Dunblane Chamber Orchestra

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Dunblane Chamber Orchestra gave its first concert in June 2008 in Dunblane Cathedral Hall. Although this concert was for string orchestra only, at the second concert, in November 2008, the woodwind section - flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns - was added, to make up a full chamber orchestra. Trumpets and timpani also generally join us for the pieces we choose to perform.

The orchestra has a different soloist at every concert, sometimes from within the orchestra itself, but more often an invited performer. We have had two concerts performed in collaboration with the Strathcarron Singers , and several concerts featuring double concertos.

The usual venue for the DCO is the Victoria Hall, but Dunblane High School has proved invaluable when staging is required for the choir, and the Queen Victoria School Chapel has also often been our venue, in particular when we need a good piano. Only once have we performed in Dunblane Cathedral, and that was when we played the Poulenc Organ Concerto with the Cathedral organist, Kevin Duggan.

We have had three different conductors over the years - Alistair Warwick, Mark Wilson, and then until very recently, Robert Baxter - all of whom have contributed their unique talent to mould the orchestra into its present form. In the last two concerts, we have welcomed Steve King as our conductor. We have also had various leaders - Hilary Dalby, Lois Stewart and for at least a decade, Carolyn Sparey - who take a considerable responsibility for guiding the players.

Since 2015, our concerts have supported various charities, most regularly Strathcarron Hospice, although we have also donated to Help for Heroes,  Direct Link, and the Uphill Trust, as well as Syrian and Ukranian refugees, among others.

Funding for our concerts comes from ticket money, player subscriptions, and occasional sponsorship.

We have recently involved the community more directly, in our extremely successful Community Play Days (2019, 2022 and 2023), at which the adult applicants are given the opportunity to play in an orchestra with help and guidance from members of the DCO. We are grateful to the Co-op for their generous funding for this exciting venture.

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