Warwickshire Symphony Orchestra

Founded in 1940 by Dr. Stanley Vann, the Warwickshire Symphony Orchestra has a long and distinguished history and was recently described as being ‘among the best amateur orchestras in the country.'

The table below sets out some of the key dates and events which have occurred during the WSO's lifetime. Full details, and much more, can be found in a history of the orchestra which has been written by Dr. Henry Rees, and which is available at a price of £10.00.

1940	WSO formed by Dr. Stanley Vann as the Warwickshire Orchestral Society. The first concert, a performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion, is given on 20 March 1940. Activities are suspended in the later years of the war
	Dr Stanley Vann, front centre, with the Leamington Spa Bach Choir
8 July 1947	Inaugural General Meeting held. Stanley Vann is confirmed as conductor
3 May 1949	Harold Dexter is appointed music director following Stanley Vann's departure	Leamington Town Hall
31 May 1953	Coronation Concert performed at Leamington Town Hall
18 Nov 1956	Peter Hurford is appointed conductor in succession to Harold Dexter
20 Dec 1956	The Christmas Concert proves to be a marathon, consisting of 19 works
11 May 1958	The WSO performs Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto with a young Julian Bream as soloist
12 May 1958	John Strickson is appointed conductor as successor to Peter Hurford	John Strickson
9 Dec 1962	Paul Beard, former leader of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, becomes guest leader, and later full-time leader of the WSO	John Strickson
June 1964	Kenneth Page is appointed leader in succession to Paul Beard
19 Mar 1967	Alan Civil is soloist in performances of Mozart's Fourth Horn Concerto and Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings
10 Mar 1968	Alfredo Campoli plays to a capacity audience at Leamington Town Hall as soloist in a performance of Beethoven's Violin Concerto	Timothy Reynish
Jan 1969	Timothy Reynish is appointed conductor, having been chosen from the 35 applicants who applied for the post
15 Mar 1970	The WSO gives the world première of The Green Dragon by Derek Bourgeois, a work commissioned by the orchestra
30 May 1970	First concert in the newly-opened Guy Nelson Hall, Denis Matthews being the soloist in Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3
29 May 1971	Guy Woolfenden's first concert with the WSO, as guest conductor
15 June 1972	WSO gives the inaugural concert at the opening of the Royal Spa Centre, Leamington. Denis Matthews is soloist in Timothy Reynish's final concert	Guy Woolfenden
July 1972	Guy Woolfenden is appointed conductor in succession to Timothy Reynish
1 Nov 1973	WSO's first foreign visit, to Sceaux, a suburb of Paris
Nov 1974	WSO's first visit to Leamington's twin-town, Brühl, near Cologne as guests of the Brühler Chorvereinigung
	The WSO performs an outdoor concert at Brühl
7 Oct 1979	Peter Donohoe makes his debut with the WSO in a performance of Brahms' Piano Concerto No 1
13 Oct 1985	Tasmin Little is soloist in a performance of Korngold's Violin Concerto	Jeremy Ballard
1993	Jeremy Ballard is appointed as leader following a number of guest appearances
11 May 1996	WSO gives a performance of the Verdi Requiem in Coventry Cathedral to celebrate the diamond jubilee of the National Federation of Music Societies
16 May 1998	Nicholas Burt's Magnificat, Saint Saëns Organ Symphony and Walton's Belshazzar's Feast are performed at Coventry Cathedral. The programme is repeated at the Colston Hall, Bristol a week later
9 Oct 1999	The WSO gives the world première of Guy Woolfenden's Bassoon Concerto, Meyrick Alexander being the soloist
11 Mar 2000	Diamond Jubilee Concert includes a performance of Vaughan Williams' A Sea Symphony. All previous conductors of the WSO attend, including founder conductor Stanley Vann	Stanley Vann after the Diamond Jubilee Concert
1 Jan 2007	The WSO's principal conductor and music director, Guy Woolfenden, is awarded the OBE in the Queen's New Year honours list, the award being given for services to music	Stanley Vann after the Diamond Jubilee Concert