Rehearsals are normally alternate Saturday mornings, 10:30-12:30, in one of the following village halls: Uplowman, Kentisbeare or Ash Thomas. Please get in touch if you are interested. We don't do auditions, the only requirement is that you enjoy playing orchestral music! We are working on the following works for the current term (September 2025 to February 2026) for a concert on the afternoon of
SATURDAY 7th February 2026:
Wagner-Overture-Die Meistersinger
Mozart-Horn Concerto No 4. in Eb K495
Grieg- Peer Gynt Suite 1 Op 46
Gounod-Petite Symphony for Wind Movements 1 and 4
Bernstein- West Side Story Selections for Orchestra. Arr Eric May
Past performances
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22nd June 2025 (Kentisbeare)
Beethoven - Symphony no 2 in D
Shostakovich - Festival Overture (wind)
Warlock - Capriol Suite (strings)
Mussorgsky - Night on a bald mountain
9th February 2025 (Kentisbeare)
Rossini - The Italian Girl in Algiers overture
Bach - Brandenburg Concerto no 3 in G (for string orchestra)
Saint Saens - Cello concerto no 1 in A minor (with Hilary Boxer)
De Falla - Ritual Fire Dance (for wind band)
Coates - London Suite
23rd June 2024 (Kentisbeare)
Rossini - William Tell overture
Saint Saens - Danse Macabre
Tchaikovsky - Nutcracker Suite
Telemann - Concerto for 3 Trumpets
25th Feb 2024 (Kentisbeare)
Coates - Dambusters March
Beethoven - Symphony no 8 in F
Dvorak - Slavonic Dances Op. 46 (part 2)
Prokofief - Peter and the Wolf
17th June 2023 (Kentisbeare)
Cimarosa - Concerto for 2 flutes
Holst - St Paul's Suite for strings
Vaughan Williams - Folk Song Suite for wind band
Britten - Soirées Musicales
Elgar - Pomp and Circumstance March no 4
26th Feb 2023 (Kentisbeare)
Vaughan Williams - The Wasps
Sibelius - Finlandia
Britten - Matinee Musicales
Mozart - Clarinet concerto, 2nd movement, with Shirley as soloist
Mendelssohn - 4th Symphony, The Italian
25th June 2022 (Kentisbeare)
Walton - Crown Imperial Coronation March
Bizet - Carmen suite number 1
Delius - The Walk to the Paradise Garden
Beethoven - Symphony number 5
13th Feb 2022 (Uplowman)
Beethoven - Leonora no. 2
Bruch - violin concerto number 2 in D minor with Nigel Atkinson
Dvorak - symphony no 6 in F
Jan 2020 (Uffculme and Dulverton)
Rossini: Overture to Barber of Seville
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No 4 with Gary Cooper
Schubert: Symphony No 8 'Unfinished'
Spring 2019
Weber: Oberon Overture
Elgar: Cello Concerto with Sophie Rivlin
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 'Pastoral'
Autumn 2018
Smetana: Vltava
Holst: Somerset Rhapsody
Dvorak: Symphony No. 9 'From the New World'
Spring 2018 (Uffculme Parish Church, 7/7/2018)
Dvorak: Slavonic Dances Op. 46 Nos. 1: 4
Tchaikovsky: Overture to Romeo and Juliet
Brahms: Symphony No. 3
Autumn 2017 (Uffculme Village Hall, 20/1/2018)
Sibelius: Karelia Suite
Haydn: Cello Concerto in D major with Sophie Rivlin
Schumann: Symphony No. 3 'Rhenish'
Spring 2017 (Uffculme Parish Church, 1/7/2017)
Brahms: Academic Festival Overture
Bruch: Violin Concerto No 1 in G minor with Nigel Atkinson
Dvorak: Symphony No.7
Autumn 2016
Mozart: Symphony No.31 in D major 'Paris'
Chaminade: Concertino for flute and Orchestra with Christine Knox
Copland: Appalachian Spring
Spring 2016 Mozart: Overture to Don Giovanni
Bruch: Kol Nidrei for Cello and Orchestra with Charlotte Reynolds
Butterworth: The Banks of Green Willow
Beethoven: Symphony No 7 in A major
Autumn 2015 (Uffculme Village Hall)
Beethoven: Prometheus Overture
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto with Nigel Atkinson
Haydn: Symphony No.101 in D major 'The Clock'
Spring 2015
Mendelssohn: Hebrides Overture
Bizet: Petite Suite: Jeux d'Enfants
Prokofiev: Symphony No.1 'The Classical'
Autumn 2014
Mozart: Marriage of Figaro Overture
Weber: Clarinet Concerto No.1 with Emma Counter
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 'Eroica'
Spring 2014 (Uffculme Parish Church)
Brahms: Tragic Overture
Strauss: First Horn Concerto with Andrew Humphreys
Haydn: Symphony No. 103 in E flat major 'The Drumroll'
Autumn 2013
Elgar: Enigma Variations
Delius: Walk to The Paradise Garden
Holst: The Perfect Fool Suite
Spring 2013 (Uffculme Parish Church)
Verdi: Overture 'The Force of Destiny'
Bruch: Scottish Fantasy for Violin with Nigel Atkinson
Brahms: Symphony No.2 in D major
Autumn 2012
Strauss: Overture 'Die Fledermaus'
Stravinsky: Pulcinella Suite
Beethoven: Symphony No.8
Spring 2012
Nielsen: Helios Overture
Mozart: Violin Concerto No.5 in A Major with Nigel Atkinson
Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D Major
Autumn 2011
Mozart: Overture 'Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail'
Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin
Dvorak: Symphony No. 8 in G major
Spring 2011
Brahms: Symphony No.1 in C minor
Weber: Concertino for Clarinet and Orchestra with Louise Toomer
Autumn 2010
Mozart: Haffner Symphony
Brahms: Variations on St Anthony Chorale
Corelli: Christmas Concerto
Donizetti: Concertino for Cor Anglais and orchestra with Tom Lambert
2009/10
Mozart: Piano Concerto in A major No. 24 with Michael Nuttall
Vaughan Williams: Wasps Overture
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4
Ravel: Mother Goose Suite
2008/9
Beethoven: Egmont Overture
Bizet: Symphony in C
Ravel: Pavane pour une Infante defunte
Stravinsky: Eight Instrumental Miniatures
Bach: Concerto for Violin and Oboe BWV 1060 with Judith Colin
2007/8
Cimarosa: Secret Marriage
Beethoven: Second Symphony
Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin
Delius: Two Pieces for Small Orchestra
2006/7
Beethoven: Coriolan Overture
Mozart: Symphony in G minor No. 40
Wagner: Siegfried Idyll
Debussy: Petite Suite
2005/6
Mozart: Impresario Overture
Beethoven: First Symphony
Elgar: Wand of Youth Suite No. 2
2004/5
Haydn: Symphony No. 100 'Military'
Dvorak: Suite for Orchestra Op. 39
Faure: Masques et Bergamasques
Bartok: Roumanian Dances
Earlier history
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The roots of the Culm Valley Orchestra can be traced back to the Culm Valley Music Society (CVMS), which was founded in October 1987. This was a community music society based in Uffculme and surrounding villages. In those days the society had a wide remit, including: informal concerts by members, theatre trips, school visits, recorder groups, singing workshops and concerts by visiting musicians. It even had its own barn dance group
(Lucy Lastic – still going strong!). In February 1988 a one-off "instrumental workshop" was held, attracting both adults and children. This was evidently a success because it was repeated the following year, and became a monthly fixture from autumn 1989. For the 1993 season, the "Occasional Orchestra” (as it was then known) started to rehearse fortnightly, to raise standard and encourage more commitment. The name Occasional was referred to in a 1994 programme: “wrong notes are occasionally played; pieces occasionally break down into laughter … if you are a retired/errant/lapsed or would-be instrumentalist, why not occasionally join us?” It seems that not much has changed! The CVMS formally dissolved in the year 2000, but the orchestra continued independently (as did the recorder group, for a while). From then on it was known as the Culm Valley Orchestra. The first conductor of the orchestra was Alan Hempstead, who was also the Chair of CVMS. Following Alan’s death in 1996, Brian Thomas took over for a short time, and Liz Cox also conducted temporarily. But in September 1997 John Mingay was appointed as conductor, and he continued until December 2004. A member from that time recalls that John was an excellent musician but inclined to lose his temper at times with certain sections of the orchestra! From January 2005 a new conductor was needed, and Colin Wills, who was already playing violin in the orchestra, agreed to give it a try. Colin learnt his conducting skills “on the job” and led the group very successfully for the next 15 years. Sadly Colin died in 2021, but his legacy continues. The orchestra appointed Alan Boxer from the start of the 2021-22 season – we look forward to many more sessions of enjoyable music making!
