Pocklington School welcomed the City of Sheffield Youth Orchestra (CSYO) over the Easter holidays for its annual spring residential course.  The Youth Orchestra has been holding the popular course at the School since 2006 and makes full use of the facilities around the 65 acre campus.

The Orchestra is Sheffield's oldest and only completely independent youth orchestra, and offers membership to students up to the age of 21. 

The CSYO spring course is specially designed to allow students who are preparing to take academic exams in the summer the time and space to revise, in addition to being able to practise their music.  Rehearsals take place in the School’s Tom Stoppard Theatre and its Music School, as well as outside on the School grounds when the sun shines!

Over the five days, the students rehearsed together, learning new pieces and preparing for their Spring Concert which was held in Sheffield Cathedral on 7 April.  Later in the year they will also be going on tour to perform in Italy.

Andrew D’Arcy, Domestic Bursar at Pocklington School said: “It’s always a delight to welcome the CSYO students to Pocklington School and to hear them practising around the campus as they prepare for their concerts.  Our boarding houses provide them with plenty of ‘quiet space’ for those students needing to revise, plus they enjoy communal evenings with Ceilidhs and quizzes and take advantage of the School's sporting facilities including our pool for evening swims.”       

Gemma Wareham, CSYO Director and organiser of the course commented: “We return to Pocklington School year after year because the school provides the perfect environment for the orchestra to focus, to create and to be inspired. With such great facilities and a warm welcome the orchestra members come away feeling revitalised having had fun and having achieved a great deal in a short space of time.”

Pocklington School hires out its facilities to a number of organisations during school holidays for conferences, events, celebrations, performances and sports activities.  For enquiries about hiring facilities at Pocklington School visit www.pocklingtonschool.com/Facilities-Hire, email facilities@pocklingtonschool.com or call 01759 321200.