by Ottawa's Orkidstra in 2007. I remember feeling very moved on that occasion by the effort the children and had made to put on a concert at all. They were for the most part very young. The stage management in those early days was not good; it took ages to get the children all lined up in the right places for each part of their performance. This year's concert was very different, despite the far greater number of people involved, the movements on and off stage well rehearsed and slickly executed, with unobtrusive but competent help from the adults in charge. From a small group of about 40 youngsters learning to play donated instruments with the help of volunteers, this El Sistema inspired initiative has mushroomed into a city-wide movement now serving about 500 children from low-income families. The organisers are about to open a third "hub" for the work they do.

I wish I could describe the punch the young musicians put into their performances. It is electrifying.

Senior orchestra playing 'Pirates of the Caribbean'

Chris has just interrupted me to tell me that "Ottawa has a new slogan: Canada In One City." A teenage orchestra member yesterday took the microphone at one point and told us that the whole city helps to support this "Family" of theirs, so that slogan is apt.