But it’s not Ode to Joy as Beethoven imagined it. With two trombones, a guitar, two violins, flute, horn, and a handful of ukuleles, this version was specially arranged by Christchurch Symphony Orchestra Principal Bass Trombone Pablo Ruiz Henao for the orchestra’s On the Road programme.

The On the Road programme, which is a brand-new initiative by the orchestra, takes live music activity to communities outside of Christchurch who may find it difficult to access such experiences.

A team of five CSO musicians (Principal Bass Trombone Pablo Ruiz Henao, Acting Principal Horn Bernard Shapiro, Associate Principal Flute Margo Askin, Violin player Laura Barton, and Viola player Philippa Lodge) performed for students at Windwhistle School, Darfield Primary and Darfield Preschool, then gave an intimate concert for residents at Westmar Senior Care Centre, before holding an open workshop for anyone to play with the CSO in the afternoon.

“It was really good,” said 13-year-old Darfield resident Will Pearce, who plays the violin. “I haven’t done too much orchestra stuff before. I do the one every year at Malvern School of Music here in Darfield, but it’s quite good to do something like this because it’s a smaller group. In a larger group, things can get confusing.”

For trombone player Alastair Frizzell, who also had a turn at conducting the group at the workshop, it was an encounter with the CSO that got him onto the instrument. “I went to the CSO’s performance of Peter and the Wolf a couple of years ago with my grandchildren, and I was looking for an instrument to play. I got talking with [CSO Principal Trombone] Karl [Margevka], who put me onto a teacher locally.”

He loved listening to Principal Bass Trombone Pablo Ruiz Henao explain and play the bass trombone, although being picked to conduct made him feel “as though [he was] out of [his] depth”.

His wife Elizabeth, whose pet hate was the ukulele, nevertheless enjoyed herself filming her husband as he had a go at conducting. “I will show it to the grandchildren. They’ll think it’s hilarious,” she said.

This was the first session of On the Road, and the CSO team will be taking the programme to Kaiapoi in June. Click here to see how you can get involved.

The CSO’s Community Engagement Programme, which reaches more than 35,000 people annually, is proudly sponsored by the orchestra’s Community Engagement Major Partner, Kathmandu.