Founded in 1979, the Godalming Youth Orchestra offers young people the experience of playing with others in a good orchestra under a professional conductor.
The orchestra is open to orchestral instrument players aged between 8 and 17 who have reached about grade 4 standard or above. We hold rehearsals from 9:30 to 10:45 on Saturday mornings during the Autumn and Spring terms.
Learning to play an instrument can a solitary affair, but learning how to play music with others can be very enjoyable and rewarding. The rehearsals are all about the music, listening to others, watching the conductor, and discovering how to transform the score into a performance by the whole orchestra.
Although based in Godalming, the Godalming Youth Orchestra has a catchment area that extends to Guildford, Woking, West Byfleet, Farnborough, Farnham, Hindhead, Haslemere, Petworth, Chiddingfold, Witley, Cranleigh, Bramley and beyond. If you can regularly attend the rehearsals in Godalming, then come along!
Our conductor David Wright has been with us since 1996. David is Head of Brass at Charterhouse School in Godalming and a professional conductor with a particular reputation for theatre and opera. Under his direction, the rehearsals are entertaining, educational, and enjoyed by all. This is a great introduction to ensemble playing which develops musicality, performance skills and improves sight-reading!
We play a range of music from the classical repertoire, some in arrangements for youth orchestra, some as originally written. GYO has given first performances of several works written specially for the orchestra and our conductor. At the end of each term, after about ten rehearsals, David conducts the orchestra in a public concert.
| Site updated May 2012. | © 2012 The Godalming Youth Orchestra |
