The WMSO Play list

The Windsor and Maidenhead Symphony Orchestra prides itself on its careful planning of concert programmes, resisting the temptation to just play popular well known music, but to give the audience, and orchestra players, something more...  A WMSO concert is therefore often an education and a bit of a treat to a lot of people who may be hearing great orchestral works for the first time.  There is a lot of superb orchestral music, that is sadly relatively unknown, and it can often be difficult persuading people to come to a concert of great music that they haven't heard before.  The WMSO Committee therefore spends time arranging programmes so that there is hopefully something well known in each concert we do, or alternatively, a concerto with a top soloist, so that the other great music that is played doesn't fall on an empty Audience.  Time and time again we are accordingly rewarded with people who originally came to hear the work they know and love, but leave excited and raving about the Music they previously didn't know.  And they've had more than just a pleasant, enjoyable evening; they've increased the depth of their musical knowledge, and experienced something new.

So what does the orchestra play?  The easy answer is to say, have a look at our past concert programmes.  From our Concert page, you can not only see the details of our next concert, but at the bottom of that page there are links to details of the concerts we've given in recent years.

However, to list what we've played over the last few years, there has been...

MUSSORGSKY - Night on a Bare Mountain

RAVEL - Piano Concerto in G

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV - Scheherazade

SIBELIUS - Karelia Suite

DVORAK - Violin Concerto

STRAVINSKY - Firebird Suite

SIBELIUS - Symphony No 7

DEBUSSY - La Mer

RESPIGHI - Fountains of Rome

RAVEL - Bolero

BERNSTEIN - Candide Overture

BARBER - Adagio

GERSHWIN - Rhapsody in Blue

COPLAND - El Salon Mexico

STRAVINSKY - Petrushka

ADAMS - The Chairman Dances; Foxtrot for Orchestra

BRAHMS - Variations on the St Anthony Chorale

SHOSTAKOVICH - Symphony No. 10

WALTON - Spitfire Prelude and Fugue

BRITTEN - Violin Concerto

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS - Symphony No. 6

IVES - Three Places in New England

WALTON - Viola Concerto

TCHAIKOVSKY - Symphony No. 4

MESSIAEN - L'Ascension

BRUCH - Violin Concerto No. 1

RACHMANINOV - 2nd Symphony

SIBELIUS - Symphony No. 5

RACHMANINOV - Rhapsody on a theme of Paganani

COPLAND - Billy the Kid

GERSHWIN - Piano Concerto

RIMSKY KORSAKOV - Capriccio Espagnol

COPLAND - Rodeo

KORNGOLD - The Seahawk

PUCCINI - Operatic extracts

Other than the 3 major concerts we give each year, we also play at other events, often with a selection of the orchestra playing chamber music, or playing with a Choir for a combined event.  One such 'extra' we did in 1998 was at the request of Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Marriage of HRH and the Queen.  We played for them both in the newly refurbished St. George's Hall in Windsor Castle.

In June 2000 we provided the music for the Grand finale of the Maidenhead Carnival, a well supported spectacle on the banks of the River Thames which also included an impressive firework display.

On 9th July 2007 the WMSO was again invited to perform a concert, along with the Windsor and Eton Choral Society, in St George’s Hall in Windsor Castle. The concert was given in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the betrothal of Her Majesty the Queen to HRH Prince Philip, and raised £11,000 for local community projects.

If you would like to be put on our mailing list to receive details of future concerts, please email the Mail List Manager with your name and address. Please note that your details will not be passed on or sold to anyone else, and will be used only to inform you of future events and concerts of the WMSO.

If you have a suggestion of a work for the orchestra to play in the future, please email our Chairman. All suggestions are added to a list and will be considered at future programme planning meetings.

If you are interested in becoming a Patron, or making your company a Business Friend of the Orchestra, please read our Patrons Page, or our Business Friends Page.

If you are interested in joining the Orchestra, please contact our Chairman by email or phone 0118 926 8598.