A Statement from the Chairman
The Folkestone & Hythe Orchestral Society is a registered charity. Our constitution states that our object is “to promote, improve, develop and maintain public education in the appreciation of the art and science of music in all its aspects by the presentation of public concerts and recitals and by such other ways as a society through its committee shall determine from time to time.”
Despite that rather grand statement the orchestra is a friendly group of people who meet up once a week and give three public concerts a year to very appreciative audiences.
We have some 40 active playing members, drawn from a wide area including Deal, Ashford & East Sussex, and are supported by almost 40 Friends of the Orchestra, Vice-Presidents and sponsors in addition to our President: Mrs Celia Blakey. We owe much of our continuing success to our enthusiastic members, who work hard to give three concerts a year in December, March & July, and also to the skill of our conductor Andrew Lowen and our leader Floriane Peycelon. Both are fine musicians who push the members to give their best to the music but who make our rehearsals both enjoyable and fun.
The orchestra meets at the Folkestone School for Girls in Coolinge Lane on Monday evenings during school terms, from 7.30 to 9.30,
The orchestra is also a member of the National Federation of Music Societies.
Our income is derived from membership fees, concerts, benefactors and sponsors. We are non profit-making and for each of our three concerts we often work with a local charity to help to raise funds for them. In the last two or three years we have helped, amongst others, the Hospices in East Kent, the Alzheimer’s Society in Shepway, St John Ambulance, the Meningitis Trust and Demelza House.
John Bateson
Chairman of the Society