Abergavenny Symphony Orchestra Spotlight

It may come as a surprise that Abergavenny is home to one of the oldest amateur orchestras in the UK. It was founded around 1862 (the exact date is not known) as the Abergavenny Orchestral Society and now performs as the Abergavenny Symphony Orchestra. Like all amateur orchestras of its era, it was founded to play lighter music but has now progressed to tackling the staples of the Classical and Romantic repertoire from Mozart and Beethoven to Rachmaninov and Mahler and performing them to a high standard. The orchestra also actively commissions new music and in the past few years it has given premieres of new works by Benjamin Vaughan (a student composer) and Raymond Warren.

The orchestra owes its high playing standards to its recent conductors, Michael Eveleigh, Brian Weir, Eugene Monteith and, since 2015, Dennis Simons. It attracts a mixture of amateur and professional musicians and local music teachers.

The orchestra is always looking for new members, particularly in the brass and string sections and if you are interested in joining please contact us via our website www.abergavennysymph.org.uk or telephone our membership secretary on (01873) 854662. The orchestra rehearses on Sunday evenings from 6.30 to 9pm.