When Benjamin Britten wrote The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra in 1945, he created an incredible introduction to the instruments, sections and sounds of the orchestra. So, when the National Open Youth Orchestra (NOYO), the world’s first disabled-led national youth ensemble, commissioned me to create a new guide to the orchestra for the 21st century, I found myself returning to Britten’s piece, but asking questions such as: What is an orchestra now, and how do we experience it? What does the orchestra mean to young people today? And what might an orchestra of the future look and sound like?
The word ‘orchestra’ has an intriguing etymology: it has been suggested that it evolved from the Greek word orcheisthai, which means ‘to dance’ or ‘to move’. I was immediately inspired by the idea that an orchestra can move us physically, emotionally and even, in these modern times, technologically, and how, at its heart, it is a huge source – and force – of energy and connection. This became the starting point for the piece.
‘This orchestra echoes the past, sounds in the present, It’s creating a future sonically incandescent …’
I wanted the work to feel like a reimagining of the orchestra through a contemporary lens - exploring its current, vast sonic potential, while still honouring its rich, vibrant past and everything Britten’s original piece represents. It was also very important to me that this piece wasn’t just adults explaining the orchestra to young people, it was young people introducing their orchestra to audiences, saying this is our orchestra now, and this is where we’re going to take it next.
Lilian Hopper, NOYO musician says:
‘The Young Person’s Guide is what first got me playing the oboe, so I love the moments where our version hearkens back to Britten’s. We’re pretty different from the orchestra Britten introduces, and our piece showcases those differences. But the allusions to the original version’s main motif throughout and its triumphant use in the finale highlight that fundamentally, we’re still both orchestras.’
During the writing process I kept coming back to some very fundamental questions: What happens when individual sounds, breaths, bows, notes and gestures start fusing together? How do colours, textures and emotions emerge from that? And importantly, how does it feel, for both players and audience members, to be a part of it all? This resulted in the piece unfolding across five movements: Particles, Individuals, Sections, Palettes and Tutti, with Purcell’s theme from Abdelazer reimagined, recycled and reinvented throughout.
‘Waves of potential, traditional, experimental …’
NOYO itself is a brilliant example of a contemporary orchestral language: acoustic and electronic instruments sit side by side; improvisation is encouraged alongside notated music; grooves complement more traditional textures; one musician might be playing saxophone one minute and synthesiser the next! This is a space where individuality is collectively celebrated - everyone is encouraged to bring their own musicianship, creativity and personality into the mix.
NOYO musician Raena Torane says:
‘It’s unusual, but I love getting to play in more than one section in NOYO. It allows me to use my skills as a multi-instrumentalist, while also learning more about playing in an ensemble than if I only played one instrument in one section - for example I have to blend in with the sound of the woodwinds when I'm on my saxophone, when I'm on the synth I have to be louder and support the bass. I’m one of four multi-instrumentalists in NOYO, alongside Una, Oscar and Maeve. Keep an eye out for us as we swap instruments and move between sections during the concert.’
It was also so inspiring to write for new instruments that challenged the way I thought about sound. I’m a very visual composer, so I especially loved writing for the Clarion, an accessible electronic instrument where colour is literally built into the musical language. The work celebrates how accessibility can drive innovation and creativity: these instruments and technologies aren’t just expanding who can participate in orchestral music – they’re expanding what orchestral music itself can be.
Alongside the music, there are illustrations by my friend, the artist and songwriter Keaton Henson (look out for the players wearing their brilliant section logo t-shirts!), as well as narration and lighting cues designed to encourage everyone to engage with the work, and the orchestra, in their own way. For me, accessibility is never about simplifying something – it’s about creating as many points of connection and invitation into the experience as possible.
‘It’s a symphonic celebration of all that we are, An open invitation to all play our part …’
Ultimately, I hope The Orchestra – A Young Person’s Guide is an all-out celebration of the orchestral experience. A reminder that the orchestra is a living, evolving entity that belongs to us all. #ThisIsOurOrchestra.
*extracts from the piece narration
Charlotte Harding’s 'The Orchestra: a Young Person’s Guide', co-commissioned by NOYO and the BBC, will be performed as part of the #ThisIsOurOrchestra tour at the Barbican Centre, London (30 June 2026), Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff (30 July 2026), and at the BBC Proms at Bristol Beacon (9 August 2026). Info and tickets here: https://noyo.org.uk/bbcproms/
