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Calendar produced to celebrate Spa Orchestra centenary
A calendar has been
produced by the team at Scarborough Spa to celebrate the centenary
of the UK’s last remaining resident summer season orchestra.
The Scarborough Spa Orchestra was formed in
1912 and has continued to enthral audiences with its blend of
waltzes and marches along with film and television themes.
The new calendar – which is on sale from
the Spa Box Office on 01723 357869 – brings together a collection
of images of the Spa Orchestra and its audiences from down the
years.
Scarborough Spa sales and marketing officer
Stewart Ward said: “We have been working with a range of sources
including the Scarborough Evening News, Scarborough Library and Spa
Orchestra patrons to build up a library of images, some of which
are featured in the calendar.
“We are very grateful for their
co-operation and support and hope the calendar is the first of many
tributes to the Spa Orchestra as it goes into its centenary
year.”
The Spa Orchestra was created in 1912 by
Alick Maclean. This first ensemble of 35 professional musicians
gave daily concerts in the Grand Hall and Sun Court.
Concert programmes included music from the
classical repertoire, Viennese waltzes, operettas, and popular
songs of the day. This unique musical tradition has been continued
by musical directors since Maclean, including the great Max Jaffa
between 1960 and 1986.
Every week during the summer season, the
Spa Orchestra plays no fewer than nine concerts – mornings from
Sunday to Thursday, and Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday evenings.
Every programme is different and the
orchestra’s repertoire is so vast that pieces are rarely repeated
within five weeks.
Weather permitting, morning concerts are
held in the idyllic setting of the Sun Court Enclosure, with the
sea as the backdrop, and music on the lighter, brighter side.
Evening performances are presented in the
concert hall, with guest vocalists and specially themed gala
concerts on Thursday evenings.
Summer audiences travel from all over the
UK (and even from Germany and the USA) just to experience this
unique professional orchestra.
The Scarborough Spa Orchestra has made
frequent radio and television appearances and plans are already in
hand for some very special events to celebrate the orchestra’s
centenary year in 2012.
If you want to see the appeal for yourself,
the Spa Orchestra is performing a Viennese concert on New Year’s
Day, with next season’s regular performances beginning on Sunday 3
June. The season will come to an end on Thursday 13 September.
Season Tickets are now on sale can be purchased from the Spa box
office.