South Gosforth Orchestra

THE SOUTH GOSFORTH ORCHESTRA

We are a small amateur orchestra which meets in the Liddell Hall at St. Andrew’s Church, Benton, Newcastle upon Tyne, close to Benton Metro station, every Wednesday evening from 7 pm to 9 pm, except during school holidays.

We don’t give concerts but are best described as a “sight-reading orchestra”. We enjoy playing together a very wide repertoire of music ranging from Musicals and Palm Court lollipops to symphonic works. Each of our 30 folios of music contains around such 10 pieces and we usually spend about three weeks playing the pieces in one folio before moving on to the next.  For instance, in the week in 2015 when we are writing this our folio contains

On the quarter deck - Alford

William Tell overture - Rossini

Incidental music to Monsieur Beaucaire - Rosse

Four Centuries (1st movement) - Coates

Oxford Symphony - Haydn

Music from Madame Butterfly and Il Travatore - Puccini and Verdi, arranged by Tavan

The Shamrock (Irish melodies) - Myddleton

Roses from the South - Strauss

Love's old sweet song - Bingham and Molloy

Badinage - Herbert

Spring Tide - Woodhouse

Our players cover a wide range of abilities and ages.  We welcome players of any of the instruments found in a symphony orchestra; string players will be especially welcome at the present time.

There are no auditions.　

The orchestra is entirely self-supporting, each member contributing £10 per calendar month (negotiable in special cases).

Please contact Violet Hart (Secretary) on 0191 456 2702 for further details, or just come along for 7 pm prompt on a Wednesday night. Ring the bell labelled "Liddell Hall" and wait a moment.  You will be made most welcome. Now visit the How to find us page.

Why does the South Gosforth Orchestra meet in Benton?

We think the orchestra was founded in 1906 and for many years it met in the school at South Gosforth. In the 1980s the school was closed and the orchestra had to find a new home and it has now settled two miles away in Benton.