Back then the NSYO was also working up to a tour of England and Wales for early 1994, a period of intense playing and rehearsal that Gardner decided to capitalize on for the purposes of a recording. But deciding to do a CD is one thing, doing it right is another, Gardner said. When I set out the CD I wanted it to be a product of quality, of really high quality that everybody could be proud of, the people who listen to it and us who were involved. I wanted to produce something of quality and worth. Also I wanted to make a CD that the average person can enjoy - and we're not taking about a person who only listens to a Beethoven symphony in one style.
Most CDs are all one thing.
Or like they were at home lying there and the music changes, with one piece leading into the next. Another aspect of the recording is that it fits in with the training component of the orchestra. The youth orchestra is a training ground for young musicians and as such Gardner said he wants to ensure they gain experience of all facets of a professional orchestra member - and that includes a taste of going into the studio. This means that youth orchestra graduates who go on to work professionally in other orchestras have that experience under their belt, and for those who don't pursue music as a career, they have the memory and the recording from the session. Thanks to the Telegram and Mark Vaughan-Jackson for permission to reprint this article and the accompanying review.