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1877-1914: The
Northumberland Orchestral Society began with a meeting held on Saturday
15th December 1877 at 3pm "to consider the forming of an Amateur
Orchestral Society in Newcastle". The Northumberland Orchestral Society
has the distinction of being probably the third oldest orchestra in the
country which is still active; only the Halle and one other amateur
orchestra can claim longer lives. The first rehearsals were held at the
house of a Mr J F Ayton at 9 Osborne Terrace, but on March 2nd 1878 they
transferred to the Mechanics Institute (now demolished), which was near
the Laing Art Gallery. There were then sixteen playing members conducted
by a Mr. J H Taylor. They gave no concerts during the first season.
The first public concert was in May 1879 in the old Newcastle Town Hall
(now also demolished) with Herr Max Schroter conducting. The first
concert (May 1879) was given in aid of the Aged Female Society and
Infants' Nursery, and the program included Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto
in G minor played by a Mr Philip Millner. (This same concerto was
played at the centenary concert in 1977 by Brenda McDermott with her
husband Prof Denis Matthews conducting. The rest of the programme was
conducted by Robert Falconer). The regular annual concert was held in
the old Town Hall until the outbreak of war in 1914, when the orchestra
suspended all activities.
1919-1939: When the committee decided to resume rehearsals in 1919, a
new rehearsal venue was needed. Eventually the King's Hall at Armstrong
College (now Newcastle University) was made available for the 1919-20
season. The first post-war performance was in 1921 in the Town Hall, and
concerts continued to be held there until the concert hall in the
building was closed in 1927.
From 1927 until the outbreak of the second world war the orchestra
continued successfully under the conductorship of Cuthbert Horsley, the
concerts being held in the King's Hall.
1945-1993: After the war Dr Arthur Milner revived the orchestra which he
conducted until 1947, after which Jack Wolstenholme took over. Dr Milner
was a local composer of note and Head of Music at the Newcastle Royal
Grammar School, a position to which Mr Wolstenholme also succeeded. One
of Dr Milner's compositions, Otterburn Moor, was dedicated to the
orchestra and first performed by them in 1967. Ridley Dobson, a
businessman and organist, took over as conductor in 1954 and got the
orchestra to perform more ambitious works; concerts were given in the
Kings Hall, the City Hall and later the People's Theatre. Many famous
soloists were engaged during this period including a young Julian Lloyd
Webber (who required a fee of only £50!). The orchestra was at its
largest in 1966 with 72 members.
Mr Dobson resigned as conductor in 1973 and was replaced by his
assistant, Robert Falconer, an industrial chemist, viola player and
composition pupil of Dr Milner. In 1981 Mr Falconer was replaced as
conductor by Kenneth McKenzie, a music teacher and flautist; concerts
were usually given at Mr McKenzie's church in Wingrove Road, Newcastle,
where he had an official capacity. Rehearsals were held in St George's
Church Hall, Jesmond.
1994 to date: Mr McKenzie left the orchestra at the end of 1993 owing to
pressure of church duties. He was succeeded by the present conductor,
Gillian Coop. Gillian was Head of Music at Newcastle Central High School
when appointed and she arranged to use the school's new purpose-built
music centre as the rehearsal venue. The building is situated in
Brandling Village, Jesmond, only five minutes walk from the first
rehearsal venue in 1877.
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