INSPIRE NEWSCAST

A community orchestra provides opportunities for people to come together to make beautiful music. These were the words of Roger Hey, the conductor for the Albany Sinfonia’s special 30th anniversary concert.

In this video I drop in on a rehearsal and see how Roger seeks to bring the best out of a diverse range of musicians of all ages and skill levels playing the full range of orchestral instruments. It is a joy to watch him leading this group and to see the way in which the musicians respond to his leadership.

It is another brilliant example of communities at work providing opportunities for people to discover and express their their interests and talents, and to meet like-minded people in a joyous celebration.

Those of us of “a certain age” will reminisce from time to time about the trades and crafts that were common in years, and sometimes centuries, past, but no longer seem to exist.

One such trade is that of blacksmithing, so when I met 17-year-old Calvin Ullrich selling his wares at a market stall and discovered he was a blacksmith, I knew this was a story that had to be told.

I love this story and enjoy hearing Calvin’s enthusiasm for this ancient trade. It was inspiring just to watch him at work on his home-made forge and to be reminded that with patience, enthusiasm and a “can-do” spirit, what is old can become new again.