Alnwick Pipers' Society

Alnwick

Alnwick Pipers' Society has regular monthly meetings/playing sessions throughout the year. Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month (except August) in the Plough Hotel, Bondgate Without, Alnwick, starting at 8.00pm.
Members of the public can attend to watch and listen. Visiting players are very welcome, particularly if they can play in concert F pitch!

www.northumbrian.info/pipers/index.htm

Billingham Silver Band

Billingham Silver Band are based at Norton Sports Complex, Station Road, Norton, Stockton-on-Tees, TS20 1PE. The band rehearse on Sunday mornings from 10am to 12noon and also on Wednesday evenings from 7pm to 9pm. Why not drop in and see us if you are in the area? You will be more than welcome!

www.billinghamsilverband.org.uk

Chilli Road Band

Newcastle upon Tyne

The Chilli Road Band is a dynamic, vibrant community band consisting of adults and children playing an eclectic mix of latin, jazz and rock on an array of instruments: steel pans, percussion, drums, brass and woodwind. Band members, ranging from beginner musicians to accomplished performers, rehearse at Chillingham Road Primary School on Tuesday evenings.

People wanting to book the band should get in touch with Steve Nash (07824 555221) and people interested in joining the band should contact Paul Fletcher (0191 265 0304).

www.chilliroadband.co.uk

Cleveland Chamber Orchestra

Middlesbrough, Stockton

The Cleveland Chamber Orchestra has around 35 to 40 playing members, and usually gives 3 or 4 concerts a year, the season running from September to June.

www.communigate.co.uk/ne/cco

www.teesmusic.co.uk - music listings for Teesside

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Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra

Middlesbrough, Stockton

The CPO is based in Middlesbrough. It was founded in 1975 by the late Edwin Raymond to play large-scale symphonic works to a high standard. It normally gives 2 concerts per year, some of which are for charity (eg. Macmillan Cancer Relief, Butterwick Hospice). Intensive rehearsals are held on the 2 weekends before each concert.

Lead contact: Tim Jackson (Orchestra Manager), email: tim@timpjackson.plus.com, tel: 01748 821343.

www.clevelandphil.org.uk

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Cobweb Orchestra

Harelaw (between Stanley and Durham), Newbiggin (near Ashington) and Tebay (in Cumbria)

The Cobwebs Orchestra is an enthusiastic, tolerant group of players with professional orchestral guidance. We accept all players who can contribute and gain from playing with us, of all ages and abilities and on a wide variety of instruments.

The underlying idea is to encourage people to play and to enable them to play together so they can improve and enjoy playing. So whatever level you can play at, come and listen and come and play.

We are always accepting new members, some of whom are seasoned, experienced players who want to enjoy their music in new company. But others are complete beginners who, though musical, may never have played in an orchestra before. Most of us have been too busy to practise for several years and want to blow the cobwebs off our music stands and start playing again. Members come and go as their commitments change, so players of any instrument are able to find a place.

We rehearse regularly at three different venues: Harelaw (between Stanley and Durham), Newbiggin (near Ashington) and Tebay (in Cumbria).

www.cobweborchestra.org.uk/

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Darlington and The Dales Youth Orchestra

Darlington

Darlington & the Dales Youth Orchestra is an independent youth orchestra for young people. It is a resource for young people, age 21 or less, who are performing at grade six, above or equivalent standard, are in part or full time education.

www.dyomusic.org

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Darlington Clarinet Ensemble

Darlington

www.darlingtonclarinets.co.uk

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Darlington Orchestra

Darlington

Darlington Orchestra is a community orchestra featuring local amateur musicians. We perform two regular concerts per year and occasionally participate in other events. New members are always welcome.

www.darlington-orchestra.org.uk

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Drummed Up

Newcastle upon Tyne

Drummed Up is a West African drumming group based in the Newcastle upon Tyne dedicated to playing drums and percussion. We are based at the Newcastle Music Service building at 41 Jesmond Vale, for directions use this map.

From 6.30pm until 8.20pm we have the taught session, (people arriving early usually gather in the Blue Bell pub, opposite Nr.41) Newcomers are welcomed and are taught enough to join in immediately. The performance rehearsal period starts at 8.40 (beginners welcome to stay to observe only)

Drummed Up currently have quite a large collection of West African Djembe drums and percussion, so there's always something for you to play, or you can bring your own instruments.

We meet simply to share the experience of drumming together, and we hope to share this experience with audiences. Please contact the group to find out more.

www.drummedup.org.uk

Jonathan Scott is the visitor for this group from the Making Music: North East Regional Committee.

Dunston Silver Band

Dunston Silver Band is based at the Dunston Community Centre, near Gateshead.

We work hard and have fun. We try to play to a high standard and make sure that we enjoy ourselves at the same time. We have a varied programme, ranging from traditional brass band arrangements to more modern pop and film tunes. We practise on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 7:30pm to 9:30pm.

www.dunstonsilverband.co.uk

Ferryhill Town Band

Ferryhill

The band was formed as Mainsforth Colliery Band in 1909 and kept that name until 1968, when the colliery closed. It then became Mainsforth Colliery and Tursdale Workshops Band. In 1979 the band was adopted by, and took the name of "Durham Colliery Mechanics Band". The band prospered for a 15-year period with the support of the association, which ended with the demise of the NCB.

The band was fortunate to be offered facilities and the support of Ferryhill Town Council, and thus in 1994 became "Ferryhill Town Band".

In 1996 we were successful in a bid to the National Lottery, which enabled us to purchase a new set of brass instruments.

1998 saw the appointment of Steve Robson as Musical Director, who took the band to Contest successes at Ashington, Hartlepool, and Spennymoor. Ferryhill Town Band has represented the Northern region in the National Brass Band Finals at the Royal Albert Hall in London in October 2000 and Preston Guildhall in 2001.

www.f-t-b.org.uk

Hurworth Concert Band

Richmond

Hurworth Concert Band is an amateur wind band which draws players from Darlington, England and the surrounding area.

www.hurworthconcertband.co.uk

Mutandi

Newcastle upon Tyne

Mutandi is an energetic performance group based in Newcastle upon Tyne, playing traditional West African rhythms with full djembe, bass drum and bell sections... all accompanied by our lovely, vivacious dancers. We are an exciting, vibrant and fun gigging group who get any audience up and dancing!

www.myspace.com/mutandi

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New Tyneside Orchestra

Newcastle upon Tyne

Since its foundation in 1970, the NTO has doubled in size and has attracted players from all walks of life. The orchestra is now one of the leading amateur orchestras in the north east with a strong core of over 70 players.

The NTO performs three main concerts a year, currently from its concert base at Royal Grammar School, Jesmond. In addition the orchestra gives a number of smaller chamber concerts each year, often for local charities, as well as accompanying local choral groups in their own performances.

We tackle a variety of works, from Malcolm Arnold to Mozart, Tschaikovsky to Tippett so there really is something to suit all tastes.

For more information about the orchestra, including details of all forthcoming concerts, please visit our website (below). To be added to our electronic mailing list to receive details of our concerts please email newtyneorch@hotmail.com.

Vacancies

The New Tyneside Orchestra rehearses weekly on Tyneside. There are occasional vacancies in some sections of the orchestra and anyone interested, who is of a sufficiently high standard of playing, is asked to contact the secretary, Rachael Leisk.

www.newtyneorch.org.uk/

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Newcastle All Stars Steel Orchestra

Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle All Stars' repertoire is self-arranged drawing upon pop, film scores, latin, reggae, swing and calypso.

www.newcastleallstars.org.uk

North East Recorder Orchestra

Newcastle upon Tyne

The North East Recorder Orchestra (NERCO) was formed in January 2004 to give recorder players in the North East of England the opportunity to tackle large scale pieces either especially written for the recorder orchestra or arrangements.

Meetings take place on the 4th Saturday in each month (except August and December) from 10am to 1pm in the hall of Christchurch, Shieldfield, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Contact: John Hawkes, email: nercoinfo@googlemail.com, tel: 01661 822909

www.nerco.org.uk

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North Tyneside Steelband

North Tyneside

The North Tyneside Steelband provides tuition, outreach, rehearsal and performance opportunities for young people and others on steel pan, the world's newest musical instrument. There are weekly sessions for beginners, adults and experienced players. Several of our players have become professional and semi-pro musicians.

We perform at events ranging from local schools, festivals, churches up to The Sage, City Hall, Albert Hall, private weddings, anniversaries, parties, and corporate events. We also work in partnership with several Local Education Authorities (LEAs).

For tuition, training and workshops please contact Dave Edwards, email: dave@steelbandsnorth.org.uk, tel: 0775 360 4281. For bookings please contact Karina Atkinson, email: karinaatkinson@hotmail.com, tel: 0798 6856783.

www.northtynesidesteelband.org.uk

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The North Tyneside Steelband are members of Making Music, Sound Sense and the British Association of Steelbands. They are a registered charity (number 1059729).

Northumberland Orchestral Society

Newcastle upon Tyne

The Northumberland Orchestral Society, founded in 1877, has the distinction of being the third oldest active orchestra in the country. The orchestra has about 55 regular players covering a wide age range and a wide range of professions and interests.

The aim of the orchestra is to provide an atmosphere in which every member is able to play to the best of their ability, in a happy environment, and to enjoy each other's company.

They play a wide range of music, from the Classical Period to the present day. They give several concerts a year, sometimes including concerts for and with children.

The conductor, Gillian Coop, was Director of Music at the Central Newcastle High School for 35 years and has wide experience of both choral and orchestral conducting.

The orchestra meets every Monday from 7.30pm to 9.30pm in the Central Newcastle High Music School, Brandling Village, Jesmond. (The nearest Metro station is Jesmond).

New members are most welcome; please visit our website (below) or, if you would like further information, email postmaster@northumberlandorchestralsociety.org.uk.

www.northumberlandorchestralsociety.org.uk

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Northumbrian Recorder and Viol School

Durham

The Northumbrian Recorder and Viol School, founded in 1971 by Layton and Christine Ring, is a summer school in the College of St Hild and St Bede, Durham, under the direction of Ralph Woodward. It covers a wide range of early music, including technique and ensemble classes and culminating in a choral and orchestral concert. The tutors are among Europe's leading early musicians.

Contact: Jane Beeson (Secretary), email: jane.beeson@btopenworld.com, tel: 07815 793168

www.norvis.org.uk

Orchestra North East

Durham, Newcastle

Orchestra North East (formerly Durham Sinfonia) was formed in the 1980s, and its members are drawn from across the North East. Its membership comprises both professional and amateur musicians who come together for at least three major concerts per year.

www.durhamsinfonia.org.uk

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Jonathan Scott is the visitor for this group from the Making Music: North East Regional Committee.

St Paul's Youth Ensemble

Newcastle upon Tyne

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Steelworks

Darlington

Sunderland Symphony Youth Orchestra

Sunderland

Teesside Symphony Orchestra

Middlesbrough, Stockton

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Tenth Avenue Band

Newcastle upon Tyne

The Tenth Avenue Band play a mixture of music - Latin, Jazz, Blues, African and Ska. Their repertoire also includes some Yiddish Klezmer and some Croatian tunes, but they are best known for Latin dance music - Mambo, Cumbia, Rhumba, Cha-Cha and Samba.

www.tenthavenueband.co.uk

The Soundroom

Gateshead

The Soundroom is a dynamic Community Project based in Teams, Gateshead (North East England). With an emphasis on`Music, The Soundroom provides the local community with a wide range of learning activities, resources and services including Music, Video and Multimedia ICT.

www.thesoundroom.org.uk

Tynedale Orchestra

Hexham

The Tynedale Orchestra (formerly Tynedale Symphony Orchestra) was formed in 1988 to enable orchestral musicians in the Hexham area to rehearse together and give concerts. Currently it gives concerts twice a year in the Autumn and Spring terms. Rehearsals are on Thursday evenings at 7.30 pm in the Winter Gardens at the Queen Elizabeth High School, Hexham.

Contact: Janet Chippendale, email: Jntchipp@aol.com, tel: 01434 602123

www.tynedaleorchestra.org.uk

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Tyneside Chamber Orchestra

Newcastle upon Tyne

Currently in its 53rd season, the TCO presents concerts three times a year.

There are occasional vacancies for string players, who are 'auditioned' via 3 rehearsals which take place on alternate Sunday evenings (more frequently just before a concert) for two hours from 1700 at the Peoples' Theatre in Heaton, Newcastle Upon Tyne.

For further information contact the Secretary Drusilla Calvert on 0191 499 0094 or dcalvert@macrex.com

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