Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 Workshop

Join the Blue Light Symphony Orchestra in London for a day exploring one of the great orchestral works of the 20th century: Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 in D minor.

Written in 1937, the Fifth Symphony is by turns dramatic, unsettling, lyrical and exhilarating. From the brooding opening movement and sardonic scherzo to the extraordinary intensity of the Largo and the famous final movement, it offers fantastic music for every section of the orchestra.

Our workshops bring together musicians from across the emergency services and the wider musical community for a day of high-quality, supportive music-making. The emphasis is on enjoying the process of working on a major orchestral piece together, developing as players and experiencing the wellbeing and sense of connection that comes from making music with others.

You do not need to have played with BLSO before. New players are very welcome.

Sunday 18 October 2026
11.00am–5.00pm
London Victoria
Suggested donation: £20

Places are limited and some sections are already oversubscribed, so please register your interest as early as possible.

Places are still avaiable for strings, horn, trombone and percussion. 

Friends and family are also welcome to join us to listen to the final run-through at the end of the day. Please remember that this is a workshop rather than a concert, so what you hear will very much be a work in progress. We will invite visitors to make a donation to support the work of the orchestra.

Blue Light Symphony Orchestra – the home of Blue Light Music.