Saturday Morning Orchestra (SMO)

15/04/2026

We’re starting the new term this Saturday (18th April) and this would be a great time for any new players who are interested in joining to get in touch!

We would like more players of all string instruments and ideally an additional trumpet and two more horn players.

This term we will be rehearsing
o Mendelssohn Symphony No 3 “Scottish”
o Franck “Les Eolides”
o Saint-Saëns Suite for Orchestra

23/03/2026

This Saturday (28th) we’ll be playing through a selection of the pieces we’ve been working on this term for our Friends and Loved Ones (FALO).

The plan is to include:
Mozart Symphony no 35 “Haffner”
I. Allegro con spirito
Strauss Divertimento after Couperin
I. La Visionnaire
II. La Fine Madeleine - La Douce Janneton - La Seizile
III. Le Tic-Toc-Choc
Brahms Serenade no 1
I. Allegro molto
II. Scherzo
III. Adagio non troppo

If you’d like to hear them, come along to the Beansheaf Centre about 11:15 and the play through will start at 11:30

16/02/2026

We had a very successful and fun workshop day on 14th February. It was wonderful to have so many string players and a full brass section for the Rimsky-Korsakov, Weber & Tchaikovsky

09/02/2026

Our orchestral workshop day is this Saturday (14th February) and friends and family are welcome to come along and hear us play the pieces at the end of our day working on them.
o Rimsky-Korsakov Fantasy on Serbian Themes
o Weber Der Freischütz Overture
o Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture

Arrive from 3pm at the Beansheaf Centre, the playthrough starts at 3:30pm

17/01/2026

Musical Director Sean’s notes on this term’s repertoire and links to recommended recordings are now up on the website:

The amateur orchestra that meets at the Beansheaf Community Hall, Calcot, Berkshire, England on Saturday mornings (school term-times) 10.30am -12.45am to enjoy playing classical music and occasionally to perform concerts for charity.

10/01/2026

We are holding a workshop day on Saturday 14th February in Calcot, Berkshire and would like to hear from any trombone players, timpanists, string players or auxiliary percussion players who would like to join us for the day.

Also if any harpist or tuba player has the Tchaikovsky on their bucket list and does not mind not playing in the other two shorter pieces... https://www.saturdaymorningorchestra.co.uk/workshop.html

08/01/2026

The orchestra starts back this Saturday (10th Jan) at 10:30am at the Beansheaf Centre.
There has been a slight change to the repertoire this term, which will now be
o Mozart Symphony No. 35 “Haffner”
o Brahms Serenade No. 1
o Strauss Divertimento (after Couperin)

More string players are welcome to join the orchestra in exploring these pieces. We are friendly and the first term is free for new members!

18/12/2025

We will start back in the new year on Saturday 10th January and will be working on the following repertoire:

o Mozart Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter”
o Brahms Serenade No. 1
o Strauss Divertimento (after Couperin)

05/12/2025

Our end of term performance for friends and loved ones (FALO) is on Saturday 13th December at the Beansheaf Centre, Calcot, RG31 7AW

We will be playing movements from the pieces we have been working on this term:
o Fauré Masques et Bergamasques
o Debussy Children’s Corner
o Beethoven Symphony No 7

All are welcome to come and listen! Arrive from 11:20, the performance will start at 11:30.

29/11/2025

Sean in action at the Saturday Morning Orchestra this morning

26/11/2025

Time has flown by since we first welcomed our new conductor, Sean Morris.
The music we are enjoying getting to know this term is
o Masques et Bergamasques by Fauré
o Children’s Corner by Debussy
o Symphony No 7 by Beethoven