Concerts

The orchestra usually gives two or three concerts each year. At one or more of these we may involve a few wind players in order to perform a larger symphonic work.

Next concert

The next concert will be at St. Mary's Church, Leek, on Friday March 19th 2010 at 7.30 p.m. Further details will be published here when available.

Recent concerts

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.

  • George Frideric Handel: Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (from Solomon)
  • George Frideric Handel: Hornpipe from the Water Music
  • Sid Phillips: Clarinet Cadenza arr. Julia Harding
  • Scott Joplin: The Entertainer arr. Harvey
  • Peter Warlock: Three Movements from the Capriol Suite
  • Thomas Arne: Air and Giga
  • Eugene Bozza: Aria arr. Harding
  • Karl Jenkins: Palladio - First Movement
  • Franz Schubert: Marche Militaire in G major
  • Antonin Dvorak: Humoresque
  • Jay Ungar: Ashokan Farewell
  • Teddy Bor: McMozart's Eine Kleine Bricht Moonlicht Nicht Musik

St. Andrew's Church, Clifton Campville - Saturday 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

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

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