Marc Mullen A CONDUCTOR who turned 40 people from a tough Oxford council estate into Royal Albert Hall performers is bringing his ensemble to Hampstead. Ivor Setterfield, founder and music director of the New London Soloists Orchestra (NLSO) and conductor

Marc Mullen

A CONDUCTOR who turned 40 people from a tough Oxford council estate into Royal Albert Hall performers is bringing his ensemble to Hampstead.

Ivor Setterfield, founder and music director of the New London Soloists Orchestra (NLSO) and conductor of the New London Singers, has teamed up with the South End Green Association (Sega) to bring a chamber orchestra to the area.

They have applied for Arts Council funding for regular performances at All Hallows Church on Savernake Road, where the group played last year.

"I was definitely encouraged by the enthusiasm of the people who did come to the concert we had last year," said Mr Setterfield, who lives in Kentish Town.

"Hopefully once more people hear about it we can encourage on-going interest in the concerts.

"Although the primary aim will be to do the concerts, it will also be more along the lines of the TV programme, which will be to help with social inclusion."

In 2006 Mr Setterfield starred in the Channel Five TV show The Singing Estate - an experience he told the Ham&High last year was the most uplifting of his life.

Sega has applied for £12,000 of funding for the project, which will cover the cost of several concerts a year. It will also fund NLSO carrying out work in local schools and youth clubs.

Mr Setterfield says that if anyone shows enough aptitude for music he may even sign them up.

Pam Gilby, Sega chairwoman, said: "With their visits to local schools and orchestras they will provide an amazing education in music for youngsters.

"Hopefully some of the youngsters will come to see the concerts and be inspired by the performance of a professional orchestra."

As a taster, Mr Setterfield will be following up last year's concert at All Hallows when he brings the New London Singers to the church on May 10.

The concert will again be the centrepiece of this year's South End Green festival.

The choir will travel up from their regular home of St Martin-in-the-Fields to perform In the Beginning - a selection of modern American choral music by 20th and 21st century composers.

And Mr Setterfield is planning to make a recording with the choir at the church.

He said: "The first time I did a recording it was at All Hallows Church.

"We are very fortunate to be able to perform and record as there are fantastic acoustics."

Tickets for the concert which starts at 7.30pm are £10 (£5 for children accompanying an adult) and are available on Sega's website www.southendgreenassociation.org.uk or by calling Ms Gilby on 020-7485 6990.

marc.mullen@hamhigh.co.uk