In October, the Laurus Cheadle Hulme (LCH) Orchestra had the exciting opportunity to meet David Hext, the Principal Percussionist for the world-famous Hallé Orchestra.
David led a workshop with 40 students, teaching them about the techniques and styles of percussion in classical music.
Students worked with the Percussionist to explore the works of Steve Reich, a minimalist American composer who uses repetition and variation to create complex rhythms and textures.
They also performed pieces by Tchaikovsky and Brahms, two of the most influential composers of the Romantic era.
David shared his insights and experiences as a professional musician with the Hallé, one of the world’s leading orchestras based in Manchester.
He answered students’ questions about his career, his background and his compositions.
Coming from a family of musicians, David has been playing percussion since a young age.
He joined the Hallé in 1989 and has written pieces for timpani and percussion, many of which are used by the major examination boards in the UK.
The workshop was a fantastic opportunity for the LCH Orchestra to learn from an expert and develop their musical skills and knowledge.
Students thoroughly enjoyed the session and were left feeling inspired and enlightened.
We would like to thank David Hext for joining us and meeting our budding musicians!