After 31 years of playing in the orchestra's Double Bass Section, we spoke to Sally ahead of her final concert and asked her about her experience of performing with the CBSO and the wonderful memories she's made.

How did your journey with the CBSO begin?

My first ever classical concert was to see the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra at the age of 6 in Birmingham Town Hall - having grown up in Coventry, my parents regularly took me to see CBSO concerts throughout my childhood. I began free double bass lessons at school when I was 12 years old and went on to take part in Birmingham’s Schools' Orchestras on Saturdays. These were very important in developing my orchestral playing and I don’t think you’ll find many professional orchestral musicians who haven’t learnt through the same way. When I was 14, I decided that I might like to try to aim to be a musician myself.

I studied double bass at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now known as the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) and then went on to do my post-grad at Guildhall School of Music & Drama, studying under Thomas Martin. My first gig shortly after graduating was with the CBSO at the Town Hall in October 1990. We played Brahms’ Symphony No.1 and that performance will always stand out to me; we play long-held bass lines at the beginning of the symphony and it was my first time ever playing with eight double basses – a section that big is quite rare! So after freelancing for three years, I was delighted to be back playing in this section in a permanent position.

What have been your standout moments over the years?

Gosh that is a really hard question. Going on tour has always been one of my favorite parts of being in this orchestra – it offers us the chance to see the world and we always have a lot of fun. Some particular highlights include when we performed Janáček's operas in Chatelet, Paris (1996) and Aix En Provence (2000) with Sir Simon Rattle; they involved long stints staying in those locations and we had a lot of fun! Playing the Beethoven Cycle with Sir Simon Rattle in Salzburg (1995) was certainly a standout moment for me too. I have a soft spot for Beethoven’s symphonies as he writes the best bass lines, we were also staying in a location where they filmed The Sound of Music so that made the tour pretty special too. Another standout moment would be in 1997 when we went on a fantastic tour of South America and we heard tango music played live whilst trying out the dance. We were also on stage with George Shearing – that was so cool.

You've been very active with our Learning & Engagement team during your time with us. Could you tell us a little bit more about your work with them?

I have really enjoyed coaching the CBSO Youth Orchestra double bass section. It is satisfying to know that at the end of a sectional, they have improved their sound and followed exactly what is written in the musical score. Most recently, I have been mentoring the Career Accelerator fellows. This is a programme set up to support emerging musicians from under-represented backgrounds to kick-start a career in the orchestral sector. I helped to support two South American bassists recently, who sat alongside me in orchestral rehearsals and then got the opportunity to play in some of our concerts. It is great to get to know a new, emerging player as well as help show them the ropes of being in a professional orchestra: how to get through passages and helping them to listen out for things coming up. Even after 31 years of playing in a professional orchestra, I've learnt that you never stop learning. There is so much repertoire that you will always be discovering and developing – they say it takes 10 years to learn all the standard orchestral repertoire!

Playing in the orchestra for 31 years is an incredible dedication and we're sure has been an interesting journey. What advice would you give to those beginning their musical careers?

Take all the opportunities you can! Join The Musicians' Union - I was part of the Midlands' Regional Committee in 1995-1997 and 2015-2018, bringing ideas to the board to promote change and campaign for the West Midlands; they also offer wellbeing initiatives in addition to their wealth of advice. I’d also advise you to take care of your physical body early on. Playing in an orchestra is a very physical activity that may be easy when you’re younger, but not so easy as you get older – looking after your physical and mental wellbeing is so important. My last piece of advice would be that if you have a passion for something else, make time for it too. Playing in an orchestra can sometimes involve working on a busy schedule but it’s good to find hobbies that compliment your time outside of playing – I play golf and it’s been great for taking my mind off things as it involves a lot of concentration!

What will you miss most about the CBSO?

The biggest thing I’ll miss is being part of a double bass section made of eight players, playing music at the highest level. I’ll obviously miss a schedule too and looking forward to playing certain works that come up. I’ve made so many wonderful friends in the orchestra so I’ll definitely miss them all as well.

Your first concert with us was Mahler 8 under Sir Mark Elder in 1994 and you'll be finishing with Mahler 9 under Kazuki Yamada. How does it feel to be finishing with this concert?

Playing any Mahler Symphony is emotional. The eighth and ninth symphonies are mammoth. I remember Mahler 8 was enormous – it is known as the ‘Symphony of a Thousand’ quite literally because the choir is intended to be made up of a thousand people! Mahler 9 is about endings, so quite fitting for my last concert. It couldn’t be a more perfect symphony to end my time with the CBSO as I reflect on my journey over the past 30 years. Kazuki is a delight to work for, you always feel safe under his baton. I'm really looking forward to playing this amazing work with him and seeing his ideas come out in the concert.

Tell us - what's next for you?

I will be taking a rest but knowing me probably not, as I tend to always find a way to fill my time up! I look forward to having the time to improve my golf swing, continue piano lessons and work on my piano diploma, as well as making more time for art. I will continue to teach (bass and piano) and mentor as I really enjoy it. I also have a gorgeous dog, Milo, so we will have more time now to just relax out and about on our dog walks.