Info for Players
We usually rehearse on Tuesdays 7.45-9.45 pm and Sundays 2.30-5.00 pm with a 15 minute break, plus at 2.00 pm on the concert day at the concert venue. The rehearsal schedule is below. Rehearsals are for full orchestra unless otherwise specified.
Unless otherwise specified, all the rehearsals and the concerts will be at Bishops Hill Adult Community College, Rayleigh Road, Brentwood CM13 1BD.
Car parking is free at Bishops Hill Adult Community College and, for concerts at Brentwood School, on the concert day, at Brentwood School.
Concert dress for BPO concerts is all black (no jackets or ties).
Our overriding concern is to protect each other, both for ourselves and to give us the best chance of being able to put on the concert. Please therefore exercise prudence. Please do not come if you feel unwell or think you may have Covid19 or have Covid-like symptoms.
Please bring a music stand to rehearsals and to the concert.
Saturday 8 February 2025
7.00 pm
Wessex Auditorium
Brentwood School
Middleton Hall Lane
Brentwood
Essex CM15 8EE
Conductor: Florian Cooper
Programme to be decided.
All rehearsals except the final rehearsal on the concert day will be at Bishops Hill Adult Community College.
Sunday 12 January 2025
Tuesday 14 January
Sunday 19 January (strings only)
Tuesday 21 January (strings only)
Sunday 26 January
Tuesday 28 January
Sunday 2 February
Tuesday 4 February
Saturday 8 February 2.00 pm rehearsal and 7.00 pm CONCERT
Saturday 17 May 2025
7.00 pm
Bishops Hill Adult Community College
Rayleigh Road
Brentwood
Essex CM13 1BD
Conductor Julia Wilson-James
Ladies' Choir Bravissima
Ralph Vaughan Williams Folk Songs for the Four Seasons
Sue Hughes Requiem for Unsung Heroes
Tuesday 22 April 2025
Sunday 27 April (strings only)
Tuesday 29 April (strings only)
Tuesday 6 May
Sunday 11 May
Tuesday 13 May
Saturday 17 May 2.00 pm rehearsal and 7.00 pm CONCERT
Saturday 18 October 2025
7.00 pm
Bishops Hill Adult Community College
Rayleigh Road
Brentwood
Essex CM13 1BD
Conductor Bradley Winand
Tuesday 16 September
Tuesday 23 September
Sunday 28 September (Strings only)
Tuesday 30 September (Strings only)
Sunday 5 October
Tuesday 7 October
Sunday 12 October
Tuesday 14 October
Saturday 18 October 2.00 pm rehearsal and 7.00 pm CONCERT
Saturday 7 February 2026
Sunday 11 January 2026
Tuesday 13 January
Sunday 18 January (Strings only)
Tuesday 20 January (Strings only)
Sunday 27 January
Tuesday 29 January
Sunday 1 February
Tuesday 3 February
Saturday 7 February 2.00 pm rehearsal and 7.00 pm CONCERT
Saturday 16 May 2026
Tuesday 14 April
Sunday 19 April
Tuesday 21 April (Strings only)
Sunday 26 April (Strings only)
Tuesday 28 April
Tuesday 5 May
Sunday 10 May
Tuesday 12 May
Saturday 16 May 2.00 pm rehearsal and 7.00 pm CONCERT
Hard copies of the music (with string parts bowed) will be distributed at the first rehearsal for the relevant concert if not distributed beforehand. To prepare for the rehearsals you may however wish to download your part (where available and out of copyright) for free from www.imslp.org. This site has scores and separate instrumental parts for thousands of works though you do need to check on the site whether they are out of copyright in the UK (same rules as for the EU). Leonard Bernstein's marked scores and parts for many works are available for study on archives.nyphil.org. Can be useful for string fingerings.
The BPO's 2023/24 subscription for players is £90 for the year with single concert subscriptions of £30. Subscriptions are half price for full-time students and those on benefits. For UK tax payers, subscriptions are eligible for GiftAid (please complete a GiftAid declaration for BPO if you haven't already done so and give it to our treasurer). New players do not pay for their first BPO concert.