The Endcliffe Orchestra

Welcome!

Welcome to the website of the Endcliffe Orchestra.

The Endcliffe Orchestra is a development group that provides a friendly and welcoming environment within which amateur musicians in Sheffield can rehearse and perform together.

Rehearsals take place every Monday during school term time from 7.30pm until 9.30pm in the Parish Hall of Holy Trinity Church, Millhouses, which can be reached from both Millhouses Lane and Grove Road.

The orchestra usually performs three concerts per year (one per school term) and uses these events to raise money for charity.

Interested in joining the Endcliffe Orchestra?  Please complete our membership enquiry form.

Spring Concert

The orchestra performed a concert on Saturday 16th May 2009 at St. Luke's Church, Lodge Moor.  The programme featured Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending performed by Sheffield violinist Ingrid Clement (pictured).  Also performed was Borodin's Steppes of Central Asia, the Iolanthe Overture by Arthur Sullivan and the Courtly Dances from Gloriana by Britten.

Taking a short break from her studies at the Royal School of Music in London, Ingrid, a former pupil of King Edward VII School, explained “I performed my first solo violin concerto with the Endcliffe back in 2005, so I’m really looking forward to playing again with the orchestra.”

The Endcliffe Orchestra’s conductor and musical director is Martin Lightowler who is a music teacher and long-time Sheffield resident.  “We are delighted to be performing with Ingrid again and are looking forward to working with such an accomplished young musician.” 

Endcliffe Orchestra Tests Crucible Theatre Refurbishment

As part of the refurbishment of Sheffield's Crucible Theatre the Endcliffe Orchestra has assisted with testing of new facilities by performing two pieces of music in a private concert which took place in March. 

The Crucible, which replaced the old Sheffield Playhouse, opened in 1971 and was, at the time, one of the most advanced theatres in the country. But in recent years it has become increasingly clear that facilities no longer matched the star-studded and award-winning productions on its world-famous thrust stage.

The first phase of the ambitious £12.5 million refurbishment plan to bring the historic theatre up to 21st century standards began in May 2007, immediately following that year's World Snooker Championships.

The financing package includes more than £6 million through funding from the European Regional Development Fund and the Arts Council England, with additional funds contributed by Sheffield Council, trusts and other foundations.

Over the two year refurbishment, the building has been undergoing a major transformation, including:

• the installation of a new thrust stage
• new seating, lighting, sound system and temperature control
• wheelchair access to all floors of the theatre
• a complete overhaul of bar and restaurant facilities and the creation of new function rooms
• a new box office and new entrance area with distinctive facia, incorporating a giant plasma screen
• backstage improvements including upgraded dressing rooms and modernised scenic and props workshops.

Work is scheduled to be completed by Autumn 2009.  The Endcliffe Orchestra played a part in testing the new facilities of the theatre, including accoustics, lighting and staging. 

Our Recent Winter Concert

We performed our Winter Concert  at St. Luke's Church, Lodge Moor, Sheffield at 7.30pm on Saturday 17th January 2009.  The concert featured local flautist Kia Bennett (pictured) performing the Reinecke Flute Concerto.  Kia studied flute at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama with David Nicholson in 2007. In the same year she was the winner of the John McGregor Flute Prize for outstanding achievement and was a finalist in both the Concerto Competition and the Mozart Concerto Competition. Kia took up a place to study with orchestral flautist and conductor Richard Davis at the Royal Northern College of Music. In her first term at RNCM Kia won the flute position for the BBC Philharmonic Professional Access Scheme and has subsequently performed with the orchestra. Kia was awarded a Distinction for her Postgraduate Diploma in Performance at the RNCM and has recently taken up scholarship to study on the Guildhall Artist - Orchestral Training MMus at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama supported by the Guildhall School Trust.

The orchestra also performed Danse Macabre by Saint-Saens, Old Wine in New Bottles by Gordon Jacob, Marche Joyeuse by Chabrier and Egdon Heath by Holst. 

Holst's The Planets Playday

As part of the orchestra's ongoing development programme, the Endcliffe and the Sheffield Chamber Orchestra joined up for the day on Saturday 5 July 2008 to rehearse and have an informal playthrough of Holst’s The Planets.  The playday provided members of the two orchestras with an opportunity to work on this exciting piece.

Friends of the Endcliffe Orchestra

We have formed a Friends of the Endcliffe Orchestra group for ex-members, spouses and partners and anyone with a non-playing interest in the orchestra.

Find out more

The Orchestra section of the website provides information about our constitution, history and organisation.  In the Membership section you will find useful information for those considering joining the orchestra as well as for existing members.  The orchestra undertakes a wide range of activities to help develop the ensemble and performance skills of its members as described in the Development Programme section of the website.  Forthcoming concerts are listed in the  Forthcoming Concerts section while information on past concerts can be found in the Past Concerts section.