The National Youth Orchestra of Ireland will celebrate the new year with concerts in Athlone, Limerick and Dublin - and there may even be time for a little romance, writes Catherine Foley.

Up to 102 teenage musicians who play with the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland are in Waterford's Newtown School rehearsing for their New Year's concert in Athlone, Co Westmeath. "When everybody is sleeping off the Christmas turkey, they'll be working away," says Joanna Crooks, general manager of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland (NYOI).

"Each section works separately with different tutors - all the strings are together, then all the wood and brass, then (with the arrival of the conductor) it all comes together like a jigsaw," says Crooks.

The programme features a selection of favourites, including the theme music of Star Wars, Mozart's Toy Symphony and Auld Lang Synge. While the teenagers - aged between 13 and 18 - who make up the NYOI rehearse in Waterford preparing to play work by Copland, Mozart, Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky, an over-18 division of the orchestra, the National Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ireland (NYSOI), is busy rehearsing in another city.

The NYSOI, comprising mainly college students, will be in Limerick's Mary Immaculate College, fine-tuning and getting ready to play two gala concerts under the baton of renowned Japanese conductor Takuo Yuasa. "There's great excitement because everybody has worked for three days solidly before the conductor arrives," says Crooks.

"Takuo is incredibly expressive conductor. You can get some conductors who are quite wooden but he makes the music live and he's very precise rhythmically."

The NYSOI is made up of 110 players and their programme this year includes music by Debussy, Stravinsky and Dukas. The music has "mega forces", says Crooks.

This year the symphony orchestra will play at the Concert Hall in the University of Limerick and the National Concert Hall in Dublin, performing The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Dukas, La Mer by Debussy and Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring.

"I do go between the two (orchestras) all the time. I'm trying to make sure that everything goes smoothly, that everybody gets fed and that the buses arrive on time," says Crooks.

Those who become members of the umbrella NYOI, which was established 35 years ago and has a number of performing ensembles, have come through a rigorous national selection process. Musicians must audition annually to keep their places in the orchestra.

Over the coming days, both orchestras will "do eight hours' rehearsals every day", says Crooks. There are social events after 9pm for the players in both Waterford and Limerick. The symphony orchestra "usually has two New Year's Eve discos. There are quite a few romances," adds Crooks.

"When I look at the National Symphony Orchestra, the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and the Irish Chamber Orchestra, it seems to me that every performer there who is Irish went through the National Youth Orchestra," she says. "I don't know any other country where that happens."

For information see www.nyoi.ie, telephone 01-6613642 or 01-6628735.

The Ring in the New Year! concert is at the John McCormack Hall, Athlone Institute of Technology on Mon, Jan 2 at 3pm. The Toyota Ireland New Year Gala concerts are at the University of Limerick Concert Hall, on Fri, Jan 6 at 8pm and the National Concert Hall, Dublin on Sat, Jan 7 at 8pm