For once we could make noise and be praised for it!

We were treated to an introduction to brass instruments by music teachers Liam Daly and Mark Fitzgerald. Liam gave us a demonstration of the basics of brass instruments using a garden hose, a funnel, and the mouth piece of a trumpet!

We then practised how to blow a brass instrument and quickly got the hang of the breathing technique (no raspberries allowed!). By increasing or decreasing your breathing vibration, you could make different notes, as well as using the valves.

With this skill, we were given the opportunity to each play a trumpet, french horn, baritone (small tuba like brass instrument), trombone... and of course the DIY garden hose instrument!

The Kilkenny Youth Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Philip Edmondson, came to play for the pupils of Gowran National School on Tuesday, the 12th of February.

The orchestra's members are secondary school pupils from Co. Kilkenny and neighbouring counties. The strings section consisted of violins, violas, cellos and a double bass. The brass section had a tuba, euphonium, trombone and two trumpets. The woodwind instruments had clarinets, flutes and oboes. The musicians came into each class to demonstrate the sounds and mechanics of the instruments. Several classes were treated to a brass rendition of 'Dynamite' by Taio Cruz!

The orchestra played several pieces including Rossini's 'The Barber of Seville' and Mozart's 'Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major', whose final movement is 'Alla Turca', a popular ring tone of mobile phones. Our proudest moment was when our own pupils, who receive violin lessons from Mr. Edmondson each Tuesday, lead the orchestra with two of their own tunes. The orchestra's visit was a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable experience for us all!