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The Prize Racket
With a huge reward on the line, the Stockwell Park Orchestra will need to play on a whole new scale to win big...
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 £50,000 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 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.
What people are saying about Life, Death and Cellos:
“I was charmed... a very enjoyable read.” Marian Keyes
“Life, Death and Cellos is a witty and irreverent musical romp, full of characters I’d love to go for a pint with. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the Stockwell Park Orchestra and can't wait for the next book in the series.” Claire King, author of The Night Rainbow
“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?
“With its retro humour bordering on farce, this novel offers an escape into the turbulent (and bonkers) world of the orchestra.” Isabel Costello, author of Paris Mon Amour
“Dodgy post-rehearsal curries, friendly insults between musicians, sacrosanct coffee-and-biscuit breaks, tedious committee 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
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 £50,000 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 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.
What people are saying about Life, Death and Cellos:
“I was charmed... a very enjoyable read.” Marian Keyes
“Life, Death and Cellos is a witty and irreverent musical romp, full of characters I’d love to go for a pint with. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the Stockwell Park Orchestra and can't wait for the next book in the series.” Claire King, author of The Night Rainbow
“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?
“With its retro humour bordering on farce, this novel offers an escape into the turbulent (and bonkers) world of the orchestra.” Isabel Costello, author of Paris Mon Amour
“Dodgy post-rehearsal curries, friendly insults between musicians, sacrosanct coffee-and-biscuit breaks, tedious committee 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
259 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 28, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 9, 2024
The Stockwell Park orchestra is invited to join a televised musical reality competition, and possibly win big monetary prizes. But of course many strange things happen to the orchestra before the final competition, events that will strain conductor Elliott's best efforts and cause them to enlist their friendly policeman in the situation. Mrs. Ford-Hughes decides to form a cello orchestra with nine cellists and herself as a vocal soloist; a poet with designs on some of the younger, more attractive instrumentalists attaches himself to the rehearsals, Ann is forced to exert the usually subdued power of her personality, the good guys are good and triumph over the bad guys to general rejoicing. A delightful, literate, humorous read.
May 12, 2022
Occasionally I find a book a really delightful, funny and fascinating read, and this one is well into that category. It is the third in a series, yet I soon found the ongoing characters completely engaging and the main plot convincing. It features an amateur orchestra that meets one evening a week in a school hall, and though my experience of playing in an orchestra is limited to a school interest, yet I found even the technical details of playing the instruments was so well described that I was thoroughly hooked. It is amusing in the sense of well written dialogue, realistic characters and a plot that kept me reading into the small hours. The rehearsals are funny, the pub encounters afterwards are realistic to my similar choir experiences, and the whole idea of the competition is lovely in so many ways. In a way it calls for a television version as it pokes fun and more at entertainment competitions. So much is cleverly linked in with events in the book, and indeed the earlier books which makes me even keener to read them. This is a well constructed book that I really enjoyed, and I was so pleased to have the opportunity to read and review it.
The book opens during a normal rehearsal, with Eliot, the conductor calling for a break to enjoy Pearl's remarkable refreshments. David has received an intriguing request, from a local poet who wants to arrange a “residency” with the orchestra to benefit his creativity. Unfortunately he turns out to be the most pretentious and intense man who adopts poses of intent listening and an impolite attitude to contributing in any way. Worse, he soon tries to monopolise a young woman in the orchestra, who is repelled by his advances. During his second visit he tries to approach Beatriz again, and is firmly dealt with by Ann, an older retired professional cello player. A minor event, which will have an effect later. An invitation to record a piece for a competition to be televised also arrives, and as orchestra members discuss these two incidents we discover much about them as personalities and a cohesive group. As they record their first piece and it is shown as one of the competitors in a heat, the homes of various orchestra members are shown where watch parties are happening, and the social links are shown in a really funny way. Furthermore Erin and Ann are summoned to the huge home of one of the orchestra’s former associates, a Mrs Ford-Hughes, who has decided to enter the competition with a technically difficult vocal piece which requires a large number of cellists. It is a very funny episode with some characters introduced in previous books, in which the soloist’s voice is described as “her timbre transformed from a distant chainsaw into an angry mosquito that had got into your bedroom…A mosquito that had learned how to do vibrato.”
As the book proceeds other musicians are introduced. A group of small children who attempt co ordinated violin playing provide much entertainment, and there are some terrifying harp players. The competition is not exactly straightforward, and the whole experience proves a severe test of everyone’s musical abilities in some complex ways. I recommend this book for its entertainment value on so many levels which is bound to bring on some recognisable groans among musicians of many types in a very good way.
The book opens during a normal rehearsal, with Eliot, the conductor calling for a break to enjoy Pearl's remarkable refreshments. David has received an intriguing request, from a local poet who wants to arrange a “residency” with the orchestra to benefit his creativity. Unfortunately he turns out to be the most pretentious and intense man who adopts poses of intent listening and an impolite attitude to contributing in any way. Worse, he soon tries to monopolise a young woman in the orchestra, who is repelled by his advances. During his second visit he tries to approach Beatriz again, and is firmly dealt with by Ann, an older retired professional cello player. A minor event, which will have an effect later. An invitation to record a piece for a competition to be televised also arrives, and as orchestra members discuss these two incidents we discover much about them as personalities and a cohesive group. As they record their first piece and it is shown as one of the competitors in a heat, the homes of various orchestra members are shown where watch parties are happening, and the social links are shown in a really funny way. Furthermore Erin and Ann are summoned to the huge home of one of the orchestra’s former associates, a Mrs Ford-Hughes, who has decided to enter the competition with a technically difficult vocal piece which requires a large number of cellists. It is a very funny episode with some characters introduced in previous books, in which the soloist’s voice is described as “her timbre transformed from a distant chainsaw into an angry mosquito that had got into your bedroom…A mosquito that had learned how to do vibrato.”
As the book proceeds other musicians are introduced. A group of small children who attempt co ordinated violin playing provide much entertainment, and there are some terrifying harp players. The competition is not exactly straightforward, and the whole experience proves a severe test of everyone’s musical abilities in some complex ways. I recommend this book for its entertainment value on so many levels which is bound to bring on some recognisable groans among musicians of many types in a very good way.
March 17, 2022
Rated 3.5/4
The writing was great, really detailed and funny, however at times there was a bit too much musical jargon for me. This book is ideally made for someone who is in the musical world or who understands the intricacies of an orchestra.
The chapters were fairly short, but there was a lot of detail packed in.
We were cleverly introduced to all the characters via character conversation and interactions rather than storytelling which made you as the reader feel more involved.
I loved the relationship between the characters and how they were all so individual yet came together with their mutual love of music. I also loved the humour between them.
Lastly the settings were brilliant. I loved being on the TV set. It felt really well researched and authentic. In fact the whole story felt that way.
Overall a lovely read and one that I would recommend to people who know about music and orchestras. I felt that I wasn't able to appreciate it as much as I should have because my musical knowledge is lacking!
✨For a longer review see my book blog✨ https://budgettalesblog.wordpress.com
The writing was great, really detailed and funny, however at times there was a bit too much musical jargon for me. This book is ideally made for someone who is in the musical world or who understands the intricacies of an orchestra.
The chapters were fairly short, but there was a lot of detail packed in.
We were cleverly introduced to all the characters via character conversation and interactions rather than storytelling which made you as the reader feel more involved.
I loved the relationship between the characters and how they were all so individual yet came together with their mutual love of music. I also loved the humour between them.
Lastly the settings were brilliant. I loved being on the TV set. It felt really well researched and authentic. In fact the whole story felt that way.
Overall a lovely read and one that I would recommend to people who know about music and orchestras. I felt that I wasn't able to appreciate it as much as I should have because my musical knowledge is lacking!
✨For a longer review see my book blog✨ https://budgettalesblog.wordpress.com
February 17, 2022
Another wondrous escape from the marking pile.
Accurate observation of an orchestra at work and play. Intimate knowledge of the music described using a wide repertoire of convincing imagery. And above all, great fun.
Accurate observation of an orchestra at work and play. Intimate knowledge of the music described using a wide repertoire of convincing imagery. And above all, great fun.
August 16, 2022
Brilliant read!
I loved the humour and the obvious, detailed knowledge of how an orchestra performs. The characters are great. More please!!!
I loved the humour and the obvious, detailed knowledge of how an orchestra performs. The characters are great. More please!!!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews