About:

Orchestra Officials

Trustees:

President & Vice Presidents:

About

Folkestone Symphony is the ‘playing name’ for the Folkestone & Hythe Orchestral Society, our official name for the orchestra, which has been established since 1961.

We have around 60 active playing members of all age groups, who are highly motivated and who enjoy making music together. Our membership takes in a wide catchment area all over South East Kent and we are a friendly group of musicians who meet up weekly to rehearse for the concerts in hand.

The orchestra is a registered charity and we’re supported by our current President: Lynn Woods, also a number of people who choose to become Friends and Patrons of the Orchestra. Our Vice-Presidents are persons to whom the orchestra wishes to express special thanks and appreciation.

We owe much of our continuing success to our enthusiastic members and also to the skills of both our conductor: Rupert Bond and our leader: Floriane Peycelon, who all work hard to give three main concerts a year in December, March & July, usually to very appreciative audiences. Rupert and Floriane are both very fine musicians who push the members to give their best to the music, but who make our rehearsals both constructive and enjoyable. We may also manage to give a Summer Prom concert and a family Christmas concert, which have been most successful.

The orchestra meets on Monday evenings in the Drama Hall at the Folkestone School for Girls in Coolinge Lane, Folkestone CT20 3RB, during school terms from 7.30 to 9.30.

We are affiliated to Making Music (formerly the National Federation of Music Societies).

Our income is derived from membership fees, concert takings, donations and sponsors. We are non-profit making and we are always looking for new Friends & Patrons who may be willing to offer their kind support.

Friends & patrons

The Orchestra is constantly reviewing its needs in order to control its running costs. It has become increasingly difficult for us to meet continuing rising operating costs and it is essential therefore, that we seek financial support, either from individuals or from businesses who would like to contribute, in return for certain benefits. Our aim is to enlist greater public support, so that we can sustain our current standard of playing and at the same time, continue to raise our profile within the local community.

Members subscriptions and ticket revenue alone is unfortunately insufficient to cover the cost of putting on concerts, unless of course we could manage to vastly increase the size of our current audience numbers! This situation doesn’t just apply to Folkestone Symphony – it appears to be commonplace with most orchestras.

An added benefit is that we are a Registered Charity, thereby being able to claim tax relief on all individual donations by way of Gift Aid and this may also have some beneficial incentive to a business making a ‘charitable donation’.

Friends & patrons