Concerts

The orchestra usually gives two or three concerts each year. We often invite a number of wind players in order to perform a larger symphonic work, such as a Haydn or Mozart symphony.

Recent concerts

St. Luke's Church, Mow Cop - 11th May 2012

This concert featured the Adagio from Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, with the conductor, Julia Harding, as soloist, and a performance by children from Woodcocks' Well Primary School. The orchestra's programme was:

  • Allegro from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik K525 - Mozart
  • Slavonic Dance no 8 - Dvorak
  • Valse Triste - Sibelius
  • Fiddle Dance - Percy Fletcher
  • Adagio from Clarinet Concerto K622 - Mozart
  • Finale from St. Paul's Suite - Holst
  • Suite for Strings - John Rutter
  • Irish Tune from County Derry - Percy Grainger
  • Salut d’Amour - Elgar
  • The Edwardians - Alexander Faris

Proceeds from the concert were shared with the school and church.

St. Mary's Church, Alsager - 23rd March 2012

For this concert the strings were again joined by a number of wind players, and the main works were Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 23 in A, K488, and Haydn's last symphony, the "London", no. 104.

The soloist in the concerto was Gintaute Gataveckaite, a young pianist from Vilnius, Lithuania currently completing her Bachelor of Music degree at the Royal Northern College of Music under the tutelage of Graham Scott. She has received awards in numerous national and international competitions and performs regularly throughout the UK and Europe.

The full programme was:

  • Overture The Caliph of Baghdad - Boieldieu
  • Adagio and Giga - Galuppi
  • Piano concerto no. 23 in A, K.488 - Mozart
  • Suite for strings - Rutter
  • Symphony no. 104 "London" - Haydn

Proceeds from the concert were shared with the church's Open Door Project.

Trinity Church, Leek - 25th November 2011

This concert had a seasonal theme, and the strings were joined by a number of wind players. The programme included a work by Leek composer Jean Bode, a member of the cello section.

  • Overture to Der Schauspieldirektor (The Impresario) K486 - Mozart
  • Symphony No 92 in G major 'Oxford' - Haydn
  • Sheep May Safely Graze (BWV 208) - Bach
  • Largo from L'Inverno (Winter) Op 8, no 4 from the Four Seasons - Vivaldi
  • Minuet from Sonatina for Clarinet and String Orchestra Op 4 - Jean Bode
  • Minuet and Dance of the Blessed Spirits - Christoph Willibald Ritter von Gluck
  • Waltz from Sleeping Beauty and Dance of Mirlitons from The Nutcracker - Tchaikovsky
  • Concerto Grosso Op6 No 8, For the Night of Christmas - Corelli
  • L'adieu des Bergers (The Shepherds' Farewell) from L'Enfance du Christ (The Childhood of Christ) Op 25 - Berlioz

Most of the proceeds from the concert were given to the church, which had recently been refurbished.

St. Luke's Church, Mow Cop - 17th June 2011

This concert featured saxophone solos by the conductor, Julia Harding, and a short programme of music performed by children from Woodcocks' Well C. of E. Primary School. Proceeds went to the school and the church.

The orchestra's programme was:

  • Overture 'Faramondo' (HWV 39) - Handel
  • Serenade (Andante Cantabile) from String Quartet No. 5 - Hofstetter
  • Minuet from String Quintet in E major Op.11 No.5 - Boccherini
  • Six Studies in English Folksong - Vaughan Williams
  • Gavotte, Sarabande and Rigadoon from 'From Holberg's Time - Suite in Olden Style' Op. 40 - Grieg
  • Divertimento in Bb (K137) - Mozart
  • Suite from The Four Seasons (Op. 8) - Vivaldi
  • Canzonetta (Op 62a) - Sibelius
  • Humoresque - Dvorak
  • So We Too - Nigel Wood
  • Rondeaux - Purcell

Kidsgrove Town Hall - 5th March 2011

In this concert the violin soloist was Benedict Holland, who has worked with many ensembles in the UK and abroad, and has appeared as guest leader with many of the country’s major orchestras. Benedict Holland is leader and artistic advisor of Sinfonia ViVa, and teaches at the RNCM and elsewhere.

The concert was in support of the Town Mayor of Kidsgrove's charity, Diabetes UK.

  • Arrival of the Queen of Sheba from Solomon - Handel
  • Air and Hornpipe from the Water Music - Handel
  • Violin Concerto No 5 in A major (K219) - Mozart
  • Sheep May Safely Graze (BWV 208) - Bach
  • Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring (BWV 147) - Bach
  • Air from Suite in D (BWV 1068) - Bach
  • Ombra Mai Fu from Serse (HWV 40) - Handel
  • Minuet from String Quintet in E major - Boccherini
  • Rondo for Violin and String Quartet (D438) - Schubert
  • Chanson de Nuit and Chanson de Matin - Elgar

Salvation Army, Leek - 19th November 2010

This concert featured the young Congleton soprano Lily Bracegirdle. The programme was:

  • Suite from Music for the Royal Fireworks - Handel
  • Serenade for Strings - Elgar
  • Irish Tune from County Derry - Grainger
  • Songs (with orchestra):
    • The Sky Above the Roof - Vaughan Williams
    • The Lark in the Clear Air - Trad. arr. Michael Rose
    • Du Bist die Ruh - Schubert
    • Linden Lea - Vaughan Williams
  • Three Dances from Henry VIII - German
  • Gavotte from Classical Symphony - Prokofiev
  • Andante Cantabile from String Quartet no. 1 - Tchaikovsky
  • Symphony no. 29 - Mozart

St. Mary's Church, Leek - 19th March 2010

This concert featured local oboe player Charmian Baskeyfield as soloist.

  • Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (from Solomon) - Handel
  • Air and Hornpipe from the Water Music - Handel
  • Träumerei from Kinderszenen Op 15. No 7 - Schumann
  • Song Without Words Op. 62 No.3 (Trauermarsch) - Mendelssohn
  • Les Tendres Plaintes from Pièces de Clavecin - Rameau
  • Oboe Concerto in C minor - A. Marcello
  • Minuet from String Quintet in E major - Boccherini
  • Romance from the Gadfly Suite - Shostakovich arr. Julia Harding
  • Andante - Theme and Variations from Symphony no 94 'The Surprise' - Haydn
  • Salut d’Amour, Chanson de Nuit, Chanson de Matin - Elgar
  • The Entertainer - Joplin arr. Harvey
  • Nights of Gladness - Ancliffe

St. Luke's Church, Mow Cop - 16th October 2009

This concert included both saxophone and clarinet solos by the conductor, Julia Harding. Proceeds went to Woodcocks' Well School funds.

  • Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (from Solomon) - Handel
  • Hornpipe from the Water Music - Handel
  • Phillips arr. Julia Harding
  • The Entertainer - Joplin arr. Harvey
  • Three Movements from the Capriol Suite - Warlock
  • Air and Giga - Arne
  • Aria - Bozza arr. Harding
  • Palladio, First Movement - Jenkins
  • Marche Militaire in G major - Schubert
  • Humoresque - Dvorak
  • Ashokan Farewell - Ungar
  • McMozart's Eine Kleine Bricht Moonlicht Nicht Musik - Bor

St. Andrew's Church, Clifton Campville - 9th May 2009

The final concert of the 2008-9 season was held in St. Andrew's Church, Clifton Campville, near Tamworth. This was a memorial concert for James Maddocks, a former professional violinist and conductor of the Newcastle Strings. The orchestra was augmented by friends of James, and his sister Joan was the soloist in the viola concerto by Telemann. The orchestra was conducted by Julia Harding, with Albert Hancock as leader. The proceeds were for church funds.

Salvation Army Citadel, Leek - Friday 20th March 2009

  • Overture, Rondeaux and Trumpet Tune - Purcell
  • Movement from String Quartet Op.20 No 4 - Haydn
  • Symphony No. 36 in C major, Linz, KV425 - Mozart
  • Air and Hornpipe from the Water Music - Handel
  • To a Wild Rose from Woodland Sketches - MacDowell
  • The Edwardians (theme from Upstairs Downstairs) - Faris
  • Rendez-vous – Intermezzo Rococo - Aletter
  • Nights of Gladness - Ancliffe
  • O Sole Mio - Di Capua

St. James' Church, Newchapel - Friday 21st November 2008

This concert featured the outstanding local countertenor Craig Faulkner, and saxophone soloist Caroline Wallett.

  • Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (from Solomon) - Handel
  • Romance from Saxophone Concerto - Ronald Binge
    solo saxophone - Caroline Wallett
  • Symphony no. 94 in G Major,The Surprise - Haydn
  • Saxophone Duets -
    1. Curse of the Llama - Will Gregory
    2. Cherryade Circus - Andy Scott
    Saxophones: Julia Harding & Caroline Wallett
  • Come, Calm Content - Thomas Arne
  • Air and Giga - Thomas Arne
  • Silent Worship (from Tolomeo) - George Frideric Handel
  • Dove Sei, Amato Bene (from Rodelinda) - George Frideric Handel
  • Chanson de Nuit, Chanson de Matin - Edward Elgar

Endon Methodist Church - 7th December 2007

  • L'inverno (Winter) op. 8 no. 4 from The Four Seasons - Antonio Vivaldi
    Solo violin: Sarah Jackson
  • Sonatina for clarinet and string orchestra, op. 4 - Jean Bode
  • Elegy and Waltz from Serenade for string orchestra op. 48 - Petr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky
  • Clarinet cadenza - Sid Phillips, arr. Julia Harding
    Solo clarinet: Julia Harding
  • Three movements from the Holberg Suite op. 40 - Edvard Grieg
  • Concerto grosso, op. 6 no. 8, part 2 - For the night of Christmas - Arcangelo Corelli

St. Thomas' Church, Mow Cop - 28th September 2007

  • Mock Morris and Molly on the Shore - Percy Aldridge Grainger
  • Elegy and Waltz from Serenade for String Orchestra Op 48 - Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky
  • Clarinet Cadenza - Sid Phillips, arr. Julia Harding
    Solo clarinet: Julia Harding
  • Salut d'Amour, Chanson de Nuit, Chanson de Matin - Edward Elgar
  • Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, K525 - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  • Norwegian Dance - Edvard Grieg
  • Pizzicato Polka - Josef Strauss and Johann Strauss the Younger

Congregational Church, Newcastle-under-Lyme - 23rd March 2007

  • Symphony in Eb - Carl Friederich Abel
  • Romance and Rondo from Clarinet Concerto in Bb - Carl Philip Stamitz
    Solo clarinet: Julia Harding
  • Largo - George Frideric Handel
  • Humoresque "L'organo primitivo" - Pietro Alessandro Yon
    Organ: Sue Ray
    Rondeau, Minuet and Badinerie from Suite no. 2 in in B minor (BWV 1067) - Johann Sebastian Bach
    Solo flute: Richard Bunn
  • Romance for Strings - Gerald Finzi
  • Symphony no. 98 in Bb major - Joseph Haydn
  • Toccata (from "Douze Pièces" for organ) - Théodore Dubois
    Organ: Sue Ray