RICHMOND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

RICHMOND CHAMBER ORCHESTRARICHMOND CHAMBER ORCHESTRARICHMOND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

RICHMOND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

RICHMOND CHAMBER ORCHESTRARICHMOND CHAMBER ORCHESTRARICHMOND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
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Violins

Richmond Chamber Orchestra 

North Yorkshire's pocket-sized orchestra 


Director Philippa Mo

Live music in unexpected places...

The RCO, the pocket-sized orchestra.

The Richmond Chamber Orchestra is the new orchestra for North Yorkshire. It is based in Richmond, and brings together the best musicians in the area. Professionals, semi-professionals and outstanding amateurs from Newcastle to Ripon, Redcar to Sedbergh. Our director Philippa Mo is based in London, and has played and toured throughout the world.


The RCO is small, generally 20 players, and its repertoire includes all styles of music from Arcangelo Corelli to Anna Clyne. Being a pocket-sized orchestra that fits in anywhere and plays anywhere, we can make live music accessible by bringing it close to people. Find a space and the RCO will fill it with music performed by some of the best musicians in the area. 


We offer a platform to outstanding young players as soloists or members. Currently this is a string ensemble, also featuring harpsichord, harp, and  soloists on any instruments. 


Philippa Mo 

(photo Guy Carpenter)

Philippa Mo has  directed two of our first three concerts, and we are delighted to say that she will be continuing to work with us in 2025. Follow the link to her website to find out more about her. 


Explore the site to find out more.

  • Our ethic
  • Supporting young players
  • How you could support us
  • What's happening in 2025


Welcome to the RCO!


Find out more about our director Philippa Mo.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER

  • As well as performing in concert venues, we'll be taking music into places which may seldom hear classical music being performed live. 
  • Schools and care homes, for example; public spaces, castles, galleries and museums. We are also available to play at events of most kinds. So far we have played in two churches and a theatre. We are hoping to do a promenade concert next year (not The Proms!), and possibly a museum. If you have a space you'd like us to play in, email us from the link below.

Get in touch

Some photos of our our first rehearsals 2024, and our concerts on March 3rd in the Georgian Theatre, Richmond, and June 30th in Grinton Church

Philippa Mo rehearsing in the Georgian Theatre

01/23

OUR SUMMER CONCERT

SUNDAY JULY 13th at 3.00pm in ST ANDREW'S CHURCH, AYSGARTH

A fabulous summery programme of music for string orchestra. Elgar's masterpiece, Janacek's magical suite, the light-footed energy of Bach, Tchaikovsky's lyricism, and the bumptious charm of Molly on the Shore. Plus a mystery item that will floor you! Aysgarth is one of the loveliest churches in Wensleydale. Why not make a day of it? Bring a picnic or sample one of the nearby pubs. Tickets already on sale (see below).


J.S.Bach                      Violin Concerto in E major                                                        

                                    Soloist Philippa Mo

Leos Janacek             Idyll Suite

Edward Elgar            Introduction and Allegro 

Percy Grainger         Molly on the Shore

Pyotr Tchaikovsky    Andante Cantabile

                                   Soloist Helen Dawson (cello)

CLICK HERE FOR JULY 13th TICKETS

Looking back to 2024

The interior of St Mary's Church, Wycliffe

March 3rd 2024 in the Georgian Theatre, Richmond


Corelli         Concerto Grosso Opus 6 No. 2

Mozart       Piano Concerto in A major K414

Grieg          Holberg Suite Opus 40

Janacek      Suite for String Orchestra 

'It was rather like having an orchestra playing to you in your front room!'    Audience member.

'Very impressed...thoroughly enjoyed it.'   Audience members, by email.'

The players soon showed their strengths, especially in the second half. They were clearly enjoying themselves!' Richmondshire Today. 



June 30th 2024 in Grinton Church, Swaledale

Bach                        Brandenburg Concerto #3

Elgar                        Serenade for Strings

Tabakova                Suite in Old Style 

                                 Solo Viola Alyssa Moskowitz, Harpsichord David Frances

Vivaldi                     Summer from Four Seasons

                                 Solo violin Philippa Mo

Finzi                         Romance 

Vaughan Williams  5 Variants of Dives & Lazarus 


Read Will Stephens' review in Richmondshire Today.
I hadn’t heard of the Richmond Chamber Orchestra until June 30th, when a Dales friend persuaded me to go and hear them. After their Summer Concert in Grinton Church I’m very pleased I have now. It really was a perfect programme for a summer’s day, cheerful and bright, accomplished and with lots of variety. The RCO seems to be a rather unique ensemble, with a superb professional violinist, Philippa Mo, in charge, and a mix of professional players, semi-pros, and gifted amateurs. It all makes for infectious enthusiasm and a strong rich sound. A string orchestra with additional harpsichord, tambourine, bass drum and harp really is a bit unusual too! They played Bach, Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Finzi, Vivaldi (‘Summer’ from the Four Seasons of course) and a piece no one seemed to know, Suite in Old Time by Dobrinka Tabakova. The viola player Alyssa Moskowitz delivered a virtuoso solo part passionately, and the piece was a great discovery, with mysterious sounds and beautiful harmonies. Philippa Mo’s interpretation of Summer was fast and furious: her bow was a blur, and she had the orchestra clinging on for dear life! Italian summers aren’t quite the same as Yorkshire ones, with people overcome by the heat and flies, thunderstorms and gales. The Vaughan Williams variations on the well-known folk and hymn tune Dives and Lazarus was another magical piece unknown to me, with harp and shimmering strings. The most English piece had to be the Elgar Serenade for Strings, one of my favourites, and the orchestra got the variety of moods just right. All in all the RCO was a discovery for me, and apparently for quite a few of the large enthusiastic audience. If you want top class music-making and a great mixture of familiar classics and new discoveries, go and hear them.


July 21st 2024 in the magical St Mary's Church, Wycliffe 

The programme was of English music from its rich late 19th and early 20th century period, from Elgar to the precocious Benjamin Britten.


Vaughan Williams    Fantasia on Greensleeves 

Warlock                     Capriol Suite
Elgar                           Serenade for Strings
Holst                          St Paul’s Suite

Britten                       Simple Symphony
Vaughan Williams    Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus


Presented in association with The Friends of the Bowes Museum, it was our first 'mini-concert', designed to suit a specific venue. With room in the church for only 9 players and a harpist, we made music written for larger forces work in a refreshing and immediate way. 'Mini-concerts' are something we will be developing. If you have a small space you'd like to put on a concert in, get in touch.


A few audience responses.

'We thoroughly enjoyed it: the choice of music perfectly complemented the special ambience of St Mary's. Everyone we spoke to commented on it being a really special afternoon.'

'Enormously enjoyable. After three curtain calls the orchestra was finally allowed to leave, such was the appreciation!'



Sunday April 6th in Richmond's Georgian Theatre Royal 

NORTHERN LIGHTS


We celebrated our first anniversary where we started in 2024, in the Georgian Theatre, Richmond. Northern Lights was also a celebration of the music of Northern Europe. There were some popular favourites, some less familiar pieces. All of them  sparkling, surprising and vibrant, ranging from the thrilling Romanticism of Tchaikovsky's to the enigmatic beauty of Arvo Pärt's Fratres.

Arvo Pärt (Estonia)               Fratres (version for solo violin and strings)

Carl Nielsen (Denmark)       Suite for Strings

Jean Sibelius (Finland).        Romance in C

Edvard Grieg (Norway)        2 Nordic Melodies

Tchaikovsky (Russia)           Serenade for Strings



Join our mailing list

Join our mailing list to keep in touch with developments and future concerts.

We promise only to send you the occasional email about our own activities. 


If you would like to support us as an Associate of the orchestra (ARCO), see below, and don't hesitate to contact us to discuss it.



Click here

ARCO: SUPPORTING THE RCO

The photo above shows the end of our June 30th concert in Grinton Church. A fabulous venue and a large enthusiastic audience. We can present concerts like this partly because of the generosity of our supporters. We are immensely grateful to Richmond Town Council and the Abstract Group of Companies for supporting us, and to our ARCOs, who as you will see below, contribute to our activities. We need more of them. Find out below how you could contribute. If you think that our aims are worthy of support, being one of our Associates will be a rewarding experience. You will know that you are helping us to encourage young players, to bring music to people who may not often hear live classical music, and to champion living composers as often as we can. (String players will know that arco means playing with the bow as opposed to pizzicato!).

Becoming an Associate of the Richmond Chamber Orchestra

Associates will be closely involved with the orchestra. You can come to a rehearsal, meet the players, meet the soloists, invite us to play for an event of your own. Get updates (no spams), prior booking for concerts (useful if we are playing in a small venue), and an annual social event at one of our concerts. Your contribution will be acknowledged in our concert programmes, unless you would rather remain anonymous.


Becoming an ARCO costs £25.00 a year, £35.00 for a couple. 


Please email us from the mailing list link below. We will get back to you as soon as we can.

Business Associates

If you are involved with a business and would like it to be associated with the Arts, you can become a Business Associate.  In return for your support your business will be acknowledged in everything that we do: online on our site and on social media, in publicity and in concert programmes. You and a colleague or partner will also be welcome to the Associates' benefits as outlined above. 


Please email us from the mailing list link above. We will get back to you as soon as we can.


Becoming a Business Associate costs £35.00.

Email us about becoming an Associate

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE!

Finding a Platform

One of the USPs of the RCO is to offer a platform to outstanding young players, as soloists or members of the orchestra.

Morvern Scrivener, the soloist in our opening concert, is the first. We are looking for the next one! Get in touch, or ask your teacher to contact us, and we'll see what we can do.


Photo of Morvern Scrivener in rehearsal for the March 3rd concert. (photo David Francis)

email about playing with us

Finding a Job

No, we can't offer you a job, not yet at any rate! But we can help you understand how to stage a concert, the most effective way to present your publicity, contacting artists, organising orchestral parts, what a concert day requires, and so on. 


email about finding a job

Social Media

Social Media

Promoting events via Facebook, Instagram and other social media sites is crucial to success. If you think you'd be good at it and want to learn how to choose and manage material for different audiences, get in touch.



email about social media

Other musical organisations to find out about

Below are links to some of our friends & musical colleagues
Richmondshire Concerts - a long established & varied series of instrumental & vocal chamber music Wensleydale Concert Series - international artists in the beautiful setting of Aysgarth ChurchDarlington Music Society - a varied series of high class chamber musicCleveland Chamber Orchestra - interesting programmes of smaller scale orchestral music in Stokesley & elsewhereSt Cecilia Orchestra Ripon - large scale concerts in the glorious setting of Ripon CathedralDarlington Piano Society - recitals by superb international pianists

Send us an email

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