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The 2022-23 concert season was the Beauchamp Sinfonietta’s 50th Anniversary Season. Celebrating this milestone in our history gave us a chance to acknowledge the support of the many people who help make the orchestra work both behind the scenes and Front of House and to thank you, our audience, for your loyalty over many years in helping to make the Beauchamp Sinfonietta such a valuable part of the musical scene in the area.
The orchestra was formally established as the Beauchamp Sinfonietta in September 1971 by Brian Brown (Leader) and Peter Chadwick (Orchestral Manager), formed from a group of ad hoc players brought together to accompany local choral and operatic societies. From the very beginning our vision has always been to provide opportunities for excellent local musicians from all walks of life to play together in formal concert programmes and to provide high-quality orchestral accompaniment for other local societies and organisations; these aims remain true to this day. |
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The Beauchamp Sinfonietta’s first orchestral concert took place in 1972 under the baton of our first Principal Conductor, David Tall, who conducted over 60 concerts over the course of eight years or so. Also in 1972, Australian composer Malcolm Williamson was appointed President of the Orchestra before becoming Master of the Queen’s Music from 1975 until his death in 2003.
Over the decades the orchestra has benefitted from working with eminent professional conductors such as Vilem Tausky, Adrian Leaper, and Andrew Watkinson of the Endellion Quartet, and well-known concert soloists such as Tasmin Little and Craig Ogden.
The Beauchamp Sinfonietta’s rich repertoire covers all genres from the baroque works of Bach and Handel to the romantic repertoire of Mendelssohn and Brahms, from the England of Elgar and Vaughan Williams to the Vienna of Mozart, Haydn and Schubert and the shores of America with Gershwin and Copland. Since its earliest days, the Beauchamp Sinfonietta has performed over 480 separate pieces of music by at least 140 composers, covering over 350 performances under 41 different conductors. We also accompanied local choral societies on around 40 occasions over the last 20 years alone, including Royal Leamington Spa Bach Choir, Collegium and St Mary’s Choirs of Warwick and Atherstone Choral Society.
Our current Musical Director and Principal Conductor, Nic Fallowfield, has conducted the orchestra over 100 times since he was appointed in April 1993, whilst Roger Coull, our longest-standing Principal Guest Conductor, has conducted us over 40 times since 1996.
Thank you to all of you for your continuing support of the orchestra; we look forward to our next 50 years of live music making!
Tim Johnson (Chairman)
Over the decades the orchestra has benefitted from working with eminent professional conductors such as Vilem Tausky, Adrian Leaper, and Andrew Watkinson of the Endellion Quartet, and well-known concert soloists such as Tasmin Little and Craig Ogden.
The Beauchamp Sinfonietta’s rich repertoire covers all genres from the baroque works of Bach and Handel to the romantic repertoire of Mendelssohn and Brahms, from the England of Elgar and Vaughan Williams to the Vienna of Mozart, Haydn and Schubert and the shores of America with Gershwin and Copland. Since its earliest days, the Beauchamp Sinfonietta has performed over 480 separate pieces of music by at least 140 composers, covering over 350 performances under 41 different conductors. We also accompanied local choral societies on around 40 occasions over the last 20 years alone, including Royal Leamington Spa Bach Choir, Collegium and St Mary’s Choirs of Warwick and Atherstone Choral Society.
Our current Musical Director and Principal Conductor, Nic Fallowfield, has conducted the orchestra over 100 times since he was appointed in April 1993, whilst Roger Coull, our longest-standing Principal Guest Conductor, has conducted us over 40 times since 1996.
Thank you to all of you for your continuing support of the orchestra; we look forward to our next 50 years of live music making!
Tim Johnson (Chairman)