Lorna Clarke

  • Instrument

    Violin

  • Outside of BPO, what is your occupation?

    Retired, from the central Finance Department at Birmingham City University.

  • How long have you been a member of BPO?

    Since 1976

  • What inspired you to take up your instrument?

    I already played piano but at secondary school I became friends with the head of the Music Department's twin daughters, who were my classmates. We had a very good school orchestra with their dad as an excellent & enthusiastic Head of  Music, and I started to go along to the lunchtime rehearsals just to listen. His twins encouraged me to take up an orchestral instrument as well as continuing with the piano. I don't know why I picked the violin, it just became the choice for me.

  • How did you come to join the orchestra?

    A school friend & I had another friend already in the orchestra so she asked him to introduce us at a BPO rehearsal.

  • Most treasured occasion with the BPO?

    When we played Mahler's Symphony No. 8 at the Royal Albert Hall in 1984. 

  • Any moments you would rather forget?

    My first concert at Birmingham Town Hall with the BPO where I got lost going on to the stage for the performance. It was on several different levels back then & you had to enter via the nearest door to where you were sitting. Somehow I took a wrong turn & had to quickly find another way, but as I was last to walk on to the stage the audience started to applaud assuming I was the leader.

  • Favourite composer? Least favourite composer?

    I don't really have a favourite composer as there are so many beautiful works by the different ones, but I do have a passion for Mahler & Rachmaninov. The least favourite composer is Alban Berg.       

  • Work(s) you would like to play before you die?

    Albinoni  -  Concerto for Organ & Strings

    Beethoven  -  Symphony No.1

    Bizet -  l'arlesienne Suites