National Children’s Orchestras (NCO) returns to Woolwich Works on Sunday 23 November at 3pm with a Winter Concert that places the incredible skills and creativity of its eldest young musicians centre stage.
Performed by over 100 young musicians aged 13 and 14, this concert marks the culmination of NCO’s 2025 season of concerts and residential activities, creative music-making and wellbeing sessions.
Led by conductor Andrew Morley, the concert explores a cinematic and richly expressive programme, featuring Korngold’s The Sea Hawk, Walton’s Henry V Suite, Nino Rota’s La Strada, Mussorgsky/Ravel’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Bernard Herrmann’s Vertigo Suite and Alfred Newman’s 20th Century Fox Fanfare. It is the final showcase of young musicians’ incredible hard work and dedication, and for some of the players it marks the end of up to 6 years as part of NCO.
NCO exists to champion the life changing power of music. Each year nearly 2000 children aged 8 to 14 from across the UK take part in NCO activities. These can include auditioned weekend and week-long residential activities, non-auditioned orchestral days, activities in schools and community hubs and accessing free tickets to concerts.
The organisation believes that playing orchestral music together can unleash children’s creativity and create supportive communities that enrich lives. The confidence, resilience and teamwork learned through music become skills for life, developing empathy, resilience and courage and preparing them for a future filled with possibilities.
NCO offers a limited number of free tickets to its performances issued on this occasion to local families in Woolwich and Greenwich through schools and the local Music Education Hub.
A pre-concert talk at 2pm with conductor Andrew Morley and members of the orchestra offers audiences the chance to hear about the creative process behind the performance.
Sophie Lewis, Chief Executive of NCO, said: “At NCO, we know the power of music for young people and of coming together in a shared endeavour. We also recognise the absolute brilliance of these young musicians whose individual and collective flair and musicianship will no doubt wow our audience.”
