News

 We are chatting about celebrating 20 years of The Warminster Philharmonic Orchestra – A Musical Showcase Concert

 

In Warminster, for the past twenty years, the summer has been punctuated by one of the Warminster Philharmonic Orchestra’s ever popular, feel-good concerts and this year will be no different. Not only will the orchestra be hosting another fun, cultural event but they will continue to support another brilliant local charity whilst doing so.  

 

At a local council event, Amanda Williams – founder of the orchestra – listened with interest to  a talk about Open Door Warminster and promised the charity there and then that she would like to support them as part of the orchestra’s summer concert season.

 

“The need of a local friendship and support charity is vital as the idea of loneliness and isolation strikes fear in the hearts of everybody. Wellbeing is a word that we hear a lot these days and looking after ones mental health has become better understood to avoid depression and low self-esteem. The Chat Cafes in Warminster understand that simply through connecting with other people who genuinely understand how you are feeling – whether that’s feeling lonely, dealing with cancer or struggling with grief, people can immediately feel supported and validated.“ “Everybody knows somebody who could do with some company and a supportive listening ear and to have a free, regular opportunity on our doorstep is invaluable.”  

 

The Musical Showcase concert will be extra special in that the orchestra shall be celebrating twenty years since it was founded as well as acknowledging the donation of £40,000 to local charities simply through its not-for-profit community music making.

 

“I am so proud to have been able to provide this orchestral opportunity to the musicians of Warminster and the surrounding area,” comments Amanda. “We still have musicians who perform with us today who were fledgling members back in 2004. The orchestra is such a friendly and supportive group of people who have made it possible and enjoyable for me to have committed to voluntarily making music for the past twenty years. In this time, I have grown as a person not only in years but also in the understanding of what belonging to a positive and productive charitable group means to every individual – our musicians come and rehearse for so many reasons and to share this time as a group is a privilege.”

 

This summer’s concert will be a little different. As part of the celebrations the musicians have chosen their all-time favourites to introduce each section of the orchestra including Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man for the brass and percussion, Holst's Suite in F for military band, Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings as well as introducing the orchestra's newly formed flute choir and celebrating the return of the 4Play Woodwind Quartet. Other popular and inspiring pieces to celebrate the full orchestral sound shall include Haydn's Trumpet Concerto performed expertly by Jason Sellars, Saint-Seans' exciting Danse Macabre and Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade. 

 

Further support for the charity will see the orchestra running a silent auction of one of Warminster artist Tanya Hinton’s incredible paintings, an offering of summery refreshments, raffle prizes and a comfortable venue whilst supporting a vital local charity, why not pop along? We'd love to see you at the Thomas Arnold Hall, Warminster School Church Street, 7,30pm on Saturday 20th July.

 

Tickets can be bought online through the online shop at www.warminsterorchestra.org.uk or by calling 01985 216376. 

 

 Charity for 2024 is announced



Looking forward to returning to rehearsals on Tuesday 20th February ready to prepare for our special 20th anniversary concert on Saturday 20th July. 


Our very local charity this year is Open Door Warminster. They are a volunteer group supporting the residents of Warminster and the surrounding villages which set up in 2020, determined to create opportunities for people who were feeling isolated or excluded from society to come together in a safe and encouraging environment and talk about how they feel and how they would like to feel. There chat cafes focus on supporting friendship; tackling loneliness and isolation as well as supporting families affected by cancer and grief.


As always, the WPO welcome orchestral musicians of all ages and ability (approx grade 5) to join us at any time.


New and returning faces always very welcome. Fortnightly, 7.30pm - 9.30pm Minster Church of St Denys, Warminster. 


See you there! 

 Christmas is coming!



Looking forward to returning to rehearsals on Tuesday 5th September ready to prepare for our Christmas concert on Saturday 16th December. Orchestral musicians of all ages and ability are invited (approx grade 5 strings). 


New and returning faces always very welcome. Fortnightly, 7.30pm - 9.30pm Minster Church of St Denys, Warminster. 


See you there! 


 Our charity this term is the Warminster Branch of Cancer Research UK.


Music for the ‘Mind,’ body and soul

 

“Music for the soul” is the title of the Warminster Philharmonic Orchestra’s forthcoming summer concert to be held on Saturday July 22nd at 7.30pm at Warminster School, in the beautiful, purpose-built Thomas Arnold Hall, Church Street, Warminster.

 

Music is a universal language. It is understood by all cultures, ages and types of people. It has nothing to do with the words but rather, the emotions it creates. Music communicates love, happiness, and even sadness – these are emotions experienced by all – making it the universal language. It’s quite wonderful to know that in a world full of such diversity, there is something that connects all human beings.

The Warminster Philharmonic Orchestra’s forthcoming concert certainly has something in it for everyone from Borodin’s invigorating Polovetsian Dances, featuring Hamish MacCunn’s beautiful Scottish music-scape The Land of the Mountain and the Flood - now a popular favourite on Classic FM - through to everybody’s favourite Farandole by Bizet. From quiet and thoughtful to loud and immersive, the audience can feel connected through the energy created by our local community orchestra.

 

The Warminster Philharmonic Orchestra always put on a popular, fun and relaxed concert; the sound and the atmosphere being complemented through the serving of summery punch, delicious shortbread and best of all every penny being donated to Wiltshire Mind.

 

Amanda Williams, founder and conductor of the orchestra comments “Music has the ability to put us all in the right frame of mind to achieve anything. Quite often our rehearsals fall on busy days but after a good play and a chocolate biscuit at break time, everyone feels buoyed, comforted and in good company.”

“Our concert this summer not only provides an opportunity to share the musician’s hard work but also raises awareness for Wiltshire Mind, an independent charity supporting people in Wiltshire who are experiencing mental health problems or emotional distress. The link between music and mental health fits perfectly. We shall be donating all of our ticket, raffle and refreshment monies to the team at Wiltshire Mind. So please do come along and support us!”

  

Tickets can be purchased from our online shop www.warminsterorchestra.org.uk

calling 01985 216376 or emailing wiltshiremusicmaking@hotmail.com 

£10 in advance, £12 on the door.

Find us on facebook Warminster Philharmonic Orchestra.


 


 New year, new term, new music!



Alongside Elgar's Enigma Theme and Variations and Beethoven's 6th Symphony, we have loads of incredible music to get our teeth into this term.  


Looking forward to returning to rehearsals on Tuesday 21st February ready to prepare for our summer concert on Saturday 22nd July. Orchestral musicians of all ages and ability are invited (approx grade 5 strings). 


New and returning faces always very welcome. Fortnightly, 7.30pm - 9.30pm Minster Church of St Denys, Warminster. 


 Subs £25 Feb-July. Payable online here https://the-warminster-philharmonic-orchestra.sumupstore.com/product/musician-membership-for-spring-summer-term-2023


See you there! 


 Our charity this term is Wiltshire Minds looking after our young people's mental health.


 Orchestra performs “Familiar Favourites”

 

“Familiar Favourites” is the title of the Warminster Philharmonic Orchestra’s forthcoming summer concert to be held on Saturday July 16th at 7.30pm at Warminster School, in the beautiful, purpose-built Thomas Arnold Hall, Church Street, Warminster.

 

With the orchestra now back in full swing, the musicians have enjoyed ‘scratching their musical itch’ by rehearsing some all-time favourites with a nod to the Jubilee thrown in. There will be an opportunity to wave flags for Rule Britannia and some proms favourites, hum along to Spartacus, watch out for dinosaurs during John Williams’ Jurassic Park soundtrack whilst reflecting to Sibelius’ famous Finlandia and Fauré’s beautiful Pavane. The orchestra shall also be sharing Mlada, an orchestral work of Rimsky-Korsakov’s and although controversial to be performing a Russian piece, it provides an opportunity to reflect on the Ukrainian crisis through the performance of their National Anthem, rounding the evening off perfectly. 

 

The Warminster Philharmonic Orchestra, now in its eighteenth year, always put on a popular, fun and relaxed concert; the sound and the atmosphere being complemented through the serving of Pimms, delicious shortbread and best of all every penny being donated to Cancer Research UK .

 

Amanda Williams, founder and conductor of the orchestra comments “Two years after the first lockdown, it is so lovely to have completed a full cycle of rehearsals! We enjoyed a really successful and well attended Christmas concert and can’t wait to share our popular classics with our audience at our forthcoming concert. We are delighted to celebrate the return of live orchestral music to Warminster and shall be showing our support to the Warminster branch of Cancer Research UK as beneficiaries of our tickets and refreshment sales.”

  

Tickets can be purchased online

https://the-warminster-philharmonic-orchestra.sumup.link ; calling 01985 216376 or emailing wiltshiremusicmaking@hotmail.com £8 in advance, £10 on the door.

Find us on facebook Warminster Philharmonic Orchestra.


Spring term 2022

Firstly,  thank you all for a very successful winter term and concert. We raised a very respectable £926.30 for Wiltshire Air Ambulance.  It was so lovely to be back together. 

Omicron permitting, we are hoping to commence our summer concert rehearsals in February, aiming for a July concert (awaiting confirmation on date/venue).

I feel it most important to make this a fundraising concert in aid of Warminster branch of Cancer Research UK as so many of us have been touched by this vile disease.

14 Jan 2022

Orchestra is back!

After an enforced interregnum, of 18 months orchestra is returning to rehearsals on Tuesday 7 September 2021.

The date is fast approaching so we have been working on the orchestra's Covid-19 risk assessment for The Minster Church and our return to rehearsals information for our members.

It is all very self-explanatory really and no surprises. The biggest change for our rehearsals (hopefully for the short term) is that everyone is encouraged to bring their own music stand to avoid close contact sharing - and pencils etc and sadly their own refreshments. We shall work on the basis that we shall wear face masks when we are not sat down - like in a restaurant! Obviously, we shall be more spaced out with more ventilation so please wrap up warm especially as we are entering the winter months!

The full risk assessment and return to rehearsals document has been emailed to our members. If you have not received it please do get in touch.

We are excited to be welcoming some new members to our group whilst equally offering encouragement to those members who are a little worried about whether they can remember how to play! (Myself included!) We shall certainly take this term gently and enjoy being and playing together; I'm sure it's like riding a bike! 

The countdown has begun... see you on the 7th September at The Minster Church of St Denys at 7.30pm!

Best wishes to you all,

Amanda