FULL CONCERT PROGRAMME
Coles Overture Comedy of Errors
Walton Richard III Suite
Arnold English Dances Suite No 1
Borodin Symphony No 2.
CONDUCTOR
Nicholas Wilks
DATE
Saturday 18 May 2024, 7.30pm
April 2024
Out of the blue, at the end of our concert in December, one of our long-standing members announced that he had decided to ‘retire’. Donald Gibson was a member of the orchestra for 37 years, playing in the Second Violin section. And his reason for retiiring?
‘as there is a waiting list for the orchestra I gladly step down to enable a younger person to have the thrills I have had over the last 37 years’
Donald’s time in the orchestra was not just about playing but was marked by his unstinting willingness to help in any capacity he could. For 20 years he was a selfless Secretary of the Orchestra, dealing with the many administrative tasks which enable the orchestra to function, communicating with members, booking venues, compiling programmes, ordering printing, dealing with enquiries and much more.
He was always on hand to drive vans with equipment, to set up for rehearsals, and was for many years usually last to leave the building as he ensured all the orchestra equipment was securely stored and premises left as it should be.
The orchestra showed its gratitude for Donald’s time in the orchestra at the Civic Dinner given in Glasgow City Chambers by the Lord Provost Jaqueline McLaren in March last year, when he received a certificate to mark his selfless work for GOS over many years.
And at our March concert this year after his retiral, Donald was there in the New Auditorium helping our other volunteers to give out programmes and sell raffle tickets! Thank you again Donald!
Mar 2022
Now open at Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, this exhibition in the Community Gallery space shows what being a member of GOS is like and why we love making music together!
Mar 2022
Now open at Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, this exhibition in the Community Gallery space shows what being a member of GOS is like and why we love making music together!
Glasgow Orchestral Society, founded in 1870, is a symphony orchestra with about 80 members. Our repertoire is wide and we perfrom music from the classical era to the present day including new works, most recently by Joshua Brown as part of Making Music's Adopt A Music Creator Scheme 2022, And we occasionally perform choral works with local choirs - in March 2023 we gave a performance of Beethoven's Symphony No 9 (Choral) along with the City of Glasgow Chorus.
We invite different conductors for our concerts, each bringing their own personality and distinctive style to our rehearsals and performances. And we are non-auditioning, enjoying making music to the highest standards while having as much fun as possible in the process!
We give four concerts a year and rehearse weekly on Monday evenings from 7.15pm to 9.45pm, from September to May, in Maryhill Burgh Halls, 45 Gairbraid Avenue, G20 8YE
The Orchestra has just finished celebrating its delayed 150th anniversary season with a four venue Tour of Scotland in July, playing Saint-Saens Symphony No 3 (Organ) in four different venues with four different organists, a spectacular end to an amazing year!
The Glasgow Amateur Orchestral Society was founded at a meeting at 37 Sauchiehall Street, “for the study and practice of orchestral music” and “practisings” were held in The Halls at 285 Bath Street.
The first concert took place in the Queen’s Rooms, conducted by HD Mehul, nephew of the French composer Etienne Mehul (1763-1817)
The orchestra was foundering and amalgamated with another struggling group, the Glasgow Southern Orchestral Society.
Women musicians were admitted for the first time as full playing (and paying) members.
The orchestra performed two concerts as part of the official programme of events.
The orchestra continued to rehearse and perform but abandoned its activities in 1916 and did not reconvene until 1919
There were no celebrations planned for the Golden Jubilee because of the impact of the war but a significant celebration took place in 1930, including a civic reception with the Lord Provost present.
The Society was renamed Glasgow Orchestral Society, dropping the term “amateur “ from its title.
The blaze in the orchestra’s permanent home destroyed the Society’s extensive music library, most of its document archive and four double basses, one cello, one viola, a trombone, and all percussion apart from the timps.
The orchestra celebrated its centenary.
The tour took the orchestra to Umbria in Italy, with concerts in Chiusi, Gubbio, and Perugia
Celebrated in all four concerts with women playing in the ranks, as soloists, and as conductor.
Concerts in Marianske Lazne, Pilsen and Prague
Saturday 21 October 2023, 730pm Sherbrooke Mosspark Church Details above and link to tickets, now on sale.
Saturday 9 December 2023, 7.30pm GRCH New Auditorium
Christmas at the Movies
Conductor Chris Swaffer
Saturday 16 March 2024, 7.30pm GRCH New Auditorium
Greig Piano Concerto
Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique
Conductor John Grant
Saturday 18 May 2024 Sherbrooke Mosspark Church
Cecil Coles Comedy of Errors Overture
Walton, Richard The Third Suite
Arnold English Dances Suite No 1
Borodin Symphony No 2.
Conductor Nicholas Wilks
Rehearsals take place on Monday evenings from 7:15pm to 9:45pm in Maryhill Burgh Halls (45 Gairbraid Avenue G20 8YE).
Monday 28 August 2023 Rehearsals begin 7.15 Maryhill Burgh Hall
Concert 1 Saturday 21 October Sherbrooke Mosspark Church
Florence Price Symphony No 1
Dvorak Symphony No 9 (From the New World)
Conductor John Grant
Concert 2a Thursday 7 December GRCH New Auditorium
Private event
Conductor Chris Swaffer
Concert 2b Saturday 9 December GRCH New Auditorium
Christmas Film Classics
Conductor Chris Swaffer
Rehearsals start Monday 15 January 2024
Concert 3 Saturday 16 March 2024 New Auditorium 9 Mondays
Grieg Piano Concerto
Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique
Conductor John Grant
Concert 4
Saturday 18 May 2024 Sherbrooke Mosspark Church Glasgow
Cecil Coles Comedy of Errors Overture
Walton, Richard the Third Suite
Arnold English Dances Suite No 1
Borodin Symphony No 2.
Conductor Nicholas Wilks
No rehearsal on Easter Monday 1 April 2024
There will be a rehearsal on May Day Monday 6 May 2024
Download the Members’ Handbook here
We do not formally audition, but you should be of at least Associated Board Grade 7 standard or higher, with relevant orchestral playing experience. And you should have enough free time and be prepared to practise your parts at home between rehearsals.
New members will be invited to attend rehearsals and perform in two concerts and the committee will then decide, in consultation with the relevant section leader, to invite you to join the orchestra for the longer term.
You will be asked to pay 50% of the annual subscription for the first concert, the balance of the year's subscription to be paid on mutually satisfactory completion of the first term.
Non-playing friends are also invited to get involved in our activities.
admin@gos.org.uk
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