THE brightly-lit and buzzing BSO players’ lounge on the second floor of Lighthouse Poole is a little different these days.

There are no players for a start, because of the need for social distancing.

So before each home performance there isn’t the familiar chatter and collective excitement of the 80 musicians.

But there is still quite a lot going on.

The far end is partitioned off with huge black serge coverings for soundproofing.

From here, with a tiny team, a digital revolution has been underway for the last few weeks.

This is where BSO’s live-streaming operation happens, delivering the autumn season concerts to audiences at home in the local area, across the UK and indeed the world.

At first glance it may not look like the highest of hi-tech set ups. But appearances can be deceptive. It most assuredly is.

One area has been created as sound room for engineer Chris Caton, with mixing desks and a myriad of screens. Chris is the man behind the production of the Meyrick Park performances and other projects since 2000.

He said: "This was a great opportunity and we have turned the Lighthouse into a TV studio for Wednesday evenings.

"It is amazing to get this reach to so many people. And what we do has to work on so many different devices, smart phones, laptops, tables, TV, hifi.

"We are able to lots of technical support to enable members of the digital audience the very best experience - it's lovely to get feedback on social media.

Chris says a broadcast mix is very different to a live one and every piece of music is different in the technical challenges it presents.

On a table sit the two scores for tonight’s performance entitled Viennese Masters, Haydn’s Symphony No 99 and Brahms Piano Concerto.

Next to Chris' 'tent' is a smaller booth with a big radio microphone and screen for the guest presenter, tonight Sarah Walker from BBC Radio 3.

And at the end of the room there are four desks pushed together with monitors and other equipment.

From here Alex Rimell acts as camera director to cue Emilie Barton who operates the cameras. She has four outputs to utilise and studies the scores intensely in the days before performance.

She has scores of different shots in her brain.

Both Alex and Emilie have other full time roles with BSO's digital marketing team.

Richard Berry from BSO Participate is a 'third eye' on everything that's happening.

"There is so much going on that it helps," said Richard, a musician in a former life.

This is all a classic example of making a huge opportunity out of a massive challenge.

Driven by the pandemic and very limited audiences numbers allowed in the auditorium, it is the first time the BSO has live-streamed its main concerts.

And with presenters hosting each event, the experience is rather like watching Proms on television or indeed the New Year’s Day concert from Vienna.

In the dark days of lockdown, BSO chief Dougie Scarfe wondered how it would be possible to live performance back.

But things look very different now.

The orchestra had already invested in digital five years ago for its schools programme.

“New equipment has been added but we were in a good place to be able to do this,” Mr Scarfe said.

"Until last month we had never live-streamed a main season concert. We really wanted to bring back that live experience to as many people as possible and they can watch for 30 days afterwards.

"We are very conscious about all our audiences in all the venues we would normally play and making it accessible. It's reaching an even wider audience geographically and the reaction has been amazing."

Some elements of live-streaming will remain when things return to normal, if not every concert. And it is likely to open news doors in the orchestra's care, hospital and schools work in the community, this too restricted at present because of Covid.

Presenter Sarah Walker has written her script in advance of the performance and this forms the running order for the night.

"I do get sent around by the BBC to present live concerts, but this is the first time I have worked with the BSO, so I am very excited.

"This is such a lovely venue with a very warm, velvety acoustic. Because of the bigger stage and the players being socially distanced, it is almost like Surroundsound."

Sarah interviews soloist Stephen Hough for the digital audience just before the start of the concert and gives background about tonight's composers and pieces.

And she puts over a sense of the atmosphere for those at home. And of course there is always the unpredictability of a live event to prepare for.

Meanwhile Liz Williams, the orchestra manager liaises with communications manager Claire Rawles to cue the conductor and soloist based on where they are in the script so that the show runs like clockwork for both the audience in the hall and at home.

Tonight's concert receives rapturous applause in the hall and undoubtedly in the many homes it is being streamed to.

For everyone, this is a huge team effort, backed by the series sponsor Investec, who have supported the orchestra for the past seven years.

It takes everyone to make it work and is opening new doors for this iconic cultural community organisation that has been in existence since 1893.

They all know how lucky they are to experiencing live music in these times and are proud to be delivering it, literally to the world beyond the Lighthouse.