Poole Light Orchestra

31/07/2025

Franck Leprince, Violin (Right) with Jozsef Koos, 'Cello (Left)

22/11/2024

The orchestra currently has vacancies for a pianist (orchestral accompanying) and a French horn player. We rehearse on Tuesday evenings, from 7.30 - 9.pm at St. Clement's Church, Parkstone.

22/05/2024

Apparently, according to a discussion on Radio 4's "The Today Show", it will take 685 years for the NHS's waiting lists to be cleared.

It could be worse, I suppose. I could be waiting in a waiting room for 685 years.

28/02/2023

Spring 2015

28/02/2023

19/01/2023

The Poole Light Orchestra was originally formed as the Poole Chamber Orchestra in the late 1940s, as part of the then Adult Education Programme, and became firmly established about twenty years later. Following the retirement and request of an earlier conductor, most of the orchestra's music scores and parts were destined to be burned, but thankfully these were rescued by two members of the orchestra, who also restored them. For the past twenty years or so, our retired violinist Jean Budd kept the orchestra functioning. At the time she took up the reins, the ensemble consisted of twelve players. Shortly afterwards, Franck Leprince became the orchestra's leader / concertmaster, while the orchestra was still under the conductorship of David East, but about a year later, David moved on to other things, and Sheridan Bartlett was appointed as our conductor. Our talented co-leader / concertmaster is Stella Galton. Franck expanded the string section considerably, by inviting players from other local orchestras to join, while Sheridan has also ensured, from his own musician contacts, that as replacement, and deputy players are required, that we always have a full complement of musicians for performances. About five years ago, a suggestion by our leader led to a general voting by our members to change the name of the orchestra to the 'Poole Light Orchestra' to reflect the style of music we were increasingly performing. Although we still enjoy playing and performing chamber music from the Classical and Baroque eras, we now feature a great deal of light music and music from Stage and Screen, including in the form of our own arrangements. If you would like to play in the orchestra, please come along one Tuesday evening, where you will be introduced to the leader. We are a very friendly and sociable ensemble, and welcome competent players of all standards. As with all amateur orchestras, we are often looking for string players to join us, and currently we have a vacancy for a French horn player. Unfortunately, wind player vacancies are much more seldom, but we would be happy to hold your details on file until such times as a position becomes vacant.