The Halesowen Orchestra

The Halesowen Orchestra, founded in 1986, and acquiring Registered Charity Status in 2023 (charity number 1204141) is a flourishing amateur group of about 40 regular players serving Halesowen and the west of Birmingham, described in March 2012 as “one of Halesowen’s hidden jewels” by James Morris MP. We rehearse on Monday nights during term time and promote three concerts a year, performing a wide and varied repertoire including works by Beethoven, Bizet, Brahms, Dvorak, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Mahler, Mozart, Nielsen, Schubert and Ravel.

The orchestra has a solid track record of collaborating with excellent soloists, both established and up-and-coming, including Elspeth Dutch (Principal Horn, CBSO), Roberto Ruisi (the youngest ever leader of the National Youth Orchestra) and acclaimed local violinist and Royal Academy of Music postgraduate Charlotte Moseley. We also organise occasional play days to give members and other local instrumentalists the opportunity to experience challenging works not usually included in amateur concert programmes, such as Elgar’s 1st Symphony.