Concerts

The orchestra usually gives two or three concerts each year. We usually invite a few wind players in order to perform larger works, often including a Haydn or Mozart symphony.

Next concert

St. Luke's Church, Goostrey - 10th May 2024

The next concert will be at St. Luke's Church, Goostrey CW4 8PE on Friday 10th May 2024 at 7.30 p.m. This will be a concert of popular classics for spring, and will include well-known music from film and television, as well as Haydn's Symphony no. 78 and an overture by the 11 year old Mozart. The strings will be joined by wind players. The programme will be:

Admission will be free, with a raffle and a retiring collection. Wine and juice will be served during the interval.

Recent concerts

St. Paul's Church, Newcastle-under-Lyme - 15th March 2024

This concert featured two wind soloists: Charmian Baskeyfield (oboe), and Tim Ward (flute). It included a symphony by the German-born astronomer and musician Herschel, who discovered Uranus.

The programme was

St. Mary's Church, Alsager - 1st December 2023

This concert featured a number of works composed for film or television, including an arrangement of the theme from Midsomer Murders made specially for the City of Stoke-on-Trent String Ensemble by the composer. The programme was:

Congleton United Reformed Church - 19th May 2023

This concert, which again included wind players, featured the first performance of orchestra member Chrisopher Mason's The Old Man of Mow, which was inspired by the local landmark Mow Cop. The programme was:

Alsager United Reformed Church - 17th March 2023

This concert featured a number of lighter works, and the strings were again joined by wind players. The programme was:

The Gateway Methodist Church, Goldenhill - 25th November 2022

For the first concert of the season the strings were again joined by wind players, and the programme was:

Newchapel Methodist Church - 27th May 2022

For this concert the strings were joined by flautist Tim Ward, who was the soloist in a Vivaldi flute concerto. The programme was:

Congleton United Reformed Church - 18th March 2022

For this concert the strings were joined by wind players. A special feature was the first performance of Staffordshire Rhapsody, by orchestra member and chairman Christopher Mason, conducted by the composer. This piece included special sound effects, for which members of the orchestra employed various unusual instruments.

The full programme was:

The Gateway Methodist Church, Goldenhill - 19 November 2021

The orchestra's first concert for nearly two years attracted a good audience. The programme was:

Upper House Hotel - 3 December 2019

This was a short after-dinner concert for the Catenian Society. The strings were joined by Charmian Baskeyfield (oboe), and the programme was:

The Gateway Methodist Church, Goldenhill - 24 May 2019

For this concert the strings were again joined by wind soloists Charmian Baskeyfield (oboe and oboe d'amore), Bob Crawshaw (horn) and Tim Ward (flute). The Musical Director, Julia Harding, also played clarinet in a duo by Rutter. The concert featured a concerto for oboe d'amore by Telemann, and Haydn's Symphony no. 31, which has prominent solos for various members of the orchestra.

All takings from this concert were donated to Marie Curie and local domestic abuse charities.

The full programme was:

The Village Church, Brindley Ford - 15 March 2019

For this concert the strings were joined by wind soloists Charmian Baskeyfield (oboe). Bob Crawshaw (horn) and Tim Ward (flute), and the Musical Director, Julia Harding, also played clarinet in a wind trio. The programme included a Tarantella by Leslie Warburton, who was at one time a member of the orchestra.

The full programme was:

Half of the proceeds from this concert were donated to Burslem-based Number Eleven, which supports vulnerable people in the community. There was a particularly generous provision of refreshments including home-made cakes.

St. Mary's Church, Leek - 26 October 2018

For this concert at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Leek the strings were joined by three guest wind players, who also each performed a solo accompanied by the orchestra. The major work was Haydn's "Surprise" symphony, no. 94.

The programme was:

Ravenswood Care Home, Kidsgrove - 20 April 2018

This short concert was for residents and guests of the care home. The programme was:

The Village Church, Brindley Ford - 17 November 2017

This concert included both popular classics and some less familiar works which were new to the orchestra but proved rewarding. The strings were joined by wind players, and Bob Crawshaw was soloist in the final movement of Mozart's Horn concerto no. 4.

The full programme was:

St Matthew's Church, Birches Head - 19 May 2017

This was a strings-only concert of tuneful popular classics with some lighter works. The programme was:

Swan Bank Church, Burslem - 10 March 2017

This concert, for which the orchestra was again augmented with wind players, featured Mozart's Symphony no. 21. The programme was:

The Village Church, Brindley Ford - 18 November 2016

This concert featured Vivaldi's violin concerto La Tempesta di Mare, with the orchestra's own Christopher Mason as soloist. It also included the orchestra's first performance of Ligeti's Old Hungarian Ballroom Dances, in the version for strings. The full programme was:

Salvation Army, Kidsgrove - 20 May 2016

The guest soloist was the flautist Tim Ward, principal flute with the KEMS Orchestra in Macclesfield. Tim Ward and the Musical Director, Julia Harding, also performed duos for flute and clarinet.

The programme was:

Brindley Ford Methodist Church - 18 March 2016

For this concert the strings were joined by the well-known local accompanist and organist Ian Riddle, who also performed several unaccompanied pieces. The keyboard used was made with a technology that simulates the tracker action touch of a real pipe organ.


Leader David Weston, musical director Julia Harding, and soloist Ian Riddle.

The programme was:

Agnes and Arthur Care Home, Bradeley - 22 May 2015

The music played at this strings-only concert (which was open to all) was:

Salvation Army, Kidsgrove - 27 March 2015

The main work in this concert, which opened and closed with a hymn accompanied by the orchestra, was Mozart's Symphony no. 35 (the Haffner). As usual the strings were joined by some wind players. The programme was:

Brindley Ford Methodist Church - 21 November 2014

For this concert the strings were joined by a number of wind players, and Charmian Baskeyfield was the soloist in Bellini's oboe concerto. The full programme:

Northwood Parish Hall - 16th May 2014

For this concert the strings were again joined by wind players. The conductor, Julia Harding, performed three saxophone solos, one accompanied by the orchestra and two unaccompanied.

The programme was:

The concert was for St. Matthews Church, Birches Head.

Brindley Ford Methodist Church - 22nd November 2013

This concert featured Steve Edwards as soloist in Haydn's Cello concerto in C. Steve Edwards is a teacher and musician with Entrust Performing Arts Service, teaching the cello and violin in Staffordshire schools. As the concert date was the centenary of Benjamin Britten's birth, the orchestra played a movement from the Simple Symphony.

The programme was:

Boccherini's Minuet was played as an encore.

St Luke's Church, Mow Cop - 14th June 2013

The orchestra accompanied two local young string soloists (a violinist and a cellist) in short pieces by Vivaldi, and played a programme of popular classics. As usual at this venue the concert included a performance by children from Woodcocks' Well Primary School, this time on a variety of instruments and with both solo and ensemble pieces. The orchestra's programme was:

St James Church, Newchapel - 19th April 2013

This concert was originally arranged for 22 March, but postponed due to heavy snow. The programme was:

Earlier concerts

For previous concerts please see the earlier concerts page.

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