What is the Folk Club Orchestra?
The Harbury Folk Club Orchestra was formed in 2013 specifically to perform at the 3rd annual Folk Club concert in the Village Hall. We thought it would be fun to put together a 'mega-band', combining the skills of the individual musicians who were taking part in the concert in various other capacities. We found that, between us, we had an interesting selection of instruments which provided great scope for orchestral arrangements. And so, on February 1st, 2014, our 18-piece folk orchestra made its debut in Harbury Village Hall.
After our first concert, most of the members agreed that the Orchestra was worth preserving and we have continued to meet for monthly rehearsals, gradually developing a substantial repertoire of traditional and contemporary tunes. We love performing at the Folk Club concerts and at other venues which are large enough to accommodate us. Unlike most folk bands, we have a formal score for each part and improvisation is strongly discouraged in the interests of clarity!
The current line-up of 21 musicians is: Piano Accordion, Melodeons (2), Concertinas (2), Violins (5), Cellos (2), Guitar/Mandolin, Ukuleles (2), Flute, Tuba, Tenor Horn, Double Bass, Keyboard and Drums.