The Triorca orchestra makes European twinning real to young people. First launched in July 2011 in Norfolk, it is a European Youth Orchestra built upon the twinning links Norwich (UK) has with Novi Sad (Serbia) and Koblenz (Germany). Since its formation, Triorca has brought together young musicians from the UK, Serbia and Germany to rehearse and perform in several orchestral concerts. The missing piece was Rouen. So, when the 2025 Triorca tour to Serbia had to be cancelled due political unrest, Triorca representatives joined members of the Norfolk and Norwich Rouen Friendship Association (NNRFA) on their 2025 visit to Rouen.
The Triorca team
Leila Hooton, a flautist, is an ex-member of Triorca who went on to study at the Royal College of Music and is now a freelance musician. She joined Juliet Rickard, a founder of Triorca, and her husband Robert, who are both members of the Triorca Trust committee, on the NNRFA trip. Their aim was to explore options for extending the Triorca spirit to include Rouen, the missing twin city in the project, and enable the 2025 Triorca course to go ahead in spite of the Serbian difficulties.
Photos used with permission.
Leila was an ideal person to witness first-hand to how Triorca had helped her in her career. She explains, “As a young person, I believe that it is extremely important to forge new, and maintain current, links with our European neighbours. Such links not only enrich our own culture, but build a bigger and better community for the young people of Norwich, Novi Sad, Serbia and Rouen. This is especially true in the wake of Brexit and the volatile political circumstances in which we live today.”
From a standing start
The Triorca representatives were bowled over by the success they encountered on their fact-finding visit in May. On the first full day, a Friday, the NNRFA group visited the cathedral to learn about the carillon in the bell tower. So could the cathedral be a concert venue? A date was fixed at a meeting with the cathedral steward later in the day. By the end of following day, the Triorca team had made contact with Rouen musicians enthused by the Triorca project and keen to help; visited the Conservatoire to gauge interest there; identified a rehearsal venue as well as potential accommodation for the visiting musicians. From a standing start, it appeared that a concert would happen in Rouen in just nine weeks’ time!
Then, it was time for the Triorca team, including – and especially – musical director Andrew Weeks, to go into top gear. The story moves to early July.
Gathering from across Europe
Around 30 young musicians converged on Rouen on Tuesday 8 July. Some French instrumentalists had been recruited by the Rouen contacts, a minibus crossed the Channel from Norwich, and others arrived from Germany and Serbia. Accommodation was in Airbnb flats, and rehearsals were held in Labo Victor Hugo, an arts centre in the heart of Rouen. The youngsters quickly melded into an orchestra, in a professional manner, as they rehearsed together.
Enjoying Rouen
It wasn’t all work – and the instrumental play left some time for fun, too. The students were able to visit Rouen and enjoy each other’s company. The promotional video they made is aimed at encouraging future participants, and it bears witness to the beautiful weather and the joy and dedication of the young musicians taking part.
“We’re playing with people all around the world … so cool.” – Emily, a British flautist
“It’s a very good thing to expand your repertoire and expand your musical horizons, especially meeting people from loads of different countries and with a different outlook.” – Anton, a British violinist
“You meet new people and they become your best friends.” – Andreja, a Serbian violinist
“I’m really, really enjoying my time on the Triorca course.” – Charlie, a British viola player, whose place was partly funded by the Triorca patrons
“I love Triorca because I get to meet so many new people from different places.” – Nahuel, a British percussionist, taking part in his second Triorca course
“What I love with Triorca is its energy and nice moods … it’s more than a simple orchestra … it’s a really good experience.” – Frederico, a French double bass player
“Triorca … can allow us to make links between many nations.” – Oleksandr, a French/Ukrainian violinist
“It’s my favourite music project … ich liebe Triorca!” said Max, a German tuba player who says he will join Triorca again!
Hey presto … a successful concert
Triorca’s concert was fixed for the afternoon of Friday 11 July, after just three days packed with hard work, fun, and new friendships. The concert was free, and drew a large and appreciative audience into the cathedral, due in part to enthusiastic busking by the players on the cathedral square in their free time.
The programme included music by Gabriel Fauré (Pavane) and the little-known French composer, Louise Farrenc (Symphony No. 3). A work by Andrew Weeks himself, Chirality, received its première. It is inspired by the mathematical and magical aspects of nature, and was described by members of Rouen’s Norwich Club (the sister organisation to NNRFA) who attended the concert as “fresh, and as sparkling as the wings of a butterfly”.
Robert Rickard, who introduced the orchestra, highlighted the enthusiasm of the young musicians linked by the twinning of their homes to Norwich and their shared language of music.
On the horizon is the European Year of the Normans, 2027, the millennium celebrations of the birth of William the Conqueror. Triorca and other organisations involved in Norwich’s twinning with Rouen will hope to take part.
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