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The Symphony Orchestra was formed in 1974 by Liz Dunn, and was in fact the beginning of Soar Valley Music Centre. Since then, the Music Centre has grown and expanded into what it is today, but the Symphony Orchestra still survives as the underpinning ensemble.
The Symphony Orchestra is primarily a youth orchestra for musicians at Grade 4 standard or higher and meets regularly on a Thursday night during term time, between 18:30 and 20:30. There is an annual fee of £35. Many of the students start in Junior Orchestra and move up to the Symphony Orchestra when they reach a high enough standard. The Symphony Orchestra has a full season of concerts, including the annual concert at St James the Greater church on London Road, and the birthday concert held at The Claremont Centre. Mayflower Methodist Church is also a regular venue for the orchestra's concerts, and this year they have also performed at The Porsche Centre in a concert raising funds for Barnados.
As well as the season of concerts in the UK, the orchestra also gives students a chance to tour abroad. Recent tours have included Canada, Ireland, Lisbon, and Zaragoza in Spain, where we meet up with our old friends from the Trovador Orchestra. This year's tour is to Germany in the Summer.
The orchestra has a wide repertoire, including Carnival of the Animals - Saint-Saens, Finlandia - Sibelius, Star Trek Through The Years - Arr. Custer, 1812 - Tchaikovsky and Les Miserables - Schoenberg.
If you would like to join our mailing list of concerts and events, please email maillist@musicentre.co.uk, or to see when the orchestra are next playing, please look in the calendar. Alternatively, if you are based in or around Leicester and are interested in joining the orchestra, or any other Music Centre activity, and would like to know more about what we do and how to get involved contact us.
Here are some recordings of pieces played by the Sympony Orchestra:
