SOUTH CHESHIRE ORCHESTRA
Where we all meet to perform the Classics and Modern pieces.
The South Cheshire Orchestra is a member of Making Music, and promotes its concerts through various media, including this website, posters, flyers, social media and external publicity agencies.
Rehearsals are every Sunday morning from 10:00am to 12:15pm between September and June.
Membership is open to anyone who plays a musical instrument usually associated with the symphony orchestra. Get in touch if you are interested, especially if you play violin, trumpet, horn or percussion.
The South Cheshire Orchestra are registered charity number 1002015
ABOUT US
Following a performance of Handel's Messiah in December 1972, the players discussed remaining together to form a regular group of players. The first meeting of the South Cheshire Orchestra (aka The Friendly Orchestra), was in March 1973, and some founder members are still playing to this very day.
Over the years, numerous concerts have been given throughout Cheshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire - even one at Manchester's Free Trade Hall.
The SCO has been a major resource for non-professional (“amateur”) musicians from south Cheshire, north Staffordshire and north Shropshire, to come together to practice and perform music of several musical genres, from light “pops” to the more formal classical works by the famous composers of the 18th and 19th centuries.
The Orchestra’s members comprise a core group of people from a variety of backgrounds and of all ages. The Orchestra gives public concerts up to three times a year, which are warmly received by their audiences. Many of these concerts are fund-raisers, not only for the Orchestra, but also for a number of local charities.
Membership is open to anyone who plays a musical instrument usually associated with the symphony orchestra. Presently, there are no vacancies for woodwind players, but players are needed for all of the string sections, especially violins along with brass players and percussionists. Enthusiasm over ability!
The Orchestra does not hold auditions. If you are a player, local to the area (Cheshire/Staffordshire/Shropshire), and are interested in joining the Orchestra, please get in touch with us.
MEET THE MEMBERS
RICHARD MOULTON-MALLISON
Musical Director
Richard started learning to play the piano at an early age, and later took up playing the cornet while at primary school.
At high school, he joined the school band along with the local church band.
While in college he joined the Crewe West End Concert band (Now Crewe Concert Band), of which he is still there as a member along with being the librarian. In the beginning he was playing the cornet, and then briefly moved onto euphonium and now trumpet along with a bit of musical direction when required.
He was also asked to join the Middlewich Concert Orchestra a couple of years later playing the trumpet.
He is also currently playing trumpet with the ‘Bad Dukes and Beggars’ which is a group formed in 2017 which perform an eclectic mix of Ska, Blue Beat, Reggae and Dub. He was formerly the trumpet player for the ‘Godfathers of Soul’ which is a local Soul, Motown and Northern Soul group.
Most recently he has been involved with a big band called The Swinging Woodpeckers, created as a result of the COVID lockdowns in 2021 and is part of their trumpet section.
How did you get involved in the SCO?
Some might say I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.. Quite apt for someone who was to become a musical director. I was asked to assist with a concert for the South Cheshire Orchestra on percussion a few years ago, since then I have been helping out in the percussion section also with the trumpet along with conducting their Christmas concert in 2016. Following a handful of successful concerts, I was offered the position of musical director in 2018.
COMING SOON!
More Members Info
Find out more about our members
Upcoming Events
PREVIOUS CONCERTS
Looking Back
Here are a few of our previous concerts performed.
WINTER CONCERT 2019
December 1st 2019
SPRING CONCERT 2019
March 30th 2019
WINTER CONCERT 2018
November 24th 2018
50TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT
April 2nd 2023
CONTACT US
Wistaston Memorial Hall
Church Lane
Wistaston
Crewe
Cheshire
United Kingdom
CW2 8ER
