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West Yorkshire
Symphony Orchestra

 
Welcome to our website! WYSO is a friendly amateur orchestra based in Leeds and rehearsing weekly. The latest WYSO news is:
 
WYSO's next concert will be on 15^th March at St Matthew's Church, Chapel Allerton, showcasing music with a British theme. Keep checking our upcoming concerts section for details of future concerts, including how to get tickets in advance.
 
WYSO ended its 2007 season with a spectactular Christmas Concert at Morley Town Hall, in conjunction with choirs from local schools. Click here for details of previous performances.
 
If you would like to join WYSO, check out the How to join section.  
To find out more, click on the keywords below. See also our photos section!
 
If you are a member of WYSO, click here to log in. A confirmation page will open in a new window.

What we do

 
WYSO is a relatively new orchestra (established in 2003) based in Leeds.
 
We aim to provide an opportunity for local musicians to play orchestral music to a high standard within a sociable environment. Although our average age is younger than in most local orchestras, people of all ages are welcome as long as they're friendly and have a sense of humour!
 
We play a wide range of music and aim to play three different programmes each year, with at least one concert per term (Autumn, Spring and Summer - see our concert programme below).
 
We rehearse most of the year round (check the rehearsals section below) so if you're interested in joining then there's no need to wait for any particular time of year to get in touch. WYSO is run by a committee that meets regularly to ensure the orchestra runs smoothly.
 
We aim to maintain a high standard of musicianship and expect all of our members to commit to rehearsals and concerts, and to take responsibility for finding replacements when they are unexpectedly unavailable.
 
Naturally, members are strongly encouraged to join us down the pub after rehearsals.

Rehearsals

 
Wednesdays 7.30 - 9.30.
 
Beckett Park Primary School     (map)
Foxcroft Close
Leeds
LS6 3NT
 
Rehearsals have already started for 2008. Potential new members are very welcome, particularly strings, trombones and percussion.
 
For detailed directions e-mail wyso_leeds@yahoo.co.uk.

Upcoming concerts

 
Upcoming concerts are:
 
15 March 2008 - St Matthew's Church, Chapel Allerton; music inspired by Britain including Mendelssohn's Overture to the Hebridies, Bruch's Scottish Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra with soloist Sadie Fields, and Dvorak's 8^th Symphony.
 
June 2008 - exact date and venue TBC; music on a Viennese theme.
 
How to get tickets in advance:
 
Tickets for future concerts are available by sending a cheque for the relevant amount (as advertised above) plus 25p postage and packing to our usual mailing address. To ensure ticket availabilty before sending your cheque, email wyso_leeds@yahoo.co.uk with numbers of tickets required. Confirmation of availabilty will be sent by email and tickets will be reserved for up to one week.

Information for new members *

 
If you're new to the orchestra, click here for more information about WYSO.
 
The WYSO constitution is now available here.
 
See also the 'Rules and guidelines' section below, which is mentioned in the document. We're also planning to add an FAQ for people to learn more about the history of WYSO etc.

Rules and guidelines *

 
Click here to see the general guidelines for WYSO members.
 
These guidelines were handed round the orchestra on 26^th October 2005. They should be kept by each member of the orchestra.

WYSO Committee *

 
WYSO now has a main committee, an artistic committee and various assistants.
 
Current main committee members are as follows: Details should appear here when you log in as a member The artistic committee consists of: Details should appear here when you log in as a member The committees are also assisted by: Details should appear here when you log in as a member If you have a general query for the committee, please e-mail wyso_leeds@yahoo.co.uk.

Repertoire and recent concerts

 
We aim to play a varied programme of music to suit all of our members.
 
Members of the orchestra are consulted about which works they would like to perform, and we also perform works by living English composers. Our repertoire have included rock songs (with Electric Eel Shock), film and cartoon theme tunes, new compositions, string pieces and concertos. We also joined forces with a local choir, the Leeds Guild of Singers, for the December 2004 concert (see below). See also the concert programme for 2004/5 above.
 
Recent concerts include:
 
1 December 2007 - Morley Town Hall; a family-orientated programme including Humperdinck's Overture to Hansel and Gretel, extracts from the Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky, and the Sourcerer's Apprentice by Dukas.
 
16 June 2007 - St. Edmund's Church, Roundhay; Slavic Spectacular - a mixed programme in collaboration with the Leeds Guild of Singers, including Dvorak's Te Deum, Borodin's Polovtsian Dances and Selection 44 by local composer Robert Wilsmore.
 
17 March 2007 - Wakefield Cathedral; 'The French Connection' with guest conductor Catherine Parsonage including Bizet's Symphony No 2 ('Symphony in C'), Fauré's Pelleas and Melisande suite, Gounod's Petite Symphonie for Winds and five pieces from Mother Goose by Ravel.
 
2 December 2006 - The Venue, Leeds in aid of St. Gemma's Hospice; 'The Magic of Christmas' including Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, Delius's Sleigh Ride, music from Harry Potter, and local composer Patric Standford's Christmas Carol Symphony.
 
17 June 2006 - St. Edmund's Church, Roundhay; 'A taste of Italy' - Rossini's Overture to La Scala di Seta, Mozart's Countessa Arias and Exsultate Jubilate (with soloists Alison Eastwood, Kristine Arndt and Elizabeth Ball) and Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4 (The Italian).
 

How to join WYSO

 
The orchestra currently has vacancies in most areas (except woodwind), particularly lower string and lower brass players.
 
Some instruments (generally woodwind) may have waiting lists, but we will audition players of a suitable standard who have registered their interest if a position becomes available. We are also interested in hearing from instrumentalists who play occasionally-used instruments such as the harp and the organ.
 
If you would like to join, please:

• see the Standard and Expectations and Subscriptions sections below; and
• e-mail wyso_leeds@yahoo.co.uk or check the Rehearsals section for open rehearsals.

You are also welcome to contact us if you would rather not join, but would be interested in playing as a deputy in rehearsals or concerts.

Standard and expectations

 
Interested musicians should be enthusiastic orchestral players.
 
Most of our members are of around grade 6-8 standard; there may be an informal audition for popular instruments - if you play an instrument that we've mentioned above, though, it's unlikely that you'll need to audition.
 
To ensure the smooth running of the orchestra, we've produced a few guidelines for members including:

• members should make every possible effort to turn up to rehearsals on time;
• members should inform the committee of an expected absence by the afternoon of the Monday preceding the rehearsal, and confirm with deputy players that their position can be filled;
• members should consult the committee before discussing the management of WYSO with others;
• members should keep the rehearsal room in good condition; and
• members who wish to take music away at the end of the rehearsal should keep it in the original folder, fill in a music lending grid, and return the music immediately after a concert.

The full text of the guidelines can be obtained by members from the committee or found by logging in as a member.

Conductor

 
Randall Whittaker is returning to WYSO!
 
Our original conductor, Randall Whittaker, is once again Artistic Director of the orchestra as of Spring 2007. Randall joined WYSO as conductor when the it started and directed the orchestra until December 2006.
 
Randall (that's him on the left) has conducted all over the world and has an impressive history for someone so young. He is currently lecturing at the Leeds College of Music and has his own website:
 
http://www.randallwhittaker.com.

Subscriptions

 
£45 per year (£30 students and benefits)
 
The subscriptions are payable either in one lump sum or in three instalments of £15 (£10 for students and benefits). We are a non-profit-making institution so these subscriptions cover the cost of hiring rehearsal space and the music we perform.

Sponsorship

 
Please help to keep WYSO playing!
 
WYSO is non-profit-making and aims to benefit the local community, for example through performances, partnerships and charity support. It is reliant on funding from members, concert admissions, and sponsors.
 
To continue meeting our objectives, we have to cover our costs. These include concert and rehearsal venue hire, sheet music and soloists' fees. WYSO cannot surive without the funds to cover these essentials.
 
We would be very interested to hear from any organisations that would like to sponsor WYSO, for example through adverts in our concert programmes. Please use the contact details below.

Contact details

 
For more information about joining, watching or sponsoring WYSO:
 
If you wish to contact us, please e-mail wyso_leeds@yahoo.co.uk. We have an e-mailing list for anyone that would like to be kept up to date with news, rehearsal dates etc.
 
Alternatively, write to us at:
 
WYSO
1 Town Close
Horsforth
Leeds
LS18 5BR
 
If you are ordering concert tickets, please check the details in our Upcoming Concerts section. If you would like to check ticket availabilty, email wyso_leeds@yahoo.co.uk with numbers of tickets required. Confirmation of availabilty will be sent by email and tickets will be reserved for up to one week.

Photos

 
There are now two pages of photos! Click on the links below:
 
Photos from a recent rehearsal in Hyde Park Methodist Church; and
Photos from our pre-concert rehearsal at St Edmund's Church in March 2005.
 
Photos from the Beached festival in Scarborough are on our Beached page.

Links

 
Try other sections above you don't see the link you are looking for.
 
Burley Green - a local community site that has supported WYSO since it started.
 
The Leeds Guild of Singers - a Leeds-based choir that has performed with WYSO.
 
Get a LeedsCard - holders get discounts at our concerts. For more information e-mail leedscard@leeds.gov.uk.
 
Randall Whittaker - our conductor (see also above).
 
Discovering Leeds - includes an extensive historical survey of classical music in Leeds. And we're not just plugging it because we get a mention, this is good stuff.
 
The Cardigan Arms and The Queen - our favoured watering holes. Although the Eldon, the Fenton, the Headingley Taps, the Original Oak, the Roundhay Fox, the Fab Café and Strawberry Fields also deserve a mention...
 
Thanks to www.amateurmusician.co.uk for providing a free listing. WYSO is also listed on the British Arts website, www.britisharts.co.uk - that's their logo on the right.
 
What do you think of our website? Would you like us to include a link? E-mail mark@schnarf.org.uk.
 
* Sections with an asterisk contain additional member content that should only be viewed by members of WYSO.
 
Background: WYSO rehearsing with the Leeds Guild of Singers at Leeds University. Courtesy of Graham Coatman.
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