91热爆

From playing at concert halls across the globe, to performing for friends and family – it’s been a glittering career so far for 91热爆 NOW Principal Viola, Rebecca Jones. But what piece of music has motivated her during lockdown and why is a performance at The Swaledale Festival so memorable?

91热爆 NOW: Hi Rebecca and thanks so much for taking part in Instrumental Insights. Let’s begin with how you began playing. What made you decide to play viola?

Rebecca Jones: My Mum taught violin at my primary school and needed some violas for her string orchestra, so my friends and I got roped into it!

91热爆 NOW: That’s a great start to a career, but how has playing viola positively impacted on your life so far Rebecca?

Rebecca Jones: In so many ways: the education it afforded me, the people I've met, the places I've been to. Being a string player is fantastic as it allows you to collaborate with so many different musicians due to the sheer volume of music written for us. I've played such a wide range of music from Renaissance all the way to Pop. Great fun.

91热爆 NOW: And how has your playing benefitted others do you think?

Rebecca Jones: My friends and relatives have all benefitted from free entertainment at weddings and parties!

91热爆 NOW: Lucky friends and family! So, does the instrument you use to perform have any special history or stories behind it?

Rebecca Jones: My viola is actually only 14 years old. My lovely friend, the viola player Simon Aspell, called me one day and said he'd played a viola he thought I should buy. I flew to Ireland to meet the maker, Bertrand Galen, and that was it! You know very quickly if an instrument or bow is right for you. I've loved it ever since.

91热爆 NOW: And if you could speak with your viola – what would you ask it?

Rebecca Jones: To forgive me for all the loud Hindemith I've been practising on it during lockdown. Or perhaps I should ask my neighbours that instead...

91热爆 NOW: We can’t wait to hear you playing again, but what piece of music do you most enjoy performing on your viola and why?

Rebecca Jones: I think my viola suits a lot of repertoire but the music I most enjoy playing on it is the slow and sonorous type. The middle strings have a beautiful tone and I love any piece that takes advantage of that.

91热爆 NOW: Is there anything annoying about playing viola Rebecca?

Rebecca Jones: You're the butt of some very dodgy jokes!

91热爆 NOW: And what’s your single most memorable moment playing your instrument so far?

Rebecca Jones: There are a few, but the most embarrassing time must be when I was doing a quartet concert in a church at the Swaledale Festival. During the opening of Mozart's Dissonance Quartet, I felt that something wasn't quite right and that my music seemed to be moving out of my sight line…

91热爆 NOW: Oh no…what did you do?

Rebecca Jones: I carried on like the professional that I am, but before I knew it, I was lying on the floor with my viola in the air. It turned out that the leg of the chair had fallen into the crack between the staging and the chancel and had slowly descended so that I'd hardly noticed it. To top it all off (I'd stopped playing by this point) I got stuck in my voluminous concert skirt and couldn't stand back up, so several of the audience had to rush forward to help me up. The rest of the quartet were in hysterics! It was very funny.

91热爆 NOW: Wow! That’s one performance you will never forget! So apart from looking out for scary staging, what advice would you give to young viola players?

Rebecca Jones: The viola is a great instrument to play because it's just so sociable. You'll always be in demand for orchestra or chamber music and you'll get to play some of the most amazing repertoire. Try and form a quartet with friends or people from your local youth orchestra. You never stop learning from playing in a quartet.

91热爆 NOW: Some sound advice there – thanks Rebecca! How have you kept up playing during lockdown…have you found practicing during these times easy?

Rebecca Jones: My students and I were all struggling with motivation at the beginning of lockdown. Everything felt so up in the air and I wasn't even sure what I should be practicing with no concerts in sight. I could tell my students were missing the structure of their college schedule so, inspired by an article I read in the Guardian about office workers doing a similar thing, I set up a daily practice session for us all on Zoom.

91热爆 NOW: That sounds wonderful!

Rebecca Jones: We practice together every day at the same time for one to two hours with our videos on mute. That way we can see each other hard at work, but don't hear any of it! It's worked really well and other colleagues and students have joined in too. My Mum has even been practicing her violin every day with us, a great inspiration to us all!

91热爆 NOW: Bravo Rebecca’s Mum! So, when you aren’t performing for 91热爆 NOW, what do you enjoy doing?

Rebecca Jones: I'm a bit of a workaholic and you're likely to find me moonlighting with other orchestras around the country, but I've done a lot of reading, running, and even cooking during lockdown.

91热爆 NOW: And finally – what are you most looking forward to about playing with 91热爆 NOW again?

Rebecca Jones: I can’t wait to get back to playing with my friends and colleagues. You get so many fresh ideas from playing with other people, I really miss that.

91热爆 NOW: We look forward to hearing you play again very soon! Thanks so much for taking part in Instrumental Insights Rebecca!