About us

HELENSBURGH ORCHESTRAL
SOCIETY

The Helensburgh Orchestral Society is an amateur orchestra, which plays a range of classical music from early to modern music under the baton of Robert Baxter. The orchestra meets once a week at the Victoria Halls in Helensburgh from August through to Easter with the majority of players residing in Argyll and Bute or West Dunbartonshire. At present we have seven members under the age of 16, four more under the age of 24, 24 who are under 65 and eight OAPs. Membership is open to anyone who plays at Grade V level or above, and the committee actively promote membership through articles in local newspapers, music websites, schools and encouraging the natural progression of those who attend the Helensburgh Saturday Orchestra for beginners. The orchestra receives a small annual grant from Making Music, but the remainder of its expenses are met from members’ subscriptions and fund-raising events.

The orchestra was formed in 1957 by a group of local musicians who had been playing in a number of ad hoc chamber groups in Helensburgh since the end of the war. They decided to join together, managed to secure a rehearsal room, funds and some second hand music and started with approximately 25 members. A grant was received from the Further Education Scheme and some of the conditions of that grant are still in place today – the orchestra was open to all who could play with no auditions necessary, and the orchestra had to have either a professional leader or conductor.

In the early days the orchestra performed only once a year, but for some time now the orchestra has been putting on two concerts a year at the Victoria Halls as well as occasionally taking the concerts to other towns. The orchestra prides itself on playing a vast repertoire of music and has commissioned several pieces of music over its long history. These include Roy Sinclair: Intrada (March 1987, Winner of the BP competition); Gordon MacPherson: Bull Bugles (December 1987, 2nd prize-winner); Allardyce Mallon: Soliloquy ( March 1989, winner of the BP competition); Carol Gould: Symphonic Poem ( March 1991, 2nd prize-winner). In April 1995 we gave the first performance of Calum Kenmuir: Symphonic Blue. More recently we commissioned John Maxwell Geddes: The Hill House - a Celebration.

Over the years we have also played a number of pieces by modern/living Scottish composers. They are: Brendan Musk: Aeroks Hlough ( Dec 2006), Tommy Fowler: Good Wine and Sweet (March 2006), J M Geddes: Dances at Threave ( March 1997), Iain Hamilton: Scottish Dances (December 1992) and John Purser: Stone of Destiny (December 1991). The orchestra also encourages local soloists to perform with the orchestra. Each concert includes a concerto and many past and present members of the orchestra have been given the opportunity to play the solo part. We also have a long-standing arrangement with the RSAMD – the first conductor of the orchestra was Bryden Thomson, and many of the soloists we have used have also been students there. These include Joseph Fleetwood, Veronica Dyason, Yvonne Hall, Gavin Hill, Feargus Hetherington, Nicola Boag and Mhairi Milne.


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HELENSBURGH ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY The Helensburgh Orchestral Society is an amateur orchestra, which plays a range of classical music from early to modern music under the baton of Robert Baxter. The orchestra meets once a week at the Victoria Halls in Helensburgh from August through to Easter with the majority of players residing in Argyll and Bute or West Dunbartonshire. At present we have seven members under the age of 16, four more under the age of 24, 24 who are under 65 and eight OAPs. Membership is open to anyone who plays at Grade V level or above, and the committee actively promote membership through articles in local newspapers, music websites, schools and encouraging the natural progression of those who attend the Helensburgh Saturday Orchestra for beginners. The orchestra receives a small annual grant from Making Music, but the remainder of its expenses are met from members’ subscriptions and fund-raising events. The orchestra was formed in 1957 by a group of local musicians who had been playing in a number of ad hoc chamber groups in Helensburgh since the end of the war. They decided to join together, managed to secure a rehearsal room, funds and some second hand music and started with approximately 25 members. A grant was received from the Further Education Scheme and some of the conditions of that grant are still in place today – the orchestra was open to all who could play with no auditions necessary, and the orchestra had to have either a professional leader or conductor. In the early days the orchestra performed only once a year, but for some time now the orchestra has been putting on two concerts a year at the Victoria Halls as well as occasionally taking the concerts to other towns. The orchestra prides itself on playing a vast repertoire of music and has commissioned several pieces of music over its long history. These include Roy Sinclair: Intrada (March 1987, Winner of the BP competition); Gordon MacPherson: Bull Bugles (December 1987, 2nd prize-winner); Allardyce Mallon: Soliloquy ( March 1989, winner of the BP competition); Carol Gould: Symphonic Poem ( March 1991, 2nd prize-winner). In April 1995 we gave the first performance of Calum Kenmuir: Symphonic Blue. More recently we commissioned John Maxwell Geddes: The Hill House - a Celebration. Over the years we have also played a number of pieces by modern/living Scottish composers. They are: Brendan Musk: Aeroks Hlough ( Dec 2006), Tommy Fowler: Good Wine and Sweet (March 2006), J M Geddes: Dances at Threave ( March 1997), Iain Hamilton: Scottish Dances (December 1992) and John Purser: Stone of Destiny (December 1991). The orchestra also encourages local soloists to perform with the orchestra. Each concert includes a concerto and many past and present members of the orchestra have been given the opportunity to play the solo part. We also have a long-standing arrangement with the RSAMD – the first conductor of the orchestra was Bryden Thomson, and many of the soloists we have used have also been students there. These include Joseph Fleetwood, Veronica Dyason, Yvonne Hall, Gavin Hill, Feargus Hetherington, Nicola Boag and Mhairi Milne.