BEFORE the city had Kelvingrove or the King’s Theatre, it had Glasgow Orchestral Society.
In December 1870, a group of around 20 musicians set up what is now the oldest non-professional orchestra in Scotland.
It has survived two world wars and two pandemics (the Spanish Flu, which raged between 1918 and 1921, and Covid 19).
And it has finally celebrated its 150th anniversary with a series of concerts originally intended for its 2020-21 season.
The Glasgow Amateur Orchestral Society was founded at a meeting at 37 Sauchiehall Street, “for the study and practice of orchestral music” and “practisings” were originally held in The Halls at 285 Bath Street.
GOS - it later dropped the word 'amateur' - originally performed at 1 La Belle Place.
Designed by Charles Wilson and completed in 1857 as assembly rooms and a concert hall funded by local merchant, David Bell, it was converted to a Christian Scientist Church in 1948 when the original interiors were lost. Since the mid-1990s it has been the home of Om Hindu Mandir, a Hindu temple.
The society’s first concert took place in the Queen’s Rooms, conducted by HD Mehul, nephew of the French composer Etienne Mehul, on April 25, 1871.
Our sister newspaper, the then Glasgow Herald, was delighted the society now existed and reported the concert had been “thoroughly enjoyed”.
In 1885, the orchestra amalgamated with the Glasgow Southern Orchestral Society and women were admitted for the first time as full playing (and paying) members.
In 1901, the orchestra performed two concerts as part of the 1901 Glasgow International Exhibition’s official programme. The grand concert hall, part of an extravagant site at Kelvingrove which included a ‘switchback’ railway, water chute and gondola rides on the River Kelvin, was an elaborate affair.
The grand concert hall at the Glasgow International Exhibition in 1901 (Image: Glasgow City Archives)
The impact of the First World War meant the society did not plan any lavish celebration for its Golden Jubilee in 1920, but in 1930, the Lord Provost held a civic reception in tribute to its Diamond Jubilee.
Current Lord Provost Jacqueline McLaren repeated the honour, with a celebration last year to mark the 150th anniversary.
In October 1962, a fire in the orchestra’s permanent home at the St Andrew’s Halls destroyed the society’s extensive music library, most of its document archive, four double basses, one cell, one viola, a trombone and all of the percussion instruments, apart from the timpani….
The fire at St Andrew's Halls, October 1962 (Image: Newsquest)
In 2010 celebrated conductor Marco Romano came to Glasgow to conduct the orchestra.
Marco Romano conducts in Glasgow (Image: Newsquest)
In 2013, the society’s first playing tour abroad took the orchestra to Umbria in Italy, with concerts in Chiusi, Gubbio, and Perugia.
A special season in 2015-2016 celebrated 100 years of women being full members of the society, with female players, soloists and conductor.
In 2018, around 20 members took part in the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow to help raise funds for the 150th birthday season.
Members of the orchestra ran the Great Scottish Run in 2018 (Image: Newsquest)
Originally scheduled for November 2020, and postponed because of the pandemic, GOS’s 150th anniversary concert featured Beethoven's Symphony No 9 in the City Halls, conducted by Stephen Broad.
The orchestra, which comprised 87 players, was joined by the 100-strong City of Glasgow Chorus, and four young singers, all rising stars of the classical musical and operatic worlds.
Every Monday, the players rehearse in Maryhill Burgh Halls.
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Soprano Holly Brown, mezzo-soprano Laura Margaret Smith, baritone Arshak Kuzikyan and tenor Seamus Begg are all alumni of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. (Tenor Euros Campbell, who was originally due to take part, unfortunately could not perform because of illness.)
Conductor Stephen Broad said on the night: “Tonight we celebrate great music, but also the joy of making music together, which the society has been doing now for 152 years.
“You, the audience, are a crucial part of that music-making, we welcome you all, friends old and new.”
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