Seventy musicians will come together at a London venue on 26 January to mark the climax of ‘The Underground Orchestra Challenge’. The charity project was conceived a year ago by musician Shaun Buswell, who attempted to assemble ‘a full symphony orchestra’ from strangers he met on the London Underground during 2012.

The concert, taking place at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire, will include at least one violinist, violist, cellist and double bassist, along with woodwind, brass and percussion players (the full line-up will be revealed on the night). The orchestra will perform music from films containing scenes on the Underground, as well as Holst, Dvo?ák, Grieg and a specially written work by Buswell himself.

After announcing the project in January 2012, Buswell visited more than 200 Underground stations over the next twelve months, approaching anyone he saw carrying an instrument and explaining the project to them. According to his blog, he succeeded in meeting a player of every orchestral instrument: more than 90 per cent of people stopped to talk to him, and over 75 per cent took an interest in his challenge.

 

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