You do not have permission to edit this page, for the following reasons:

This IP address has been blocked from editing Wikipedia.
This does not affect your ability to read Wikipedia pages.
Most people who see this message have done nothing wrong. Some kinds of blocks restrict editing from specific service providers or telecom companies in response to recent abuse or vandalism, and can sometimes affect other users who are unrelated to that abuse. Review the information below for assistance if you do not believe that you have done anything wrong.

The IP address or range 54.90.0.0/16 has been blocked (disabled) by ‪Blablubbs‬ for the following reason(s):

The IP address that you are currently using has been blocked because it is believed to be a web host provider or colocation provider. To prevent abuse, web hosts and colocation providers may be blocked from editing Wikipedia.
You will not be able to edit Wikipedia using a web host or colocation provider because it hides your IP address, much like a proxy or VPN.
We recommend that you attempt to use another connection to edit. For example, if you use a proxy or VPN to connect to the internet, turn it off when editing Wikipedia. If you edit using a mobile connection, try using a Wi-Fi connection, and vice versa. If you are using a corporate internet connection, switch to a different Wi-Fi network. If you have a Wikipedia account, please log in.
If you do not have any other way to edit Wikipedia, you will need to request an IP block exemption.

How to appeal if you are confident that your connection does not use a colocation provider's IP address:
If you are confident that you are not using a web host, you may appeal this block by adding the following text on your talk page: ((unblock|reason=Caught by a colocation web host block but this host or IP is not a web host. My IP address is _______. Place any further information here. ~~~~)). You must fill in the blank with your IP address for this block to be investigated. Your IP address can be determined here. Alternatively, if you wish to keep your IP address private you can use the unblock ticket request system. There are several reasons you might be editing using the IP address of a web host or colocation provider (such as if you are using VPN software or a business network); please use this method of appeal only if you think your IP address is in fact not a web host or colocation provider.

Administrators: The IP block exemption user right should only be applied to allow users to edit using web host in exceptional circumstances, and requests should usually be directed to the functionaries team via email. If you intend to give the IPBE user right, a CheckUser needs to take a look at the account. This can be requested most easily at SPI Quick Checkuser Requests. Unblocking an IP or IP range with this template is highly discouraged without at least contacting the blocking administrator.

This block will expire on 10:02, 6 April 2025.

Even when blocked, you will usually still be able to edit your user talk page, as well as email administrators and other editors.

For information on how to proceed, please read the FAQ for blocked users and the guideline on block appeals. The guide to appealing blocks may also be helpful.

Other useful links: Blocking policy · Help:I have been blocked
Your IP address is in a range that has been blocked on all Wikimedia Foundation wikis. The block was made by ‪Jon Kolbert‬. The reason given is Open proxy/Webhost: See the help page if you are affected .
- Start of block: 05:40, 21 February 2024
- Expiry of block: 05:40, 21 February 2029
Your current IP address is 54.90.72.216. The blocked range is 54.90.0.0/16. Please include all above details in any queries you make. If you believe you were blocked by mistake, you can find additional information and instructions in the No open proxies global policy. Otherwise, to discuss the block please post a request for review on Meta-Wiki. You could also send an email to the stewards VRT queue at stewards@wikimedia.org including all above details.

You can view and copy the source of this page:

((Refimprove|date=June 2020))
((Use dmy dates|date=August 2014))
[[File:Portsmouth Sinfonia William Tell.ogg|thumb|[[William Tell Overture|''William Tell'' Overture]] by Gioachino Rossini, played by the Portsmouth Sinfonia (opening, 1974)]]
The '''Portsmouth Sinfonia''' was an English orchestra founded by a group of students at the [[Portsmouth]] School of Art in 1970. The Sinfonia was generally open to anyone and ended up drawing players who were either [[outsider music|people without musical training]] or, if they were musicians, ones that chose to play an instrument that was entirely new to them. Among the founding members was one of their teachers, English composer [[Gavin Bryars]]. The orchestra started as a one-off, tongue-in-cheek [[performance art]] ensemble but became a cultural phenomenon over the following 10 years, with concerts, record albums, a film and a hit single. They last performed publicly in 1979.<ref name="Sunday Times">((cite news |title=The Real Godfathers of Punk |work=[[The Sunday Times]] |date=30 May 2004 |location=London))</ref>

==History==
Bryars was interested more in experimenting with the nature of music than forming a traditional orchestra. Instead of picking the most competent musicians he could find, he encouraged anyone to join, regardless of talent, ability or experience. The only rules were that everyone had to come for rehearsals and that people should try their best to get it right and not intentionally try to play badly. The first recording made by the Sinfonia was a [[flexi disc]] of [[Rossini]]'s ''[[William Tell Overture]]'', which was sent out as the invitation for the degree show that year.<ref name="Sunday Times"/>

The early repertoire of the Sinfonia was drawn from standard classical repertoire (such as "[[The Blue Danube]]" waltz and ''[[Also sprach Zarathustra (Strauss)|Also sprach Zarathustra]]''), so that most orchestra members had a rough idea of what the piece should sound like, even if they could not play their chosen instrument accurately.  In later years, the group's repertoire would expand to popular music, including rock and roll. Many modern composers and musicians((who|date=April 2018)) found this to be interesting and even profound; the comedic aspects of the music were merely a bonus, though it was used extensively for marketing purposes. [[Brian Eno]] was interested enough to join the orchestra, playing clarinet, and subsequently producing their first two albums.

The orchestra was invited by the composer [[Michael Parsons (composer)|Michael Parsons]] to play the [[Purcell Room]] at London's [[Royal Festival Hall]]. Their first album, ''Portsmouth Sinfonia Plays the Popular Classics'', was released in 1974. On 28 May 1974, as their fame increased, they played a concert at the [[Royal Albert Hall]] with conductor John Farley which sold thousands of tickets. The orchestra's take on the late 1970s and early 1980s vogue for pop classical medleys, "Classical Muddly" – produced by their manager [[Martin Lewis (humorist)|Martin Lewis]] and released by Springtime!/[[Island Records]] in 1981 – is characteristic of their sound; it was inspired by the [[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]]'s "[[Hooked on Classics]]". The single, which consisted of the group's previous recordings sped up, amalgamated and synchronized to a disco beat, was a [[top 40]] hit in the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">((cite book
| first= David
| last= Roberts
| year= 2006
| title= British Hit Singles & Albums
| edition= 19th
| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited 
| location= London
| isbn= 1-904994-10-5
| page= 432))</ref> 

As the years passed, the musicians eventually became accustomed to, and more skilled at playing their instruments, which diminished the novelty of the group. Although the group never formally disbanded, it ceased performing in 1979.

A recording of the sinfonia playing the beginning of ''Also sprach Zarathustra'' has achieved some fame as an [[internet meme]] under the moniker "orchestra fail", further gaining popularity on [[YouTube]] via references from musician [[Devin Townsend]]. The recording was used as the walk-on music for Swedish band [[Peter Bjorn and John]] during their 2011 "Gimme Some" tour in the US.((citation needed|date=August 2018))

The Portsmouth Sinfonia was the subject of a 2011 BBC Radio 4 documentary presented by Jolyon Jenkins in the series "In Living Memory". In the programme Gavin Bryars disputed the notion that members were required to be novices at their instruments, saying that it was a "scurrilous rumour put about by the BBC".<ref>((Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b013fj17|title=BBC Radio 4 - In Living Memory, Series 14, Episode 4|website=BBC|accessdate=2020-06-26))</ref>

[[Michael Nyman]] created a similar outfit called Foster's Social Orchestra, which is heard on the soundtrack of the 1999 film ''[[Ravenous (1999 film)|Ravenous]]''.

==Discography==
===Albums===
*1973: ''Plays The Popular Classics'' (Translantic Records TRA 275)<ref name=Discogs>((cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/442169-Portsmouth-Sinfonia|title=Portsmouth Sinfonia|website=Discogs|access-date=4 November 2023))</ref>
*1974: ''Hallelujah'' (Transatlantic Records TRA 285)<ref name=Discogs/>
*1979: ''20 Classic Rock Classics'' (Philips 9109 231)<ref name=Discogs/>

===Singles===
*1973: ''William Tell Overture'' / ''Blue Danube Waltz'' (Transatlantic Records BIG 515)<ref name=Discogs/> &ndash; From "Plays The Popular Classics"
*1974: ''An Der Schönen Blauen Donau'' / ''Also Sprach Zarathustra'' (Transatlantic Records M 25.609)<ref name=Discogs/> &ndash; From "Plays The Popular Classics"
*1981: ''Classical Muddly'' / ''Hallelujah Chorus'' (Springtime Records WIP 6736)<ref name=Discogs/> &ndash; [[UK Singles Chart]] 12 September 1981 No. 38<ref>((cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/Classical%20muddly|title=Classical muddly|website=Official Charts|access-date=4 November 2023))</ref> 

===Compilation===
*1993: ''Dead Parrot Society: The Best of British Comedy'' (Rhino Records R2 71049)<ref>((cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/1747358-Various-Dead-Parrot-Society-The-Best-Of-British-Comedy|title=Dead Parrot Society|website=Discogs|access-date=4 November 2023))</ref> &ndash; [[Compilation album|Compilation]] includes four tracks by Portsmouth Sinfonia, one, ''Overture/Pinball Wizard (Live!)'', previously unissued.

===Collaboration===
'''With [[Brian Eno|Eno]]'''
*1974: ''[[Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)]]'' (Island ILPS 9309)<ref>((cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/442169-Portsmouth-Sinfonia?superFilter=Instruments+%26+Performance&creditFilter=Guest|title=Put a Straw Under Baby|website=Discogs|access-date=4 November 2023))</ref> &ndash; Portsmouth Sinfonia play strings on ''Put a Straw Under Baby''.

==See also==
*[[The Really Terrible Orchestra]]
*[[The Really Terrible Orchestra Of the Triangle]]

==References==
((reflist))

==External links==
* [http://www.PortsmouthSinfonia.com/ Portsmouth Sinfonia official site]
* [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Portsmouth+Sinfonia Portsmouth Sinfonia] at [[Discogs]]

((Authority control))
[[Category:1970 establishments in England]]
[[Category:1979 disestablishments in England]]
[[Category:British instrumental musical groups]]
[[Category:British comedy musical groups]]
[[Category:English orchestras]]
[[Category:Disbanded orchestras]]
[[Category:Outsider musicians]]
[[Category:Musicians from Portsmouth]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1970]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1979]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Portsmouth]]

Pages transcluded onto the current version of this page (help):

Portsmouth Sinfonia (edit)
Template:Ambox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Authority control (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Category handler (view source) (protected)
Template:Citation needed (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite book (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite news (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite web (view source) (protected)
Template:DMCA (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Dated maintenance category (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Dated maintenance category (articles) (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Delink (view source) (protected)
Template:FULLROOTPAGENAME (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Find sources mainspace (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Fix (view source) (protected)
Template:Fix/category (view source) (protected)
Template:Hlist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:Main other (view source) (protected)
Template:More citations needed (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Ns has subpages (view source) (protected)
Template:Refimprove (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Reflist (view source) (protected)
Template:Reflist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:Use dmy dates (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Who (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Arguments (view source) (protected)
Module:Authority control (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Authority control/config (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Category handler (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/blacklist (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/data (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/shared (view source) (protected)
Module:Check for unknown parameters (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1 (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/COinS (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Date validation (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Identifiers (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Whitelist (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Delink (view source) (protected)
Module:EditAtWikidata (view source) (protected)
Module:Find sources (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Find sources/config (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Find sources/links (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Find sources/templates/Find sources mainspace (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Message box (view source) (protected)
Module:Message box/ambox.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Message box/configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Namespace detect/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Namespace detect/data (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar/configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbox (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbox/configuration (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbox/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Ns has subpages (view source) (protected)
Module:String (view source) (protected)
Module:Unsubst (view source) (protected)
Module:Yesno (view source) (protected)

Return to Portsmouth Sinfonia.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portsmouth_Sinfonia"