2021 GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY
In 2021 City of Southampton Orchestra celebrated its 50th anniversary!
The orchestra started in March 1971 when an ad-hoc group of musicians from the Southampton area was asked by Ward Gardner, an enthusiastic amateur conductor, to accompany his choral group, the New Forest Singers, at a concert in Beaulieu Abbey Church.
The success of this concert led to the permanent formation of the orchestra, later renamed the City of Southampton Orchestra, reflecting its growth in size and its broader musical repertoire.
In November 2021 we held a celebration concert including the world premiere of a new commission in the orchestra's honour called A Southampton Overture.
WHO WE ARE
City Of Southampton Orchestra is one of the leading non-professional orchestras in the south of England, performing a wide variety of popular and interesting music from across the orchestral repertoire. We have been established for fifty years and perform five concerts each year, including one concert designed specifically to introduce children to orchestral music.