Jacoba Gale

Have you always wanted to play in an orchestra?
I have always wanted to be in a symphony orchestra – probably influenced by being at a school that was only for strings and piano!

When did you join the BSO?
I joined the BSO in January 1980.

What music do you enjoy playing?
I love playing Strauss, Sibelius, Mahler and Bruckner.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? What are your hobbies?
I spend my free time doing large amounts of dressmaking and tailoring - mostly for myself but for others too! I am also an amateur chocolatier. I make about 1000 chocolates twice a year, and at Easter I make Easter eggs, rabbits and chickens filled with chocolates for charity. My generous colleagues have enabled me to raise quite a significant amount of money in recent years. I also do a lot of family history and enjoy mollycoddling my three cats!

What have the highlights of your career been so far?
The Finnish Tour in 1981 with Berglund playing all the Sibelius Symphonies and the Violin Concerto; Falstaff in Paris with WNO in 1991 and our 100th anniversary concert at RAH with Litton in May 1993.

Which pieces of music would you take to a desert island?
Don Pasquale, Also Sprach Zarathustra, Chopin piano music and The Gershwin Song Book.

What was you earliest musical experience?
My earliest musical experience was listening to my mother’s piano pupils.

What is your favourite place to eat for a pre-concert meal?
The Blue Island Restaurant in Southampton is my favourite pre-concert haunt. It’s a family run Greek Cypriot place which provides real home cooking. Sadly, we rarely go to Southampton these days.