The Beginnings of the PVO.
Although there appears to be some doubt as to the precise date when the idea for an orchestra for the area was first envisaged, there is no doubt that the driving force behind the beginnings of the PVO was a doctor holding surgeries in Pulham Market in the early 1980's. Dr Pat Rawlence with his wife Jocelyn were also singers in a choir meeting at the Keswick College of Education. Click here, to see how Margery Baker remembers those events.
In an article written for the 18th Birthday celebrations, John Herschel-Schorland moves the story on further:
"So it was that a meeting at the Brewhouse on the 29th March 1983
14 people came together, including such stalwarts
as Gordon Dymock, Phyllis Ride, Oswald Senior, Mary Perry, Margery
Pursehouse, Wendy Nicholls and Gill Ellis, plus of course Margery,
Jocelyn and Pat. The results were far from perfect, but Margery's
perseverence then resulted in further meetings at the Village Hall.
The ten piece chamber group, originally called SNOBO (South Norfolk
Oddbods Orchestra), then became the PVO and has continued on a
regular basis, under the directorship of Margery, growing in number
and combination of instruments. The orchestra since then has played
regularly under the guidance of a properly constituted committee at
concerts throughout the Counties of Norfolk and Suffolk."
Our early concerts ...
1983 saw both the first concert of the fledgling orchestra and a very ambitious "Messiah from Scratch" Concert which was the first such attempt at this genre in the East Anglian Region!
The orchestra has since performed an average of three or four concerts a year, in over thirty different venues and has performed the works of over seventy different composers.
New developments...
Then in 1987 came the first newsletter organised and edited by Valerie Glauert, a Headteacher of one of the large Comprehensive Schools in Norwich, now retired.
The orchestra hosted its first 'Workshop' in 1986 - an innovative idea for a small orchestra at the time and still unusual today. This has since become a biennial event and our twelfth such event will be held again next year. Further details of that are elsewhere.
More innovation on these lines came in 1993 with a Chamber Music Day when the orchestra broke up into groups and performed in separate venues aided by tutors.
Fringe evenings appear to have been started in 2001 ( HELP! not at all sure on this one! - Does anyone know? AC )
Working with others...
One important influence and valued support in this period was that of the renowned composer Bernard Barrell. First contact was made in 1988 when the PVO gave a concert in Laxfield All Saints Church on September 3rd. This relationship lasted until his death in January, 2005 and indeed, possibly his last major work "From the Waveney Valley" was specifically written for the PVO.
Our first collaboration with the
Norwich Singers was in 1989 with a concert in St Peter Mancroft in
Norwich. In 1997 we teamed up with Wymondham Youth orchestra which
resulted in a concert in Pulham Market Church when both orchestras
played in aid of the restoration of Sewell Barn Theatre Norwich.
The PVO has strong links with education, so it is no surprise that it likes to involve itself in music making with children. A number of events have been organised but perhaps the most noticeable was in October 2003 when it hosted a Concert at Pulham Market Church, performing "proper music" with children's choirs from both Winfarthing Primary School and Pulham Primary School which was a resounding success.
One of our successful collaborations...
In 2004 we participated in Making Music's 'Composer in Residence' scheme when Tom Armstrong composed the music "Bounce", written especially for both the PVO and Wymondham Youth Orchestras. After many rehearsals in a number of different venues (including three in the final week) this music - as well as an extract from Stravinsky's Firebird - was performed in Wymondham Abbey and again in the Celebration of Music Makers in the Eastern Region event at Hatfield University.
In 2006 The Pulham Orchestra was heavily involved in a number of events in a residency by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. This period was noted for its various concerts and a Family Music Day in May. The end of this collaboration was marked in July with a joint concert in Beccles involving local schools, the PVO and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.
Looking to the future...
By the beginning of 2007 The Pulham Orchestra had been granted the status of a registered Charity which opened up another exciting stage in its development.
This website was started in 2007 as a way of recording the development of this unique orchestra and of bringing its skills, innovations and values to a wider audience.
|
Of interest? |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We are grateful to our Friends and Patrons for their
support.
|
Commercial Patron: Mondi Packaging (GB) Ltd Contact details |
|
Individual Patrons: Richard Bacon MP, Lord MacGregor of Pulham Market OBE, Sir Denys Roberts, Joy Wolton. |
