Nicola Lisle talks to conductor Andrew Gray ahead of Burford Orchestra’s concert

Still riding high after its 60th anniversary celebrations last year, Burford Orchestra launches its 2015 season on Saturday with a mainly Russian programme that includes a range of moods and styles, as well as a mixture of the familiar and not-so-familiar.

Topping the bill is Tchaikovsky’s stirring Marche Slave and sublime Swan Lake Suite, Borodin’s epic Symphony No.2 and — the only non-Russian piece — Das Glühwürmchen (The Glow-Worm) from the operetta Lysistrata by Berlin-born composer Paul Lincke.

“The last few programmes we’ve done have been themed around nationalities,” explains conductor Andrew Gray. “Our next concert in the summer will be a Scandinavian-themed programme.

“The repertoire is decided by a committee, because this is a community orchestra so one of the aims is that everyone has a say in what they play and how we do things.”

Burford Orchestra was founded in May 1954, with about 15 players, and now has around 50 members of all ages and abilities. As a community orchestra, there are no auditions and Andrew is keen to stress that all are welcome.

“It’s open to anyone in the area who wants to come and play,” he says. “Some of the pieces we play are quite tricky at times, so it’s a case of coming along to see if you can manage it as a player.

“We have a real mixture of people. Some are peripatetic teachers with the county music service, some are music teachers in local schools, there’s a few music graduates and a few people who have not played for ages and decided to take it up again, which is nice.

“It’s a really friendly bunch of people and it’s good fun, so quite a few people have come back after a long gap.”

Andrew himself is probably one of the youngest people involved the orchestra. He took over as conductor in September 2012, while still a third year music student at Oxford, and now combines his baton-wielding duties with teaching music at a secondary school near Reading.

So what was it like becoming conductor of an adult orchestra at such a young age?

“When I started I was a bit daunted by the fact that I’d never done anything quite like that before. I’d conducted student ensembles, but obviously everyone was my age and they were friends. So this was the first time I’d done something with people I didn’t know at all.”

The orchestra’s next event, after Saturday’s concert, is a Come and Play Day on May 17, for anyone who might be interested in joining.

“It’s a really informal day, where anyone can come along, whatever age and whatever standard,” Andrew explains. “We play quite light-hearted music, which is fairly easy to pick up quickly. We rehearse in the afternoon and then have an informal concert at the end. We also have refreshments and a cake competition, so there’s always lots of cake.

“We did it for the first time last year and it was really successful, so I’m hoping it will be just as good this year, if not better.”

For more details about this and the Come and Play Day, visit burfordorchestra.org.uk

Burford Orchestra Spring Concert
Methodist Church, High Street, Witney
Saturday, 7.30pm
Tickets: Call 01993 830559 or email info@burfordorchestra.org.uk