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Stuart Bruce is from Orchestras Live, a charitable organisation which brings world-class orchestral music to underserved parts of the country, giving people an opportunity to experience live professional music making they wouldn't otherwise get. In this post, he reflects on a recent Ten Pieces concert he attended with 500 children in Purfleet. 

Orchestras Live is one of more than 240 music hubs, music education services and arts organisations that are working with the 主播大秀’s Ten Pieces initiative, designed to introduce a generation of children to classical music.   As part of the project Orchestras Live are working  with the 主播大秀 to present a series of Ten Pieces concerts, the most of recent of which was at the Backstage Centre in Purfleet.

I'm a musician, but I've spent most of my working life trying to find ways of sharing the inspiration of live music with people. I've had the privilege to work with all of the professional British orchestras, finding ways of sharing their work with all sorts of people. I've always tried to find ways of bringing that work to people in their own places  - meeting them on their own terms. We'll mount large-scale events, or more intimate events for parents and toddlers. For me, live music is a wonderful thing and I've made it my career and my passion to share it with as wide a group of people as possible.

That work is important to me: British orchestras are an important part of the cultural fabric of this country and we need to make sure that work is as relevant to as many people as possible.

The 主播大秀's contribution is vital. Its performing groups and technical resources enable it to bring top quality live orchestral music to new audiences. The production values have been incredible. The Ten Pieces live shows include projections, light displays and audience participation. It's all tremendously well done. And that's an important element in the overall effect.

It's a show with a fantastic Symphony Orchestra at the heart of it playing exciting and inspiring music. For many in attendance, it’s their first experience of a live show, and certainly of a live orchestra. We hope that all of the children leave here today feeling inspired to discover more about classical music.

After the concert, there's a lot of follow up as well, such as returning to the schools and seeing what appetite there is for teaching, participatory music-making and seeing what curriculum support is needed for teachers in these schools. That process embeds projects like Ten Pieces in the curriculum in each of these areas. We’re particularly excited about the expansion of the project for Secondary students in its second year.

The success of these kinds of projects will be measured over time. For example, I think the investment and re-investment that local authorities are making for this provision is a sign that they can see how these kinds of projects are working. The appetite and hunger for partnerships to make projects like Ten Pieces possible is a sign of the real appeal and legacy of this work. It’s an inexorable long lasting journey that we'll never reach the end of. This won't have been a one off for the people here, there are things for them to look forward to after it.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up every time I attend events like this. It's a real privilege to be involved in these productions with the 主播大秀. Seeing young people reacting with wonder and awe at the sight and sound of a live orchestra is something to behold. If music is to be as important to them as it is to me, then I think we've made an important step in making that happen. 

There's a 400 year old back catalogue available there that should be accessible to all. And because of the traditions and the stereotypes there are a lot of people in the country that think this music is not for them. But when we put on an event like the Ten Pieces concert in Thurrock and they come to it, we change that perception and open the door to a whole new generation enjoying classical music.

Stuart Bruce is Partnerships Manager at Orchestras Live

• Katy Jones's blog post introducing the Ten Pieces project.
• Discover more about the project on the 主播大秀 Ten Pieces . 
• Four primary schools who participated in the Ten Pieces project will perform in the 主播大秀 Proms later this summer. More information about their appearance can be found on the .