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The
Portsmouth Sinfonia was the subject of a 2011 BBC Radio 4 documentary presented by Jolyon Jenkins in the series "In Living Memory". In the programme Gavin Bryars disputed the notion that members were required to be novices at their instruments, saying that it was a "scurrilous rumour put about by
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Bryars was interested more in experimenting with the nature of music than forming a traditional orchestra. Instead of picking the most competent musicians he could find, he encouraged anyone to join, regardless of talent, ability or experience. The only rules were that everyone had to come for
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As the years passed, the musicians eventually became accustomed to, and more skilled at playing their instruments, which diminished the novelty of the group. Although the group never formally disbanded, it ceased performing in 1979.
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with conductor John Farley which sold thousands of tickets. The orchestra's take on the late 1970s and early 1980s vogue for pop classical medleys, "Classical Muddly" – produced by their manager
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or, if they were musicians, ones that chose to play an instrument that was entirely new to them. Among the founding members was one of their teachers, English composer
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ensemble but became a cultural phenomenon over the following 10 years, with concerts, record albums, a film and a hit single. They last performed publicly in 1979.
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rehearsals and that people should try their best to get it right and not intentionally try to play badly. The first recording made by the
Sinfonia was a
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was interested enough to join the orchestra, playing clarinet, and subsequently producing their first two albums.
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School of Art in 1970. The
Sinfonia was generally open to anyone and ended up drawing players who were either
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created a similar outfit called Foster's Social
Orchestra, which is heard on the soundtrack of the 1999 film
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The early repertoire of the
Sinfonia was drawn from standard classical repertoire (such as "
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348:(Transatlantic Records M 25.609) – From "Plays The Popular Classics"
337:(Transatlantic Records BIG 515) – From "Plays The Popular Classics"
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by
Gioachino Rossini, played by the Portsmouth Sinfonia (opening, 1974)
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in 1981 – is characteristic of their sound; it was inspired by the
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under the moniker "orchestra fail", further gaining popularity on
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409:(Island ILPS 9309) – Portsmouth Sinfonia play strings on
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was an
English orchestra founded by a group of students at the
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519:"BBC Radio 4 - In Living Memory, Series 14, Episode 4"
153:. The orchestra started as a one-off, tongue-in-cheek
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A recording of the sinfonia playing the beginning of
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381:includes four tracks by Portsmouth Sinfonia, one,
450:Deaf School: The Non-Stop Pop Art Punk Rock Party
375:Dead Parrot Society: The Best of British Comedy
271:during their 2011 "Gimme Some" tour in the US.
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452:. Liverpool University Press. pp. 39–43.
214:Portsmouth Sinfonia Plays the Popular Classics
429:The Really Terrible Orchestra Of the Triangle
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200:The orchestra was invited by the composer
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106:Learn how and when to remove this message
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359:(Springtime Records WIP 6736) –
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44:adding citations to reliable sources
692:British instrumental musical groups
406:Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
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732:Organisations based in Portsmouth
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658:Portsmouth Sinfonia official site
377:(Rhino Records R2 71049) –
495:British Hit Singles & Albums
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476:"The Real Godfathers of Punk".
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255:has achieved some fame as an
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224:and released by Springtime!/
342:An Der Schönen Blauen Donau
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303:Plays The Popular Classics
717:Musicians from Portsmouth
630:"Put a Straw Under Baby"
363:12 September 1981 No. 38
317:20 Classic Rock Classics
493:Roberts, David (2006).
448:Du Noyer, Paul (2013).
346:Also Sprach Zarathustra
253:Also sprach Zarathustra
190:Also sprach Zarathustra
482:. London. 30 May 2004.
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605:"Dead Parrot Society"
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55:"Portsmouth Sinfonia"
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40:improve this article
663:Portsmouth Sinfonia
210:Royal Festival Hall
139:Portsmouth Sinfonia
712:Outsider musicians
702:English orchestras
580:"Classical muddly"
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234:Hooked on Classics
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459:978-1-84631-860-3
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379:Compilation
368:Compilation
291:Discography
240:hit in the
676:Categories
639:4 November
614:4 November
589:4 November
564:4 November
435:References
310:Hallelujah
275:the BBC".
168:flexi disc
143:Portsmouth
66:newspapers
195:Brian Eno
96:June 2020
418:See also
284:Ravenous
131:Overture
667:Discogs
634:Discogs
609:Discogs
559:Discogs
528:26 June
324:Singles
261:YouTube
172:Rossini
161:History
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