Saxophone orchestra from Harborough are a huge hit at Scottish performances

Audiences travelled for miles to see Market Harborough’s Phoenix Saxophone Orchestra perform in Scotland.

The musicians joined forces with Aberdeenshire Saxophone Orchestra to perform as a combined team with 38 musicians at two live concerts in Aberdeenshire.

The orchestras has previously only met online and built a firm friendship during lockdown. Together the two groups had an online recording project of Julius Fučik’s ‘Entry of the Gladiators’ nominated for a prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Inspiration Award.

And the piece of music was also a huge hit when it was performed in Scotland.

Jane Smith from Pheonix Saxophone Orchestra said: “It was fantastic to finally meet our ASO friends face to face, and to perform together. The sheer power of 38 saxophones playing as one orchestra was breathtaking, and the audiences at both concerts gave us a rousing reception. We’d like to thank everyone who came along to hear us play, and everyone from ASO and PSO who put in a tremendous amount of work to make this tour happen. We certainly hope to explore further collaborations with ASO, so watch this space.”

And Aberdeenershire Saxophone Orchestra’s Foss Foster added: “It isn’t unusual for professional groups to collaborate in this way, but it is quite a challenge for two amateur music groups. Our three MDs deserve a special mention as they took this all in their stride magnificently. It’s strange to realise that this collaboration is entirely a result of the Covid lockdowns - what a positive outcome.”