WCO is an amateur Concert Orchestra pledged to conceiving and performing mixed-repertoire concerts to the very highest possible standard. Central to the doctrine is the conviction that all concerts should be an entertaining and rewarding experience for both members and audiences.
In keeping with our Concert Orchestra credentials, WCO comprises the normal orchestral instruments with added saxophone trio. This puts us in an unparalled position to perform Light Music - a genre that has been an important column in our structure since our founding in 1940. Our library has an extensive selection of British Light Music classics by such composers as Ancliffe, Strachey, Coates, Ketelbey and many others. In the wake of the resurgence of public interest in this genre, we will continue to programme these items into our concerts for the foreseeable future, and consider ourselves to be in the vanguard of the amateur movement to keep these gems alive in the concert hall.
But we live in an age when it is becoming increasingly difficult to make a meaningful distinction between classical and light music. Increased popular exposure to beautiful orchestral music, which was formerly considered 'high brow' or 'serious' has awakened a broad public interest in classical music. Similarly, music that has its origins, or has become popular through its use, in film and TV has begun to find its way onto the concert platform. This has had the very positive effect of reducing, if not completely removing, most 'traditional' restrictions to our repertoire. We look forward to performing ever more varied and substantial works in the coming seasons.
We would welcome the opportunity to work on projects in partnership with other musical groups who share our desire to stage top quality performances.