After a brief and disastrous Resident Poet episode, Stockwell Park Orchestra is invited to take part in a TV competition for classical music. For a GBP50,000 prize some competitors are tempted to stretch the genre to 'crossover' and beyond.

Can a full concert orchestra compete with jazz bands, horn quartets, harp ensembles, and Mrs Ford-Hughes singing in Portuguese with nine cellos? Or will the competition be derailed by the poet's return, this time sporting live Ambient Sounds? The TV producers aren't worried: they know a good fight means great ratings.

What was supposed to be a quirky diversion threatens to take over the orchestra's rehearsals for their own concert, but discovering a voting scam means they must fix things in the TV studio first.

With a huge reward on the line, the Stockwell Park Orchestra will need to play on a whole new scale to win big

About the Author

Isabel Rogers writes poetry and fiction, but never on the same day. She won the 2014 Cardiff International Poetry Competition, was Hampshire Poet Laureate 2016, and her debut collection, Don't Ask, came out in 2017 (Eyewear). She had a proper City job before a decade in the Scottish Highlands, writing and working in the NHS. She now lives in Hampshire, laughs a lot, and neglects her cello. Life, Death and Cellos is her first novel. More information is on her website: isabelrogers.org or follow Isabel on Twitter @Isabelwriter

Reviews

'A witty and irreverent musical romp, full of characters' Claire King

'With its retro humour bordering on farce, this offers an escape into the turbulent (and bonkers) world of the orchestra' Isabel Costello

'I was charmed... a very enjoyable read' Marian Keyes

'Life, Death and Cellos is that rare thing - a funny music book. Rogers knows the world intimately, and portrays it with warmth, accuracy and a poetic turn of phrase. Sharp, witty and richly entertaining' Lev Parikian, author of Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear?

'Dodgy post-rehearsal curries, friendly insults between musicians, sacrosanct coffee-and-biscuit breaks, tedious committee meetings: welcome to the world of the amateur orchestra. Throw in a stolen Stradivarius, an unexpected fatality and the odd illicit affair and you have Life, Death and Cellos, the first in a new series by Isabel Rogers' Rebecca Franks, BBC Music Magazine

'... a very funny tale of musical shenanigans set in the febrile atmosphere of the Stockwell Park Orchestra' Ian Critchley

Book Information
ISBN 9781788423991
Author Isabel Rogers
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint Farrago
Publisher Duckworth Books