If you are a talented and experienced local instrumentalist looking to make music at the highest possible level, EAChO is the band for you! We have a lot of fun in EAChO and are a very friendly, welcoming bunch of musicians. But we also take our music-making seriously. We currently give between 6 and 10 concerts per year, with 3-4 rehearsals, generally on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, before concert day. We don’t expect our members – many of whom do not make their living from music – to be able to manage every one of our concerts, but clearly membership is a considerable commitment: we expect those playing in a concert to come to all rehearsals, so that the rehearsal process can be as productive and enjoyable as possible. If you are interested in joining us, please email tickets@eacho.org.uk giving some brief information about your previous music-making, and we will get back to you if we think we may have a spot for you either now or in the future.
- Rose Hilder (oboe)
“I have lots of happy memories of playing in EAChO, especially with [principal oboe] Janet, as I think we make a good team. There is a tremendous feeling of support within the wind section and we play sensitively together. Highlights for me have been playing with Stephen Cleobury conducting. It is a privilege to play for a musician of his quality and experience who always brings something new to a piece you may have played many times before. It has been exciting to play under Jacques Cohen too – for his vitality, energy, and high expectations. We are so lucky to have West Road Concert Hall as a regular venue, as there is always a feeling of occasion when you step on to the stage. King’s College Chapel is pretty good too!”
“It is a privilege for me to be part of EAChO – inspiring conductors and some stunning soloists. Julian [principal double bass] is a hard task-master with the basses but that definitely makes playing with the orchestra more satisfying – I learn a lot. EAChO is also the only orchestra I play in where the strings can achieve a genuine pianissimo. The effect can be magical.”
- Kate Merrington (double bass)
“Working outside music in my day job I hugely value the opportunity afforded by EAChO to play demanding repertoire with people who really pull together to make the best possible performance they can under inspirational conductors. Rehearsal time is limited, which helps us keep focused, and it’s always rewarding to witness how the high quality concert performance emerges from the few sessions we have beforehand. Particular highlights for me include the first performance we gave of Mozart’s ‘Sinfonia Concertante’ with Andrew Watkinson and Garfield Jackson in Ely Cathedral. The second movement was out of this world – real chamber music in action – and what a privilege to share it with a pair who’ve played together so much! If anyone ever needed a definition of chamber music that was it, but don’t ask me to describe it in words!”
- Anna Jones (cello)
“It’s the players that make EAChO such a great orchestra to play with. We’re a friendly bunch, and because we perform together so often and with relatively few changes of personnel, we really learn to play cohesively as a group. There’s a commitment throughout the orchestra to high quality music making: everyone prepares well, which means that rehearsal time is all used for working on ensemble playing and musical interpretation.”
- Paul Ryder (horn)
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