Chertsey Orchestra

13/06/2026

We are very excited to be relaunching our '𝙈𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙊𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖' feature, starting with the fabulous 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐧 who plays timpani and other percussion instruments in Chertsey Orchestra. 🥁🪇🪘

𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒋𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚?
In September 2017 I joined Rock Project, as I really wanted to learn how to play the bass guitar. 🎸 That’s where I met Claire and we became good friends really quickly. She offered me the opportunity to join orchestra for the Christmas concert in 2018. I played bass guitar at first, then moved to the percussion section a year or two later.

𝑻𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑪𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒔𝒆𝒚 𝑶𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖.
I never even dreamed of being a part of an orchestra as a beginner musician, but I absolutely love it! I found some amazing friends and Claire’s encouragement, kindness, patience and that lovely smile is priceless. I really feel welcomed at Chertsey Orchestra. ❤️🎵🎶

𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒊𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒓 / 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒄?
I’m coming from a rock and heavy metal background and still discovering classical music. I don’t have a favourite composer or favourite piece of music, although 'Across the Stars' by John Williams is one of the best. 💫

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕/𝒈𝒊𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐?
First concert was Guns n Roses on 22nd May 1992 in Budapest. I’ll see them for the 10th time at Download Festival in June. Last concert was Nigel Kennedy in Guildford in May. 🤘🎻

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚?
I would love to play the cello - it’s got such a beautiful sound.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝑪𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒔𝒆𝒚 𝑶𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂?
I like meeting friends and going to gigs. I also enjoy gardening and jigsaw puzzles. 🌿🌹🧩

𝑫𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒔? 𝑻𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎!
We have a little black rescue cat, she’s really sweet and so funny! 🐈‍⬛ We also have fish, indoors and in a pond in our garden. The eldest koi carp is called Goldenbell, about 18 years old; the youngest is called George, he’s about a year and a half old and looks like he came from the rock band Ghost. 🐟

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘦 (𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘦) 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘴! 📸

And Tracy (percussion) for the Download Festival pic! 🤘

23/05/2026

Under 'Sam Beare' x

We'd like to encourage all of our incredible supporters to vote for us in the Benefact Health and Wellbeing Draw, and help Woking & Sam Beare Hospice to win a £5,000 donation 💜

It's quick, easy and could help to secure a donation to local Hospice care 😊🗳️

Click here to nominate us: https://ow.ly/G97p50Z34om

The draw closes on Sunday 24th May.

17/05/2026

Our conductor Claire is also musical director for Addlestone Singers. Their spring concert is this Friday, and Chertsey Orchestra flautist Mike will be making a guest appearance performing some jazz pieces.

Addlestone Singers official charity is Woking & Sam Beare Hospice and Wellbeing Care.

Do go along and support. It will be a fabulous evening! 🎵🎶

For more info, visit https://www.addlestonesingers.co.uk/

17/05/2026

What a fabulous evening of great music! 🎵🎶 Thank you to everyone who came to our concert last night. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we all did!

'Echoes of Time' was in memory of our beautiful cellist, Lindy, who we lost earlier this year and is greatly missed. Thank you to Ali, Lindy's cello teacher, for joining us.... your solos in Unfinished Symphony were absolutely gorgeous! It was also lovely to see some of Lindy's family... she remains very much in our thoughts x

Special thanks also go to Carol and all the team at White Lodge, our official charity. Please do head over to their page and see some of the amazing work that they do.

Thanks also to St Peter's Church, Chertsey for the super venue!

Finally, a huge THANK YOU from each one of the musicians in Chertsey Orchestra to Claire Garner who made all of this happen. Her incredible talent, dedication, patience, tenacity, encouragement and enthusiasm has enhanced all of our lives and enabled us to grow and improve so much as musicians. The joy on everyone's faces was obvious last night... you have taken us to a new level that we once thought was not possible 💐

And we finally made you cry for the right reasons ❤️🎵🎶

16/05/2026

Today is the day! We are so excited for our Echoes of Time concert! Tickets available on the door. 7:30pm start at St Peter's Church, Chertsey. Schubert's Unfinished Symphony will be a particular highlight 🎻💕🎵🎶

Official charity: White Lodge

Please do come along - it will be a fabulous evening!

https://www.facebook.com/share/1B98oV9CrR/

14/05/2026

Only 2 sleeps away! We are so looking forward to Saturday. Please do come and join us for an evening of fabulous music!
🎻🎵🎶

30/04/2026

Echoes of Time spring concert Saturday 16th May St St Peter's Church, Chertsey 7.30pm 🎵🎶

30/04/2026

This looks like great fun! 🔔🎵🎶

Our next Tower open day is on Saturday 2nd May from 10.30-12.00. If you've ever thought you'd like to learn to ring tower bells, now's your chance. We will have supervised try-out sessions and introduce you to this historic and fascinating activity. It's also a bit like having a *FREE* gym membership! Please come along and find out.

28/04/2026

We are really excited about our concert at 7.30pm on Saturday 16th May at St Peter's Church, Chertsey! We hope to see you there... we have a programme of fabulous music for you! 🎻🎵🎶

We are also fundraising for the fantastic White Lodge so please do come and support.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/echoes-of-time-tickets-1988035429486?aff=oddtdtcreator

28/02/2026

All of us at Chertsey Orchestra are absolutely heartbroken at the loss of our beloved cellist and friend Lindy earlier this week.

Lindy has been a cherished part of both our sound and our community throughout her time with us. She's described by our clarinettist Marion as "a lovely caring talented lady" who "always saw the best in everyone", and by oboist Tracy as "such a beautiful soul". Violinist Clare talks of her as a "calm and gentle woman who was super at cello" and like many of us, thought of her as 'Lovely Lindy'.

We all have our own special fond memories of time spent with her, and here are just a few that the orchestra members shared:

Her fellow cellist Claire says "Lindy was such a comfort to me. I looked up to her - she did the counting, I followed her bowing and generally just followed her. When she was not able to come she told me it would do me good to do my own counting."

Clarinettist Marion says "For many years she was a successful business person then embraced Chinese medicine and was a great local acupuncturist which is where I met her. She was one of the few people I knew who really enjoyed Covid lock down as it gave her the opportunity to learn to play the cello, something she'd always wanted to do. She had a lovely voice too and sang alto in the choir."

Our leader Frances says "I remember Lindy telling me her daughter was called Frances. She also mentioned her son went to Hull University and we talked about the city as that’s where l come from. She said she loved it there as there was such a good music scene."

Flautist Sara shared her memory of when the front door of the Church had blown closed and shut them both out so they couldn't get in for rehearsal, and "another time we were sitting together at the Christmas dinner and were bonding over our mutual admiration for Douglas Henshall in the series Shetland".

For me as conductor, it was always such a joy to have Lindy's smiling face at my right hand side. I'm especially glad that I sat with her at our last Christmas Social and had that opportunity for a lovely chat. Lindy's daughter Frances told me she "was so so proud of her for joining orchestra. It made her so happy". That feeling was definitely mutual - it made us all happy to have Lindy with us. It really won't be the same without her.

We will miss her terribly, and always remember her fondly for her kind heart, her generous, caring and friendly nature, her enthusiasm, her beautiful smile and her equally beautiful cello playing.

We all send our heartfelt condolences to Lindy's husband Mike, daughter Frances, son Jeremy and all their family at this sad time. You are in our thoughts and prayers.

Rest in peace Lindy. All our love xx