History of HSO
How the Horsham Symphony Orchestra began
In 1971 Malcolm McKelvey, the Director of Music at Christ's Hospital School situated just outside Horsham, co-founded a small orchestra together with Horsham residents Christopher Herzig and Francis Phillips (both viola players) for the benefit of Horsham music-makers and the music-loving public. Composed of amateur players, It began modestly on a non-commercial basis with 2 concerts a year given in the town in school halls in aid of Horsham charities. It was called the Horsham Orchestra and adopted its first emblem - the heraldic lion of the Horsham District Council. Rehearsals were held weekly on Wednesday evenings at Christ's Hospital School. The orchestra's first leader, local resident Lionel Rose led the orchestra for 20 years.
First conductor, leader, and performances
Malcolm McKelvey invited Trevor Hoskins, also from Christ's Hospital to become Associate Conductor. Later when Trevor Hoskins moved from the school Graham Standley, a young County Music Advisor for Wind Bands, assisted as Associate. The charity performances in schools and on one occasion in the TA Drill Hall in Denne Road continued until the advent of the Horsham Arts Centre in 1985.
When the Arts Centre opened its doors for the first time, Horsham Orchestra gave a concert there. This proved so popular that it was decided to move the concert and rehearsal venues permanently to the Arts Centre and to manage the orchestra on a commercial footing. With a more attractive venue, good players were soon attracted to the orchestra. Young professional soloists were also engaged for their concerts when a local Horsham company,
The orchestra continued to give two concerts a year in November and May and when Malcolm McKelvey decided to retire he offered the orchestra the choice between two promising ex-pupils from Christ's Hospital, who had graduated with music degrees from Oxford and Cambridge, to be auditioned for the now vacant post of Musical Director.
Charles Hazlewood
Charles Hazlewood was selected as Musical Director in 1989 and the orchestra benefitted from his professional approach and ambitious repertoire for the following three years. Lionel Rose who had led the orchestra for 20 years retired and Martin Palmer a young Horsham professional violinist was engaged as the leader. It was during Charles Hazlewood's last year as Musical Director that Horsham Orchestra was renamed "the Horsham Symphony Orchestra" and got its first logo.
Paul Hoskins
Paul Hoskins, a Cambridge music graduate, whose father Trevor had been Associate Conductor, took over the baton from Charles. Paul, building on the foundations laid by Charles, proposed that the orchestra should give three concerts a year in March, May and November.
In June 1995 the Horsham District Council financed the first-ever "Fanfare" Horsham District Arts Festival, which took place in the Horsham Arts Centre initially and the orchestra was invited to give a concert and in so doing to accompany a newly formed Festival Chorus. Thus the third concert of the year was moved to June.
In 1996 the Council, aided by Sainsbury's Art Fund, commissioned the sculptor Angela Conner to create a water sculpture in a purpose-built square to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Shelley's birth. The sculpture was called the Rising Universe taken from the opening lines of Shelley's "Mont Blanc" poem. As a larger scale HSO music commission celebrating Shelley had already been proposed by an anonymous benefactor and Martyn Harry had been selected to write that piece, the Horsham District Council approached him to write a fanfare for the inaugural fountain ceremony to lead into ten further minutes of music to accompany the first inaugural water cycle of the fountain. HSO woodwind, percussion and brass players augmented by players from Christ's Hospital performed the "Mont Blanc" music with TV and newspaper coverage on November 13th in the new Bishopric square. Paul Foot, the renowned Shelley scholar and journalist, gave the opening address.
Benjamin Pope
During this period Paul Hoskins handed over the baton to Benjamin Pope, having auditioned for the post together with two other aspiring young professional conductors and took over from Paul in March 1997. Benjamin conducted the world premiere of the 22-minute piece "Symphonic Shelley" by Martyn Harry in the Horsham Arts Centre in June 1997 in the second of the Horsham District Council's Fanfare Horsham District Arts Festivals. Benjamin enlarged and extended the orchestral repertoire still further and was HSO Musical Director for 10 years until he handed over the reins to HSO's current Musical Director, Steve Dummer.
At the end of 2001, the Arts Centre closed for refurbishment and the orchestra temporarily moved to the Drill Hall for its concerts until the Arts Centre reopened as The Capitol, Horsham in September 2003.
HSO rebrand
Horsham Symphony Orchestra has always celebrated collaborating with local artists and musicians to create eye-catching posters to publicise its concerts.
The current logo was designed in 2016 by one of HSO's violinists, graphic designer and illustrator, Anna Jarvis. Based on the shape of a sound wave, the logo has a strong visual impact and easily adapts to the extraordinary and varied repertoire performed by the orchestra. Anna's rebrand now incorporates all of HSO's print and web design.
Check out old HSO poster designs here. Contact Anna here.
Financing and charity status
Ringway was the orchestra's first sponsor in 1986, continuing their relationship with the orchestra for 10 years. In 1996 Allied Domecq took over, generously supporting the Horsham Symphony orchestra until March 2002.
HSO is proud to run a Young Musicians' Bursary scheme to encourage young people to participate in playing orchestral music, helping them if they show commitment with a small one-off grant, financed initially by Horsham businesses and latterly by a private patron.
Since 1997 the orchestra adopted a written constitution and registered as a charity. It is also a member of Making Music. The orchestra has a Friends of the Horsham Symphony Orchestra scheme and a number of Patrons.
Horsham Symphony Orchestra continues to run thanks to subscription payments by orchestra members, concert ticket sales, your support and donations.