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.

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.

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 19 October 2024

7.00 pm

Bishops Hill Adult Community College

Rayleigh Road
Brentwood
Essex CM13 1BD

Conductor     Bradley Winand
Cello              Chloe Winand

Mussorgsky  A Night on Bare Mountain (orch. Rimsky-Korsakov)
2222;4231; Timp, bass drum, Cymbals, tam tam, bell, Harp, Strings

Tchaikovsky   Variations on a Rococo Theme
2222;2000; Solo cello, Strings

Rimsky-Korsakov  Scheherazade
2+picc 222; 4231 Timp, Bass drum, snare, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, tam-tam; Harp Strings

Tuesday 17 September 2024 19.30-21.45 (please note this one-off earlier start time to compensate for the loss of the longer rehearsal on the 22nd).

[Sunday 22 September 2024 NO REHEARSAL as the hall is not available.]

Tuesday 24 September

Sunday 29 September (strings only)

Tuesday 1 October (strings only)

Sunday 6 October 

Tuesday 8 October 

Sunday 13 October 

Tuesday 15 October 

Saturday 19 October 2.00 pm rehearsal and 7.00 pm 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

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.