Jacqueline Shave launches new Chamber Orchestra for the South West

Violinist, Jacqueline Shave, is bringing together 11 of the county’s leading string players to form The Chamber Orchestra of the West. Her vision is to build and sustain lasting partnerships with the communities in Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. The Orchestra will be playing together for the first time for an invited audience at Porlock Village Hall on 10 July. The long-term plan is to present three funded tours a year, with concerts and community projects in each county.

Artistic Director, Jacqueline Shave led the Brindisi String Quartet for 15 years, and is currently leader and director of the Britten Sinfonia. In 2011 she took a year away and based herself on the Isle of Harris in the Hebrides to explore other musical pathways, resulting in ‘Postcards from Home’ a world music/jazz CD in collaboration with Kuljit Bhamra (tabla) and John Parricelli (guitar). During this year she presented a complete Beethoven String Quartet Cycle in a Sculptor's studio on the East coast of Harris, and gave a free improvisation concert in a cave on Hestur in the North Atlantic Faroe Islands, which she sailed to via St Kilda with her husband on their boat Kyle.

Jacqueline Shave has said, “I have always been drawn to remote places. During the first lockdown I decided that rather than travel East from my home on Exmoor to work in London, I wanted to go West and create music there. Obviously not all of the South West is remote and there are many people who regularly enjoy live music making, but there is presently no professional orchestra specifically for the area. The Chamber Orchestra of the West seeks to change that, and bring great music to all the people of the three counties; to play in the prestige venues, the less visited corners and in the places where those marginalised for whatever reason can hear us.”

Venue changed to facilitate social distancing: