In your issue of 11 July "A Jaundiced Eye" observes that Castlebar does not have a symphony orchestra, although it does have a Concert Orchestra.

Castlebar is also home to the Mayo Strings, an orchestra, which is in some ways much closer to the idea of a Symphony Orchestra. The Orchestra in the Western Musical tradition began with Strings - i.e. violins, violas, cellos and double basses. To these were added oboes, flutes, bassoons, horns, later clarinets and all the other brass and woodwind and percussion instruments of the modern orchestra. But the heart of any symphony orchestra is still the body of string players. The Mayo Strings regularly perform music written for strings which does not require the addition of brass or woodwind, both from the Baroque era and more modern times. Occasionally it has proved possible to add flutes and the odd clarinet to the ensemble while preserving in essence the layout of forces imagined by the composer. This is a key concept for a true classical orchestra, that the composers' design for the balance and colouring of the different instruments may be realised in each performance.

To achieve a professional symphony orchestra for Castlebar in the sense that Dublin enjoys the National Symphony Orchestra etc., would be economically impossible. However one need not turn one's eyes any further than Galway to see what can be done with a mixture of talented young people, and adult amateurs and professionals. To do this one would have to attract teachers to the town who would complement the superb work already being done by the instrumental teachers we have, and/or persuade adult players of the oboe, bassoon etc. as well as all the others to settle in the area and play in such an orchestra for the considerable satisfaction of doing so. I don't think this is a pipe-dream. It happens all over Europe, let alone the cities of Ireland. Of course a small town may not be able to draw on all the talent it needs, but, if properly supported, can easily afford to recompense invited professionals for particular concerts.

So when Castlebar advertises itself, let it emphasise the quality of its existing musical "infrastructure" and see if it cannot create a symphony orchestra for itself by attracting the people to the area who will actually help to form it.

Yours etc. Philip Dunlop (Musical Director, the Mayo Strings)