The Bournemouth Sinfonietta was a chamber orchestra founded in 1968 as an offshoot of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. It was disbanded in November 1999 after increasing difficulties in obtaining funding from local councils led to the decision to concentrate government funding on its larger parent.[citation needed]

Formation

The orchestra was initially conducted by George Hurst, who acted as artistic adviser, and Nicholas Braithwaite, to perform the classical repertoire in the smaller venues of the south and west of England. In the first months of its existence, players interchanged between the Symphony Orchestra and the Sinfonietta, with some having to consult a chart to find out which orchestra they would play with the following week (leading occasionally to players going for the wrong rehearsal). The 'pool of players' idea was scrapped and the Sinfonietta became independent of the BSO, with more players moving across from the BSO in 1969.[1]

Concert repertoire

The Sinfonietta made its London debut on 9 January 1969 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in a concert of Seiber, Milhaud, Webern and Varèse conducted by Edgar Cosma.[2]

Among the premières given by the orchestra were:

Work Year Notes
Shanai-Awaz 1982 by John Mayer
Cantiga (op. 45) 1988 by David Matthews
The Green Ray 1991 by Gavin Bryars
Percussion Concerto 1991 by Dominic Muldowney
Where The Bee Dances 1991 by Michael Nyman
Bean Rows and Blues Shots (saxophone concerto) 1991 [3] by Mike Westbrook
The Song of the Tortoise, a cautionary tale for narrator, voices and orchestra 1992 by Giles Swayne
So in Darkness 1993 by Sadie Harrison
Concerto Antico for guitar and orchestra 1994 by Richard Harvey
Concerto for hurdy-gurdy and percussion 1994 by Howard Skempton
Concerto for String Orchestra 1997 by Rutland Boughton (composed 1937)
The song should never be silent, Side by side, The sleep of reason 1997 by Colin Riley

During its existence, the Bournemouth Sinfonietta gained a national reputation, appearing at The Proms in 1977, 1988 and 1992[4] and also undertook short overseas tours, including Germany in 1987; Italy and Turkey in 1992; Romania in 1994; Spain in 1995; Brazil in 1996; and France in 1997.[5] Venues in the south and west of England varied from small church halls, often in places which would otherwise hear no live professional orchestral music, to larger concert halls.[6] From 1974 until 1986, the Sinfonietta was the orchestra for Glyndebourne on Tour.

The educational and outreach work of the Sinfonietta was recognised by a Prudential Award and a Sainsbury's "Arts for All" award.[citation needed] In Romania, in collaboration with the charity, ‘Musika in Romania’, the orchestra gave concerts, visited schools, an orphanage and an assessment centre for street children.[7]

Bournemouth Sinfonietta Choir

The Bournemouth Sinfonietta Choir was founded in 1972 and continues to give concerts in Dorset and beyond. The Choir's director in 2008 was David Gostick, organist at Wimborne Minster.[8]

Principal conductors

Conductor Years Notes
Maurice Gendron 1971–73 Conductor/Director
Kenneth Montgomery 1973–77
Volker Wangenheim 1977–80
Ronald Thomas 1980–85 Musical Director; Leader from 1976
Roger Norrington 1985–89
Tamás Vásáry 1989–97 also Artistic Director; Conductor Laureate 1997–99
Alexander Polianichko 1997–99


Recordings

Among the many recordings made by the Orchestra, ranging from the Baroque to the contemporary, are:

Recording venues included Southampton Guildhall, Christchurch Priory, Poole Arts Centre (The Lighthouse) and the Bournemouth Winter Gardens.

References

  1. ^ Holdsworth, F., "The Birth of the Sinfonietta" in BSO 90 1893–1983 – A special souvenir edition of WOS News (Spring/Summer 1983), p. 15.
  2. ^ Crichton R. Bournemouth Sinfonietta (concert review). Musical Times, March 1969,
  3. ^ Western Orchestral Society Concert calendars, 1991–1998.
  4. ^ BBC Proms database search[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ Street S., Carpenter R., "A tribute to a fine ensemble – The Bournemouth Sinfonietta" in Quarter Note no. 34 ("Millennium edition").
  6. ^ Various editions of Quarter Note, the newsletter of the Western Orchestral Society 1987–1999.
  7. ^ Joss, Tim. Professional music groups and the community: The Bournemouth Sinfonietta in Romania. International Journal of Music Education, 1 November 1997.
  8. ^ "Bournemouth Sinfonietta Choir - History". Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 27 August 2008., accessed 27 August 2008.
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