Spring Concert - CANCELLED
2020-04-03 19:30 - 21:30 (Europe/London) | St. Mary Magdalene Church, Mariners Drive, Bristol, BS9 1QJ, United Kingdom
In accordance with UK Government guidance, we regret to announce that we have now cancelled our upcoming concert on the 3rd of April 2020 at St. Mary Magdalene Church, Stoke Bishop.
Many thanks to all those who have purchased tickets, please contact the member of the orchestra you purchased the tickets from for a full refund.

Winter Concert at Trinity Henleaze URC
2021-11-27 19:30 - 22:00 | Trinity Henleaze URC, Waterford Road, Bristol, BS9 4BT, United Kingdom
Conductor: Tim Harrison
Leader: Lisa Orton
Soloist: Rustom Battiwalla
Programme:
Mendelssohn: Overture “The Fair Melusina”
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No 5 ‘Emperor’
Gluck: Dance of the Furies from Orphée et Euridice
Haydn: Symphony No 103, ‘The Drumroll’
Tickets £15.00 on the door
£12.00 in advance by calling 01275 392344 before Monday the 22nd November
£5.00 for students
free for children

Spring Concert
2022-04-09 20:30 - 22:30 | St. Mary Magdalene Church, Mariners Drive, Bristol, BS9 1QJ, United Kingdom
Conductor: Tim Harrison
Leader: Lisa Orton
Soloist: Leah Leong
Programme:
Walters: Allegro vivace
Händel: Concerto Grosso in B minor op 6 no 12
Haydn: Cello Concerto in C
Grieg: Elegiac Melodies
Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings
Advance tickets available from orchestra members or by calling 0117 9688549
£15.00 on the door, £12.00 in advance, £5.00 for students, free for children

Summer Concert - Failand
2022-07-01 20:30 - 22:30 | St Bartholomew’s Church, Sandy Lane,, Lower Failand, Bristol, BS8 3SR, United Kingdom
Conductor: Stefan Hofkes
Leader: Lisa Orton

Mendelssohn – String Symphony No.8
Vaughan Williams – Charterhouse suite
A. Dvorak – 2 Waltzes, Opus 54
Vivaldi – Concerto grosso op. 3 no. 8 in A minor for two violins.
Grainger – Molly on the Shore

Tickets £15 and are available from orchestra members or Contact Chris Sage on 01275375248

Summer Concert - Frenchay
2022-07-02 20:30 - 22:30 | Frenchay Parish Church, Frenchay Common, Bristol, BS16 1LJ, United Kingdom
Conductor: Stefan Hofkes
Leader: Lisa Orton

Mendelssohn – String Symphony No.8
Vaughan Williams – Charterhouse suite
A. Dvorak – 2 Waltzes, Opus 54
Vivaldi – Concerto grosso op. 3 no. 8 in A minor for two violins.
Grainger – Molly on the Shore

Tickets £15 on the door £12 in advance £5 for students
Free for children Interval drink included
Tickets available from orchestra members or Contact 0117 9562106

Winter Concert at Trinity Henleaze URC
2022-11-26 19:30 - 21:30 | Trinity Henleaze URC, Waterford Road, Bristol, BS9 4BT, United Kingdom
Soloist: Ellabeth Little
Conductor: Stefan Hofkes
Leader: Lisa Orton
Programme:
Mozart: Overture, The Marriage of FigaroMendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor op.64Beethoven: Symphony no. 4 in B flat op.60
Book tickets
Tickets £15.00 on the door
£12.00 in advance
£5.00 for students
Free for children 12 and under

Spring Concert
2023-03-25 19:30 - 22:00 | St. Mary Magdalene Church, Mariners Drive, Bristol, BS9 1QJ, United Kingdom
Conductor: Stefan Hofkes
Leader: Lisa Orton
Soloist: Nicholas Shipman
Programme:
Mozart – Divertimento in D K136
Stamitz – Clarinet concerto No. 4 in B flat
Sibelius – Valse Triste
Handel – The Arrival of The Queen Of Sheba
Dvorak – Serenade for Strings
Tickets £12 in advance, £15.00 on the door, £5.00 for students, free for children
Advance tickets are available up to 24 hours before the start of the concert and can be purchased from orchestra members or via Ticket Source
Our soloist Nicholas Shipman began to play the clarinet aged 14 and at Leicestershire School of Music he received inspirational lessons from eminent clarinettists including Jack Brymer OBE. He joined the Guildhall School of Music at 17, where his teachers included Dame Thea King, and where in due course he gained his B.MUS degree. In 1999, after two years at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague (Netherlands), he began to build his career as a professional soloist and chamber musician. He has given concerts and recitals in London and throughout the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. He performs music by a wide range of composers both classical and contemporary. Local venues where he has played include the Guildhall, Bath, and St George’s Bristol.

Summer Concert - Failand
2023-06-30 19:30 - 21:30 | St Bartholomew’s Church, Sandy Lane,, Lower Failand, Bristol, BS8 3SR, United Kingdom
Conductor: Stefan Hofkes
Leader: Lisa Orton
Soloist: David Lewis
Gustav Holst – St Paul’s Suite
Vivaldi – ‘Winter’ and ‘Summer’ from Four Seasons
Carl Nielsen- Little Suite for Strings
Benjamin Britten – Simple Symphony
Edward Elgar- Chanson de Matin
Tickets £15 and include refreshments at the interval
Contact Number 01275 375248 01275 852442

Summer Concert - Frenchay
2023-07-01 19:30 - 21:30 | Frenchay Parish Church, Frenchay Common, Bristol, BS16 1LJ, United Kingdom
Conductor: Stefan Hofkes
Leader: Lisa Orton
Soloist: David Lewis
Gustav Holst – St Paul’s Suite
Vivaldi – ‘Winter’ and ‘Summer’ from Four Seasons
Carl Nielsen- Little Suite for Strings
Benjamin Britten – Simple Symphony
Edward Elgar- Chanson de Matin
Tickets £12 and £15 on the door includes refreshments at the interval.
Contact Number 0117 9562106

Winter Concert at Trinity Henleaze URC
2023-12-09 19:30 - 21:30 | Trinity Henleaze URC, Waterford Road, Bristol, BS9 4BT, United Kingdom
Soloist: You-Chiung Lin
Conductor: Stefan Hofkes
Leader: Lisa Orton
Programme:
Haydn: Symphony No.99Fauré: Masques et BergamasquesMozart: Piano Concerto No.23
Book tickets
Tickets £15.00 on the door
£12.00 in advance
£5.00 for students
Free for children 12 and under

You-Chiung Lin is an active solo pianist and chamber musician based in the United Kingdom. After graduating from Tunghai University in her native Taiwan, she was awarded a full scholarship to study with Piers Lane at the Royal Academy of Music in London and with Douglas Finch at the London College of Music & Media. She has appeared in masterclasses with Imogen Cooper, John Lill and Artur Pizarro amongst others. In addition to giving successful concerts at home and abroad, she has presented highly acclaimed performances on various cruise lines. Her concerto performances have been frequent and greatly praised and she returns regularly with the Reading Symphony Orchestra and the Bristol Concert Orchestra in collaboration with their resident conductor Stefan Hofkes. Her recordings include a selection of solo works by Chopin, Liszt, Mozart and a live performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No 2.

Spring Concert 2024
2024-03-23 19:30 - 21:30 | St. Mary Magdalene Church, Mariners Drive, Bristol, BS9 1QJ, United Kingdom
Conductor: Sebastian See-Schierenberg
Leader: Lisa Orton
Soloist: Sam Willsmore
Programme:
Dag Wiren – Serenade for Strings
Marcello – Oboe Concerto in D minor
Béla Bartók – An Evening in the Village
Finzi – Romance
John Ireland – Downland Suite
Tickets £12 in advance, £15.00 on the door, £5.00 for students, free for children
Advance tickets are available up to 24 hours before the start of the concert and can be purchased from orchestra members or via Ticket Source

Summer Concert - Failand
2024-06-28 19:30 - 21:30 | St Bartholomew’s Church, Sandy Lane,, Lower Failand, Bristol, BS8 3SR, United Kingdom
Conductor: Sebastian See-Schierenberg
Leader: Lisa Orton
Programme:
Handel – Queen of Sheba
Grieg – Holberg Suite
Bartók – Romanian Folk Dances
Grainger – Molly on the shore, Irish Reel
Elgar – Serenade
Arensky – Variations on a theme by Tschaikowsky
Piazzolla – Oblivion and Libertango

Tickets can be bought on the door or in advance through the church on 01275 375248

Summer Concert - Frenchay
2024-06-29 19:30 - 21:30 | Frenchay Parish Church, Frenchay Common, Bristol, BS16 1LJ, United Kingdom
Conductor: Sebastian See-Schierenberg
Leader: Lisa Orton
Programme:
Handel – Queen of Sheba
Grieg – Holberg Suite
Bartók – Romanian Folk Dances
Grainger – Molly on the shore, Irish Reel
Elgar – Serenade
Arensky – Variations on a theme by Tschaikowsky
Piazzolla – Oblivion and Libertango

Tickets can be bought on the door or in advance through the church by calling 0117 9562106

Beethoven Symphony No. 7 - Hummel Trumpet Concerto
2024-11-23 19:30 - 21:30 | Trinity Henleaze URC, Waterford Road, Bristol, BS9 4BT, United Kingdom
Join us for an unmissable evening of classical masterpieces!
📅 Saturday, 23 November 2024
🕢 7.30pm
🎼 Conductor: Sebastian See-Schierenberg
🎻 Leader: Lisa Orton
🎺 Soloist: Maya Ross (Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama)

Programme
Mendelssohn – Hebrides Overture: Be transported to Scotland’s rugged coastline with Mendelssohn’s evocative overture.
Elgar – Salut d’Amour: A heartfelt, romantic serenade that captures Elgar’s lyrical charm.
Hummel – Trumpet Concerto: Trumpet virtuoso Maya Ross brings brilliance to this lively, expressive concerto.
Beethoven – Symphony No. 7: Beethoven’s dynamic symphony, celebrated for its rhythmic energy and joyful melodies.

Featuring Maya Ross
A gifted talent from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Maya Ross has captivated audiences across the UK. With a background in both brass band and orchestral performance, Maya’s trumpet artistry has graced ensembles such as the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Welsh National Opera. This evening, she brings her skill and passion to Hummel’s lively trumpet concerto.
Tickets
£15 on the door
£12 in advance via Ticket Source
£5 for students
Free for children

Join us for a night of superb music, memorable melodies, and world-class performances. This promises to be an inspiring evening for all music lovers!

Bach Orchestral Suite No. 3 - Vivaldi Recorder Concerto
2025-04-05 19:30 - 21:30 | St. Mary Magdalene Church, Mariners Drive, Bristol, BS9 1QJ, United Kingdom
Join us for an unmissable evening of classical masterpieces!
📅 Saturday, 5th April 2025
🕢 7.30pm
🎼 Conductor: Sebastian See-Schierenberg
🎻 Leader: Lisa Orton
🪈Soloist: James Brookmyre

Corelli Gigue, Sarabande and Badinerie – The Gigue is upbeat and energetic, the Sarabande slow and stately, and the Badinerie playful and spirited, each showcasing intricate violin ornamentation and rhythmic vitality.
Vivaldi recorder concerto in C, RV 443: Antonio Vivaldi’s lively concerto for recorder combines virtuosic passages with sparkling, energetic rhythms, highlighting the instrument’s agility and charm.

Bach Suite no 3 – One of Johann Sebastian Bach’s most beloved compositions, the “Air on the G string” from the third orchestral suite is renowned for its serene beauty and emotional depth.
Mozart Adagio and Fugue – Mozart’s Adagio and Fugue is a dramatic and emotionally intense work, showcasing the composer’s mastery of counterpoint and his ability to evoke deep, contemplative moods.
Borodin Nocturne – In this intimate and lyrical piece, Alexander Borodin crafts a dreamy, soulful atmosphere, blending rich harmonies with sweeping melodies.
Suk Serenade – A charming, lyrical piece, filled with warmth and elegance, featuring rich harmonies and beautiful melodies that evoke a sense of nostalgia and grace.

Featuring James Brookmyre

James Brookmyre performs as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician with leading ensembles in the UK and abroad where these engagements have taken him across Europe, USA, and the Middle East. Recent performance highlights include playing as a principal with the Bremen Barockorchester, La Petite Bande, Brecon Baroque, Welsh National Opera and the Flanders Recorder Quartet.
An enthusiastic educator, James holds teaching positions at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and Cardiff University and teaches every year at the Moulin de Cajarc in Cordes-sur-Ciel where he works with an international cohort of students.
He recently premiered Lynne Plowman’s Bird Music for recorders and piano, is preparing a recital of the Bach flute sonatas on voice flute and harpsichord, and performed Telemann’s Concerto for Recorder and Viola da Gamba with Reiko Ichise, directed by Rachel Podger.
James graduated from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama with first class honours and at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya, where he studied recorder and clarinet. His teachers have included Ian Wilson, Pedro Memelsdorff, Pamela Thorby, Jane Booth, Dame Thea King, Robert Ehrlich and Lorenzo Coppola.

He is currently pursuing a PhD in musicology at Cardiff University, where he holds the department scholarship, and is Producer for the Brecon Baroque Festival.

Tickets
£15 on the door
£12 in advance via Ticket Source (Ticket sales open after the 1st December 2024)
£5 for students
Free for children

Summer Concert - Failand
2025-07-04 19:30 - 21:30 | St Bartholomew’s Church, Sandy Lane,, Lower Failand, Bristol, BS8 3SR, United Kingdom
📅 Friday, 4th July 2025
🕢 7.30pm
🎼 Conductor: Sebastian See-Schierenberg
🎻 Leader: Lisa Orton
Granville Bantock: Scenes from the Scottish Highlands –A set of five traditional Scottish-style dances starting with a vigorous strathspey, ending with a toe-tapping reel, and with contrasting middle movements to create a very entertaining sequence.
Mozart: Divertimento in D K136 – The first of three divertimenti all composed in 1772 when Mozart was just 16. Sunny and lively throughout, avoiding stylistic complexities, it makes for delightful listening.
Mendelssohn: String Symphony no. 10 – Like Mozart, Mendelssohn was passionately creative from a very early age. This is one of twelve symphonies for strings only which he wrote at age 16, and is tuneful and confident, starting quiet and subdued but soon bursting into merry life.
Grieg: three short pieces – All three have become very popular in their own right. ‘Anitra’s Dance’ and ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ are both taken from the sets of incidental music Grieg wrote for Ibsen’s play Peer Gynt, while ‘Wedding Day at Troldhaugen’ was originally a ‘Lyric Piece’ for piano solo.
Tchaikovsky: Adagio from ‘Souvenir de Florence’- Tchaikovsky, undoubtedly the most famous Russian composer, was adored for his gift for beautiful melodies, very much to the fore in the lyrical solos for first violin and cello which dominate this idyllic work.

Tickets
Tickets £15 and include refreshments at the interval
For our Summer Concerts, tickets are only available either on the door, from Orchestra members or by contacting the church:
Contact Numbers
01275 375248
01275 852442

Summer Concert - Frenchay
2025-07-05 19:30 - 21:30 | Frenchay Parish Church, Frenchay Common, Bristol, BS16 1LJ, United Kingdom
📅 Saturday, 5th July 2025
🕢 7.30pm
🎼 Conductor: Sebastian See-Schierenberg
🎻 Leader: Lisa Orton
Granville Bantock: Scenes from the Scottish Highlands –A set of five traditional Scottish-style dances starting with a vigorous strathspey, ending with a toe-tapping reel, and with contrasting middle movements to create a very entertaining sequence.
Mozart: Divertimento in D K136 – The first of three divertimenti all composed in 1772 when Mozart was just 16. Sunny and lively throughout, avoiding stylistic complexities, it makes for delightful listening.
Mendelssohn: String Symphony no. 10 – Like Mozart, Mendelssohn was passionately creative from a very early age. This is one of twelve symphonies for strings only which he wrote at age 16, and is tuneful and confident, starting quiet and subdued but soon bursting into merry life.
Grieg: three short pieces – All three have become very popular in their own right. ‘Anitra’s Dance’ and ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ are both taken from the sets of incidental music Grieg wrote for Ibsen’s play Peer Gynt, while ‘Wedding Day at Troldhaugen’ was originally a ‘Lyric Piece’ for piano solo.
Tchaikovsky: Adagio from ‘Souvenir de Florence’- Tchaikovsky, undoubtedly the most famous Russian composer, was adored for his gift for beautiful melodies, very much to the fore in the lyrical solos for first violin and cello which dominate this idyllic work.

Tickets £12 in advance and £15 on the door includes refreshments at the interval.
For our Summer Concerts, tickets are only available either on the door, from Orchestra members or by contacting the church:
Contact Number 0117 9562106

Mendelssohn, Symphony no. 4 (“Italian”) and Mozart Piano Concerto no.23 with You-Chiung Lin
2025-11-22 19:30 - 22:00 | St. Mary Magdalene Church, Mariners Drive, Bristol, BS9 1QJ, United Kingdom
Join us for an unmissable evening of classical masterpieces!
📅 Saturday, 22 November 2025
🕢 7.30pm
🎼 Conductor: Sebastian See-Schierenberg
🎻 Leader: Lisa Orton
🎹Soloist: You-Chiung Lin

Beethoven, Overture Coriolan – This highly-charged overture to a tragic play depicts the conflicting emotions of a heroic and ambitious Roman general as his mother’s desperate appeals fatally sway him in his warlike resolve.
Mozart Piano Concerto no.23 – A masterpiece of grace and lyricism, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 blends delicate beauty with emotional depth. Its serene outer movements frame a deeply expressive Adagio, showcasing Mozart’s gift for melody and subtle drama.
Mendelssohn, Symphony no. 4 (“Italian”) – Mendelssohn at his brilliant best, with a highly inventive work full of delightful surprises and contrasts, and bathed throughout in Italian sunshine.

Tickets
£15 on the door
£12 in advance via Ticket Source
£5 for students
Free for children

Vivaldi - Violin concerto in A minor
2026-03-21 19:30 - 21:30 | St Paul’s Church, Walliscote Road, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1EF, United Kingdom
Join us for an unmissable evening of classical masterpieces!
📅 Saturday, 21st March 2026
🕢 7.30pm
🎼 Conductor: Sebastian See-Schierenberg
🎻 Leader: Lisa Orton
Corelli – Suite ( Sarabande, Gigue and Badinerie)
Bach – Suite in D
Vivaldi – Violin concerto in A minor
Elgar – Sospiri
Mozart – Divertimento

Brandenburg Concerto No.3 in G Major
2026-03-28 19:30 - 21:30 | St. Mary Magdalene Church, Mariners Drive, Bristol, BS9 1QJ, United Kingdom
Join us for an unmissable evening of classical masterpieces!
📅 Saturday, 28th March 2026
🕢 7.30pm
🎼 Conductor: Sebastian See-Schierenberg
🎻 Leader: Lisa Orton
Albinoni – Adagio in G Minor
Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No.3 in G Major
Rutter – Suite for Strings
Warlock – Capriol Suite
Elgar – Sospiri
Beliczay – Serenade for Strings

Tickets
£15 on the door
£12 in advance via Ticket Source
£5 for students
Free for children
