Orchestra Archive

The newspaper advert for the orchestra’s concert in March 1960 – when the concert was an annual event and took place on a Tuesday night!

1964, when the concert started with the National Anthem!

Concert review 1965. The local ‘music critic’ wasn’t entirely favourable but the orchestra did have “the stuff of music in it”!

March 1966. But the question is why were the 4 flute players playing from one music stand?!!!!

The orchestra rehearsing in what is now Helensburgh Parish Church for their concert on 12th March 1973. The soloist was Glasgow pianist Anne Crawford in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3.

1976, 1978 and 1979. November 1979 saw the orchestra move from the stage to the floor in the Victoria Halls for concerts, having outgrown the stage and also to be closer to the audience. And looking at the player list for November 1979, it seems that some of the clarinets were doubling as percussionists! Or vice versa…..

1980 – if a couple of our current members look closely at the newspaper photo, they should (maybe!) recognise themselves…..
December 1980 – Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto in Eb Major…… and an anvil borrowed from the local riding school!

1981. Music by Weber, Schumann, Vaughan Williams and Saint-Saëns ‘Carnival of the Animals’ on 4th April. Beethoven, Sibelius, Offenbach and Richard Strauss ‘Concerto for Horn’ in November. And joining current members David Brown (flute) and Marie Carrie and David Rycroft (violin) in the orchestra, our double bass player Frankie Hanmer.

April 1982. Conductor David Bruce. Leader Alistair Tasker. Soloist Bernard King for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3. Music by Brahms, Arnold, Ives and Elgar completed the programme.
1982’s 2nd concert. Ticket prices rose by 30p to £1.50 (inflation……), Barbara Rhodes was soloist on the oboe d’amore in Bach’s Concerto in A Major and another of our longest serving current members, Anne Binnie, joined the cello section.

Spring Concert April 1983. Music by Rossini and Haydn, together with Camilleri’s ‘Andante Religioso’ for the strings and 2 marches, by Weber and Arnold, for the wind and brass section.
December 1983 and, together with music by Mozart, Wagner and Mendelssohn, orchestra member David Brown was the featured soloist in Kabalevsky’s Piano Concerto No 3. He was so good, he got invited back to perform another piano concerto several years later!

March 1984. For the first time, audience members were charged separately for tickets and programmes, a programme costing 15p! The soloist was a young local oboe player, Christopher Blake. In 1988, after completing his studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Christopher was appointed Principal Oboe of the Ulster Orchestra, a position he still holds today.
Peter Shand took over conducting responsibilities for the 1984/85 season. The December concert featured 2 soloists – Cara Pell on flute in Mozart’s Andante in C Major for Flute and Orchestra and mezzo-soprano Frances McCafferty in Mahler’s ‘Songs of a Wayfarer’ and Bennett’s ‘A Little Suite’. Programme price? Now 20p.

Alongside music by Weber and Schubert, Peter Shand’s second concert as conductor in March 1985 featured 2 lesser known works. ‘The Kauri Tree and The Whale’ by Lyell Cresswell and, by Cedric Thorpe Davie (who composed the film score for ‘The Green Man’ in 1956), Concerto for Pianoforte and String Orchestra, with soloist Jacqueline McCarthy.
The concert in November 1985 was conducted by Michael Norris and featured Claire Docherty, a founder member of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, as soloist in Mozart’s Violin Concerto No.5. Dvořák’s famous 9th Symphony also got an outing.

April 1986. Christine Sinclair replaced Alistair Tasker as leader and the concert start time moved 15 minutes later to 7.45pm. David Bruce conducted music by Walton, Weber, Schubert and Copland. Soloists Jamie MacDougall and Gavin Hill.
29th November 1986, the first concert of the orchestra’s 30th anniversary season. Catherine Bruce was soloist in the Bellini Oboe Concerto, alongside music by Beethoven, Schumann and Strauss. A few more familiar names appeared in the orchestra line up – Stewart Carrie and Catherine Suckling in the violins; Colin Suckling and Douglas Carrie in the horn section.

The orchestra’s 30th anniversary concert took place on 28th March 1987 and featured Myra Chahin (a member of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at the time) as soloist in Kabalevsky’s Cello Concerto, together with the first performance of the winning entry in the BP Young Scottish Composers’ Competition, ‘Intrada’ by Roy Sinclair. Music by Brahms and Virgil Thomson completed the programme. More recognisable names in the player list in the Souvenir Programme (cost 50p!) – Jim Binnie joined the violas and Robert Baxter put in a guest appearance in the trumpet section!
‘Bull Bugles’ by Gordon McPherson, which won 2nd prize in the BP Young Scottish Composers’ Competition, had it’s first performance at the concert on 5th December 1987. The programme also included music by Herold and Dvořák and featured young local violinist Marion McGowan, a pupil at Hermitage Academy, as soloist in Bach’s Violin Concerto in E Major.

April 1988. MacCunn, Sibelius (a late replacement for Grainger?), Bennett and Saint-Saëns.
Beethoven’s Prometheus Overture opened December 1988’s concert and it finished with Tchaikovsky. Robin Colvill, described on his website as ‘one of the busiest and most popular pianists performing in Britain and Europe today’, was the soloist in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.21. Another familiar face joined the orchestra – Eric Woodburn in the trumpet section.

Allardyce Mallon was the winner of the second BP Young Scottish Composers’ Competition and his winning composition ‘Soliloquy’ was premiered at the March 1989 concert, featuring Anne Binnie as solo cello. Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony and music by Elgar and Fauré completed the programme.
Anne McGhee, leader of NYOS at the time, was soloist at the concert in December 1989 in Bruch’s Violin Concerto. Music by Humperdinck, Copland, Bizet and Tchaikovsky completed the programme. Another recognisable name on the orchestra player list – Valerie Stewart in the violins.

The start of a new decade! The first concert of the 1990s featured music by Glinka, Vaughan Williams and Schumann and Neil Mitchell as soloist in the Concerto for Horn by Richard Strauss.
December 1990 (slight confusion between programme and poster on the date!) and Richard Chester was guest conductor for a performance of Peter and the Wolf, narrated by TV reporter and newsreader Louise Batchelor. Pieces by Rossini, Sibelius and Dvořák completed the programme. A positive review on the orchestra from the local paper rather amusingly described the Victoria Halls’ heating system as sounding like a flock of starlings!!!

March 1991 and a double bass concerto! David Bruce back conducting as Thomas Hatrick featured as soloist in the Concerto in E Major for Double Bass by Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf. The programme also saw the first performance of Carol Gould’s ‘Symphonic Poem’, which had won 2nd prize in the 1989 BP Young Scottish Composers’ Competition, together with music by Copland, Prokofiev and Brahms. And a random fact….. Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf was allegedly a bit of an expert in silvology – the biological science of studying forests and woods. So there you go!
December 1991. Mozart, Mendelssohn, Purser and Dvořák for £3.50!

It’s March 1992 and Marjorie Rycroft was guest conductor for the first half of the concert – Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.2. David Bruce conducted music by Brahms and Arnold in the second half. Another familiar name in the list of players – Paul Hammond joined the violins.
An advert for the March 1992 concert (plus a review of an Oratorio Choir concert) in the local paper. Recognise anybody in the photos?!
December 1992. Soloist Christopher Suckling in Elgar’s Cello Concerto plus Dvořák’s famous Symphony No.9 ‘From the New World’ and Hamilton’s Scottish Dances. And another familiar name on the player list – Alice Gee in the bassoon section.

Inflation struck again in April 1993, with the price of a programme rising 10p to 40p! David Finlay was soloist in Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, with music by Wagner and Shostakovich completing the programme.
He’s back! 10 years after featuring as soloist in Kabalevsky’s Piano Concerto No.3, David Brown was once again soloist at the December 1993 concert, this time playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.4. Music. Music by Rossini and Sibelius was also performed. Ticket prices increased by 50p to £4.00/£2.50 while the price of a programme decreased by 10p and went back to 30p again!

After 15 years, Rosemary Elliott-Jones marked her final concert with the orchestra in March 1994 with a performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Concerto for Clarinet, which had been rearranged for full orchestra by conductor David Bruce. The audience also enjoyed music by Verdi, Delius and Brahms.
Saturday 3rd December 1994. Music by Mozart opened the concert, followed by Yvonne Hall as soloist in Ernest Bloch’s ‘Suite Hébraïque’ for viola and orchestra. The concert finished with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.5.

In April 1995, the orchestra’s principal oboist Leslie Callander was soloist in the Oboe Concerto by Ralph Vaughan Williams. As well as music by Mendelssohn, Schubert and Copland, the concert featured the first performance of ‘Symphonic Blue’, a piece by Callum Kenmuir.
December 1995. Dvořák, Beethoven and Joanna Nicholson the soloist in Darius Milhaud’s Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra. Another familiar name joined the orchestra – Amanda Wilson in the violins.

It’s March 1996 and Fergus Kerr was the soloist in Haydn’s Concerto No 1 in D for Horn. Schumann – Symphony No 1 and music by von Suppé and Stravinsky completed the programme. It was also the first concert in the cello section for Graham McCorkindale.
December 1996 and 4 years after her brother Christopher in Elgar’s Cello Concerto, Barbara Suckling was the soloist in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D. The concert also featured music by Rossini and Vaughan Williams – and the first appearance of the orchestra’s three new pedal timpani, purchased with the help of a grant from the local council.

John Maxwell Geddes and David Bruce shared conducting duties at the March 1997 concert; the former conducting his 1993 composition ‘Dances At Threave’; the latter music by Beethoven, Nielsen and Shostakovich – Alison McGregor the soloist in Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No.2.
Haydn’s Sinfonia Concertante was the featured piece at the December 1997 concert, with soloists Gillian Leitch, Hazel Mehtah, Jamie Cramb and Philip Crowe. The programme was completed with music by Shostakovich and Brahms. Joining the orchestra at this concert members Stella Crampton (flute) and Kirstie Moore (now Dubojski) on cello.

Music by Verdi and Tchaikovsky in March 1998 together with Vaughan Williams ‘Songs of Travel’ featuring baritone John Eric Mackenzie as soloist. Programme price went up 20p to 50p…..
December 1998. Music by Nicolai, Franck and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C with Neil McFarlane the soloist. And making their first appearance amongst the orchestra, Chris Ellen in the clarinet section.

Richard Rodney Bennett’s ‘Farnham Festival Overture’ opened the concert in March 1999, followed by Mhairi Milne as soloist in Louis Spohr’s Clarinet Concerto No 1. Dvořák’s 6th Symphony completed the programme.
The audience at the December 1999 concert enjoyed a programme of music by Schumann, Robert Quilter and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1, with soloist Andrew Johnston.

The first concert of the 2000s, on Saturday 1st April 2000, opened with ‘Land of the Mountain and the Flood’ by Hamish MacCunn. Feargus Hetherington and Nicola Boag were the soloists in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in E Flat for Violin and Viola. Music by Prokofiev and Liszt completed the programme.
Gavin Hill returned as soloist for the December 2000 concert, performing Mozart’s Concerto for Bassoon, having previously played the Weber Bassoon Concerto with the orchestra in April 1986. Also in the programme Rossini ‘Overture: The Thieving Magpie’ and Brahms Symphony No 2.

The concert on 31st March 2001 included the world premiere of ‘The Hill House – a Celebration’, a piece commissioned by the orchestra, composed by John Maxwell Geddes and conducted by him on the night. The programme also included a soloist from Helensburgh’s twin town of Thouars in France, with pianist Bénédicte Richer performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.1. The orchestra also performed Dvořák’s Symphony No 8.
On 20th April 2001, the orchestra were in Helensburgh’s twin town Thouars in France, performing music by Beethoven, Dvořák and John Maxwell Geddes. Here’s the concert programme, for those who’d like to try out their French!
Vivaldi’s Piccolo Concerto with Anne Callander as soloist featured at the December 2001 concert together with music by Tchaikovsky and Borodin.

Following in the footsteps of older siblings Christopher (1992) and Barbara (1996), Martin Suckling was the soloist at the March 2002 concert, playing Max Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy. Also on the programme that night, music by Wagner and Beethoven.
Following her appearance as soloist at the December 1994 concert where she performed Ernest Bloch’s ‘Suite Hébraïque’, Yvonne Hall returned to perform Walton’s Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in November 2002. The programme was completed with music by Berlioz and Dvořák’s famous Symphony No 9 “From the New World”.

March 2003. Jennifer Brown and Veronica Dyason were the soloists in ‘Duet Concertino for Clarinet, Bassoon, Strings and Harp’ by Richard Strauss. The concert opened with Brahms Symphony No.3 and finished with Tchaikovsky’s ‘Capriccio Italien’.
December 2003 and David Bruce’s penultimate concert as conductor. Tansy Hammarton was the soloist, playing Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D. The audience also enjoyed music by Rossini, Smetana and Hindemith.

After over 30 years (on and off!), March 2004 was David Bruce’s final concert as conductor, with soloist pianist Joseph Fleetwood and music by Rachmaninov, Haydn, Sibelius and John Maxwell Geddes. The process of appointing David’s replacement as conductor was different from a previous search many years earlier when an ad was put in the local paper!
December 2004 and the orchestra’s first concert with our current conductor Robert Baxter. Alastair Rycroft the soloist in the Horn Concerto No.1 by Richard Strauss and music by Rossini, Nielsen and Mendelssohn.

Following her brother Alastair at the previous concert, Gillian Rycroft was soloist in March 2005, performing Dvořák’s Cello Concerto. The programme was completed with music by Mozart and Delius and Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No.1.
December 2005. Bede Williams was soloist in Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto. The audience also enjoyed Mendelssohn’s famous Hebrides Overture and Bruckner – Symphony No.1.

The soloist for the March 2006 concert was once again a talented member of the orchestra – Alice Gee, who performed Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto. The programme also featured ‘Good Wine and Sweet’ by Scottish composer Tommy Fowler and Sullivan’s Irish Symphony.
Back by popular demand for his third appearance as soloist with the orchestra! Kabalevsky’s Piano Concerto No.3 in December 1983, Beethoven’s 4th Piano Concerto in December 1993 and now in December 2006, David Brown performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3. The programme was completed with Schumann’s Symphony No.3 and ‘Aeroks Hlough’ by Brendan Musk.

The Karelia Suite by Sibelius opened the concert in March 2007. Alex South performed Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No.1 and the concert ended with Dvořák’s 8th Symphony.
We were delighted to welcome Justine Watts, leader of the Scottish Ballet Orchestra, as soloist at the December 2007 concert, performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. Also on the programme were Liszt ‘Les Préludes’ and Brahms – Symphony No.4.

The concert on Saturday 29th March 2008 celebrated the 50th anniversary of Helensburgh Orchestral Society. The programme reflected the orchestra’s ethos, with young local soloist (and orchestra member) Helena Gourd performing Mozart’s Flute Concerto, and the first performance of ‘Thyme’, a new piece by Mike Norris. Sibelius – Symphony No.2 and Grieg’s Norwegian Dances completed the concert. To celebrate the 50th anniversary, we also recorded a CD, which featured 3 of the pieces performed at the March concert.
Sarah Cruickshank was the soloist in November 2008, playing the Albinoni Oboe Concerto with the orchestra. Beethoven’s famous Symphony No.5 and music by Mackenzie and Rossini were also on the programme.

Tristan Gurney and Mark Bailey from The Edinburgh Quartet performed Brahms Double Concerto for Violin and Cello with the orchestra in March 2009. Also on the programme at that concert for the audience to enjoy, an overture and symphony by Schubert and Weber’s Oberon Overture.
December 2009 and a sell out audience enjoyed An Evening At The Ballet. The orchestra and dancers from Scottish Ballet’s Associate Programme performed excerpts from Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Coppélia and Shostakovich’s Ballet Suite No.1.

March 2010’s concert opened with Wagner’s ‘Rienzi Overture’. Maria Kozlova was the soloist in ‘Four Last Songs’ by Richard Strauss and the concert ended with Tchaikovsky’s 6th Symphony.
An all Berlioz first half at the December 2010 concert – ‘The Roman Carnival Overture’ and ‘Harold in Italy’, featuring David BaMaung as soloist. David is now Sub-Principal viola with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Beethoven in the 2nd half – Symphony No.3.

We were delighted to welcome Tristan Gurney back to Helensburgh in March 2011, two years after he performed the Brahms Double Concerto for Violin and Cello with Mark Bailey. This time Tristan was the soloist in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. Balakirev’s 1st Symphony and ‘El Salon Mexico’ by Copland completed the programme.
For our second concert of 2011, we took a trip to Dunoon one Saturday evening in June to support the project to refurbish Dunoon Burgh Hall. The soloists were Greg Lawson and Scott Dickinson of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, who performed Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra. The audience also enjoyed music by Dvořák, Elgar, Nicolai and Johann Strauss Senior and Junior.
December 2011 and a programme of music by Haydn, Elgar, Bizet and Anrooy.

Baritone John Mackenzie sang Mahler’s ‘Songs of a Wayfarer’ with the orchestra in March 2012. ‘The Caliph of Baghdad’ by Boieldieu and Dvořák’s famous Symphony No.9 ‘From the New World’ completed the concert programme.
Sir Simon Rattle, the LSO and Mr Bean weren’t the only musical highlights of London 2012! On 28th July 2012 we performed The Making Music Overture with Dance House Glasgow in Merchant Square, celebrating the Cultural Olympiad as part of the London 2012 Festival.
Our third concert of 2012 – a programme of Kabalevsky, Prokofiev and Glazunov.

The first of 4 concerts in 2013, Andrew Connell-Smith was the soloist in the Arutiunian Trumpet Concerto at the concert in March, in-between music by Sibelius and Dvořák.
May 2013 and we made a return visit to Dunoon plus our first visit to The Three Villages Hall in Arrochar. Our principal flute Janine Macfarlane was the soloist in the Stamitz Flute Concerto and the very appreciative audiences also enjoyed music by Mozart, Strauss, Smetana and Dvořák. Here’s Janine taking the applause after her fantastic performance!
Our final concert of 2013 was on 30th November, St Andrew’s Day, and featured violinist Liam Lynch as soloist in Max Bruch’s ‘Scottish Fantasy’ and also solo piper Bob Low. The sell out audience enjoyed a selection of pieces with a Scottish theme, including ‘Dances at Threave’ by John Maxwell Geddes and Mendelssohn’s famous Hebrides Overture.

Mark Bailey and Tristan Gurney came to Helensburgh to play Brahms Double Concerto for Violin and Cello in 2009. Tristan made a return visit in 2011 and in March 2014, it was Mark who returned, to play Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No.1. Also on the programme was music by Humperdinck and Franck. The concert celebrated the life of Clare Rankin, orchestra librarian, do-er of things, fixer of problems, fabulous baker of cakes, talented cellist, horn player and pianist. Always missed.
Tuesday 17th June 2014 we were in The Theatre Royal in Glasgow, performing with Dance House in The Gadfly Project as part of Go Dance 14. What a great experience!
November 2014 and the soloist was Duncan Hughes, playing the Neruda Trumpet Concerto. Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.5 and ‘Der Freischutz Overture’ by Weber completed the evening’s programme.

March 2015. Lots (and lots!) of notes in a programme of Arriaga, Rachmaninov, ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ by Dukas and John Adams ‘Chairman Dances’.
James Hunter was the soloist in the Albinoni ‘Adagio for Strings and Organ’, which we performed as part of our concert at Cairns Church, Milngavie on 16th May 2015 and at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow the following afternoon. Here’s the orchestra rehearsing Schubert’s 2nd Symphony in Milngavie plus some photos from before the performance at Kelvingrove.
November 2015. The concert opened with Brahms, ended with Sibelius and in-between ‘Strathclyde Dances’ by the late John Maxwell Geddes. We were honoured to have the composer himself in the audience that night. Thank you to Michèle Newall for taking the photographs!

The soloist for our March 2016 concert was orchestra member Angus Butt on bass trombone, playing Thom Ritter George’s Bass Trombone Concerto. Angus studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London and has been freelancing with various professional orchestras, including recently the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. The programme also included Dvořák’s 7th Symphony and a performance of ‘Thracian Dances’ by Bulgarian composer Petko Staynov, a piece suggested by our then timpanist Desislava. Here’s various members of the orchestra looking very smart before the concert!
A symphony, overture, concerto and world premiere at the November 2016 concert. Tchaikovsky and Strauss accompanied by the first performance of ‘Jigsaw’, a piece written by the orchestra’s principal horn player Colin Suckling. The programme was completed with Richard Addinsell’s ‘Warsaw Concerto’, with Ancuta Nite-Doyle as soloist. Thank you to Alan Cooper and Michèle Newall (among others!) for taking the photos.

In March 2017 we were delighted to welcome actress Dawn Steele to Helensburgh as narrator for two performances of Prokofiev’s ‘Peter and the Wolf’. The bird, duck, cat, wolf and friends were very popular with the large audiences at both the Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon concerts!
November 2017 and a cracking programme, which included Sibelius 5, the best symphony ever written, in the humble opinion of the author! Other choices are, of course, allowed! Music by Wagner, Weber and Borodin completed the concert. We even managed to get a photo of the full orchestra on concert night! And the woodwind were still trying to shake off that viola player……..

The first half of the March 2018 concert, the orchestra was in the spotlight, performing music by Wagner and Brahms. In the second half, we joined with Helensburgh’s Dorian Choir, soloist Sian Winstanley and dancers from The Lynda Turner School of Dance for extracts from Lehar’s ‘The Merry Widow’. A very successful collaboration, enjoyed by the participants and audience alike! Thank you to Lauren Macfarlane for the photos!
Our concert on 1st December 2018 included a performance of Martin Suckling’s piece ‘Meditation (after Donne)’. Commissioned by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, who gave the first performances of the work a month earlier, the piece for chamber orchestra and electronics commemorated the Armistice Centenary and featured recordings of church bells from throughout Scotland. It was a privilege to be the first amateur orchestra to perform the work. Music by Delius and Vaughan Williams completed the programme.

It’s March 2019 and alongside music by Berlioz and Beethoven, the orchestra performed Shostakovich’s Jazz Suite No.2. We were delighted to welcome Jacqui and Emily on saxophone to the woodwind section for the piece.
Just over six years after the orchestra’s first trip to Arrochar, we returned to The Three Villages Hall in August 2019 for what was a very popular afternoon concert (they had to put out extra seats!) featuring music by Boieldieu, Borodin, Beethoven and Strauss. And if you’re ever in the area, we highly recommend the home baking and cakes provided by the volunteers who run this fantastic venue!
A fantastic performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with soloist Eve Kennedy was the highlight of November 2019’s concert. Amy Beach’s ‘Gaelic Symphony’ and Malcolm Arnold’s ‘Four Scottish Dances’ completed the programme. Thanks to Chris Ellen for the full orchestra photos!

A new venture for the orchestra in February this year…… a family friendly Concert with Afternoon Tea in the Victoria Halls. The programme featured music by Strauss, Shostakovich, Delibes, Elgar and Brahms, with our principal flute Janine Macfarlane starring as soloist in the 1st movement of the Stamitz Flute Concerto. The sell-out audience enjoyed both the music and the home baking!

After a 2 year absence due to Covid, in March 2022 we were delighted to once again be able to perform a full concert with an audience! In his final year at school and before his move to the Royal Academy of Music, local musician and former orchestra member Fergus Butt was the soloist in the Weber Bassoon Concerto. Music by Schumann and Schubert completed the programme, conducted by Leon Reimer.

The Cortet Horn Quartet were the soloists in Schumann’s Concert Piece for 4 Horns in November 2022. Derrick Morgan conducted the programme, which also included music by Franck and Tchaikovsky.

2023 – February Concert with Afternoon Tea with music by Strauss, Dvořák, Tchaikovsky, Grieg and more.
The March concert featured Dean Garrity, the winner of the orchestra’s concerto competition, as soloist in Glazunov’s Saxophone Concerto.
Music by Humperdinck, Dvořák and Brahms rounded off the year in December’s concert.