City of Carlisle Orchestra’s first concert of 2026 will showcase a young Cumbrian composer.
The concert, on Saturday March 21 at St John’s Church on London Road, is the second consecutive concert to feature a composition written by a teenage musician from the county.
Eighteen-year-old Tamsin Crook is a trumpet player and composer from Penrith.
She has played with a number of groups including the Hallé Youth Orchestra, the National Youth Concert Band, and the City of Carlisle Orchestra, as well as local choirs.
Tamsin began composing during her studies for GCSE music and quickly realised how much she enjoyed it.
She said: “The passion grew when I was selected for the ORA Singers Young Composers Scheme, where my piece was performed at Worcester Cathedral as part of the Three Choirs Festival.
“More recently, I have written pieces for the International Festival of Brass Bands and Cumbria Opera Group. I am excited to keep developing my voice as a composer.”
Tamsin’s composition Postcards from Cumbria is a series of musical snapshots inspired by everyday life and the changing seasons in Cumbria, set against the landscapes of the Lake District.
Alongside Tamsin’s composition, the orchestra will play Mikhail Glinka’s Spanish Overture No.1: Capriccio Brillante, and Sergei Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony.
The orchestra will be conducted by Ammal Bhatia, a Leverhulme Scholar who is currently studying for a Masters in orchestral conducting with Martyn Brabbins at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Ammal was Conductor in Residence of the London Schools Symphony Orchestra for the 24/25 season and has also conducted the Ulster Orchestra, the Chineke! Orchestra and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
A graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, where he trained as a violinist, Ammal has performed with the Chineke! Orchestra, most recently in their European tour and at their BBC Prom.
He joins the orchestra as part of the ongoing, highly successful collaboration between RCS and City of Carlisle Orchestra, where young conductors have the opportunity to take over for a term and prepare the musicians for a concert.
The programme starts at 7.30pm. Tickets are £10 in advance (or £12 at the door) and are available from orchestra members or the Tourist Information Centre at the Old Town Hall. Under-18s free.
