A BBC Symphony for Yorkshire

A Symphony for Yorkshire performed by the people of Yorkshire - sounds simple doesn't it?That was the idea - a piece of music inspired by our great region - the cities the moors, the coast line and the streets - played by the very people who make Yorkshire the place that it is. It would be about nine minutes long and along with the weird and wonderful instruments would come some truly remarkable stories. Yes - quite straightforward I found myself thinking.

Today as I write my very first blog the simple idea has become one of the most ambitious and challenging (OK - stressful) projects we've ever tried to get off the ground.Let me take you back to the beginning - it was in a typical BBC meeting room - few windows, a partition and a thermos flask of weak coffee for use in an emergency - where I met the man with a mission to compose - Benjamin Till. Benjamin has worked with communities to make music before - Hampstead Heath the Musical and Coventry Market - The Musical - both were inspirational and I have always had a secret longing to tempt Benjamin to my home region of Yorkshire. Now here he was suggesting a symphony - now I have to admit a symphony wasn't my first thought - but my knowledge of music isn't as advanced as it should be (ask my children) - but why not - A Symphony for Yorkshire has a certain ring to it and a region as proud as this one deserves an ambitious piece of music to call it's own. Yes A Symphony for Yorkshire - great idea.

So Benjamin began to compose - two months later one piece of music in four movements was complete - a symphony.Now all we needed were some musicians - job done.

We held auditions in all of Yorkshire's major cities and through the doors walked drummers, a brass band (it is Yorkshire), pianists, a man with a saw and a drag act. At the end of an exhausting two weeks on the road we had signed up over two hundred musicians from all walks of life from all over Yorkshire.

As I write we are recording and it's a bit stressful - well it's a lot stressful to be honest - I've seen the Columbian drummers, the Ebor singers and a gentleman who plays the electric violin who Benjamin found busking on a street in York. Some just have a few notes to play others have more but each and every one has a critical part to play.It's important we get this right as it's something I know we are going to be proud of but the intensity is something I hadn't bargained for (poor knowledge of what it takes to make music again).

We're still recording - the deadline is Yorkshire Day on August 1. Will we make it I keep asking? Well together we're going to find out.

Helen Thomas is Head of BBC Yorkshire

• BBC Symphony for Yorkshire Facebook page

• Follow BBC Symphony for Yorkshire on Twitter

• Helen's first post - how it all began
  
  

• Helen's second post - recording continues

• Helen's third post - final filming day

• Helen's fourth post - editing begins

• Helen's fifth post - the stage is set