50 Years of Rutland Sinfonia
This month we celebrate half a century of Rutland Sinfonia as well as musical talent elsewhere in the county, beginning with a chat with Paul Hilliam, Musical Director of Rutland Sinfonia
Rutland Sinfonia can fill a large space… in every sense. With over 60 players performing in unison during a concert, the rich, stirring and precise sound is unmatched, especially when it swells around the naves of Oakham School Chapel and St Peter’s Church Oundle, with their thick stonework creating depth and resonance.
The physical size of the orchestra, too, is significant. Upwards of 200 square metres is required to accommodate the group. And that’s before the audience arrives, filling up row upon row of seats or pews, all keen to hear the orchestra performing their high-quality orchestral music.
Celebrating 50 years since its inception, Rutland Sinfonia was founded by Barry Collett, its Conductor Emeritus, who believed that despite its size, the county deserves to enjoy orchestral music performed to the highest standards. Today that ethos endures under the group’s current Musical Director Paul Hilliam.
“I studied in London before working with a number of orchestras in the Midlands, and joining Rutland Sinfonia in 2007,” says Paul. “Serving alongside our Associate Conductor David Calow, we lead the group in performances, but beyond that, the role of Musical Director involves organising the programmes, and having an influence on how the orchestra develops.”
“Right from the outset I felt it important to continue Barry’s original vision, because when he founded the orchestra it quickly attracted musicians not just from Rutland but from the surrounding area, gaining respect because players and the audiences were impressed by the variety of music and the quality of performance. It was a winning formula and ever since that point Rutland Sinfonia has set standards beyond those you’d expect from what I guess you’d call a provincial amateur orchestra.”
“Some of the players are teachers of music although many more are not, and we’ve always been keen to foster a diverse repertoire including some more adventurous or unusual pieces. A few years ago, for example, we performed a symphony written by Ruth Gipps, who was less well-known back then but has since become more prominent. For our 50th anniversary season we’ve a mix of more adventurous selections, but also some old favourites and crowd-pleasers too.”
“Our November performance in Oundle will feature some of the best-known and most iconic operatic music such as Puccini’s Nessun Dorma, Dvořák’s Song to the Moon and Mascagni’s Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana. Then next year when we return to Oakham School Chapel, we perform a concert of movie soundtracks with a rousing Star Wars finale.”
“Rutland Sinfonia is proud to nurture its own talent. In June next year alongside a performance of Elgar’s Enigma Variations, we will perform Fantasy, an orchestral piece written especially for the orchestra by Becky Taylor, one of our violinists who was also one of our Young Soloists several years ago.”
“The orchestra has also performed alongside some very established musicians including our patrons, one of whom is Robert Markham, who has performed with the LSO, BBC Philharmonic and the London Mozart Players and is currently Senior Tutor in Piano at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. We’re equally proud to have had Eduardo Vassallo as our first Musical Patron from our 35th anniversary. Eduardo is Principal Cellist of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and will join us for Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in June 2026.”
“You have to keep a musical programme interesting and try to maintain a balance. Audiences enjoy well-known pieces but they also enjoy being introduced to less familiar repertoire. If you don’t introduce anything beyond more mainstream choices you limit yourself. We tend to select music a year in advance because quite aside from the time and attention that you want to invest in programming, there’s the need to book musicians to secure their availability and then to schedule typically three rehearsals before a performance.”
“It’s important to be familiar with a piece of music from a technical perspective but there’s rather more going on when an orchestra performs together. Forget the physical side of things for a second; I think the whole experience boils down to psychology.”
“There’s an intuitive togetherness and a desire not just to play the notes but to actually perform – those are two very different things.”
“As a conductor you’re leading the orchestra but facilitating trust in your players too, giving them license, space and freedom to work together and allowing everyone to express their intuitive understanding of a piece of music. Really it’s about encouraging individuality along with corporate responsibility in the performance.”
“It’s not just a case of working together during a performance either,” says Paul. “We’re very lucky indeed to have a committee and our friends and supporters who have any number of careers and busy lives but still find the time to organise our season and arrange things like rehearsal venues.”
“We’re a big group with some equally large instruments, sometimes including grand piano and harps, so to be able to find a venue with the space and the acoustics we need to practice and to organise everything behind the scenes is no mean feat. We’re very lucky and grateful to all concerned.”
“I feel really humble and really excited at the same time to be able to lead an orchestra so committed to quality and to participating in performances that our audiences love.”
“We want to make this year particularly special of course, but every performance together is the result of lots of talent, lots of hard work and lots of very special people working together on something they enjoy very much.”
Rutland Sinfonia
Saturday 4th October: Grieg Piano Concerto
Featuring Musical Patron Robert Markham playing Grieg’s Piano Concerto (top 30 Classic FM Hall of Fame 2025), and Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. Schubert’s Overture Rosamunde completes the programme for the opening concert of Rutland Sinfonia’s 50th Anniversary season. Oakham School Chapel, 7.30pm, £16/adult; £5/student.
Saturday 22nd November: A Night at the Opera
Featuring soprano Jenny Saunders and tenor David Morris. A journey of well known operatic music. e.g.: Puccini, Finale Act 1, La Boheme; Bizet’s Overture to Carmen; Puccini’s Nessun Dorma; Mascagni’s Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana. St Peter’s Church, Oundle, 7.30pm, £16/adult; £5/student.
Saturday 14th March 2026: The Sound of Hollywood
A concert of movie soundtracks from Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, War Horse, Wicked, Beauty and the Beast, Pirates of the Caribbean and more, with a Star Wars Finale. Oakham School Chapel, 7.30pm, £16/adult; £5/student.
Saturday 6th June 2026: Elgar Enigma VariationsFeaturing Musical Patron, Eduardo Vassallo, Principal cellist of City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra playing Dvořák’s Cello Concerto and a performance of Becky Taylor’s Fantasy. The season concludes with Elgar’s Enigma Variations. St Peter’s Church, Oundle, 7.30pm, £16/adult; £5/student.
See www.rutlandsinfonia.org.uk
Rutland & Stamford’s Choirs & Bands
Rutland Choral Society
Rutland Choral Society has been part of the county’s music scene since 1971, and is now led by Musical Director Jamie Conway and Accompanist Ivan Linford. Presenting a repertoire that spans liturgical, popular classics and arrangements of folk melodies, the Society is open to all without audition, rehearsing on Monday evenings at the Rutland Showground Pavilion in Oakham. The Society usually holds three concerts a year including its Christmas Concert at All Saints’ Church in Oakham on Saturday 6th December, from 7.30pm. Call 07515 426149 or see www.rutlandchoralsociety.org.uk.
Stamford Choral SocietyOne of the region’s largest and longest-standing choirs, dating back to 1869 and with a membership of 110, Stamford Choral Society performs under the baton of musical director Jeremy Jepson. Meeting on Tuesday evenings (term time) at Stamford Methodist Church. See website for forthcoming performances. Call 07990841122 or see www.stamfordchoral.co.uk.
Oakham Choral Society
The community choir for Rutland, performs a range of choral works accompanied by professional musicians and soloists of exceptional calibre. Rehearsals are held each Tuesday during term time in Oakham School Chapel. The choir presents three main concerts, typically in November, March and June, providing members with regular performance opportunities in a friendly, community-centred environment. Call 01572 758 820 or see www.ocs.oakham.rutland.sch.uk.
Uppingham Choral society
Uppingham Choral Society is a well established organisation in the local community and welcomes anyone who enjoys singing. No experience is required… just enthusiasm to learn. Our autumn term rehearsals start in September at Uppingham Methodist Church, 7.30pm. Our Musical Director, David Revels (Head of Singing and Choral Director at Uppingham School), together with our accomplished accompanist Andrew Forbes, guide us to a high standard of music-making. This year’s Come and Sing event will take place at St James’ Church, Gretton, on Saturday 27th September. Our Christmas Concert follows on Saturday 13th December, 7.30pm at Uppingham Parish Church, featuring Vivaldi’s Gloria, and wonderful festive music. For details, please contact Hui-yen Bloodworth at [email protected] or visit www.uppinghamchoralsociety.uk.
Cottesmore Military WivesPart of the wider Military Wives Choir network, which comprises 75 groups, and 1,800 members, Cottesmore’s choir was established in 2014 and is a supportive and vibrant group with 30 members. Rehearsals are at St Mary’s Church, Kendrew Barracks, on Tuesday evenings from 7-9pm. The group will perform with other Military Wives’ Choirs at Stamford Corn Exchange on Sunday 5th October from 7.30pm, for tickets see www.stamfordcornexchange.co.uk. Call 07751 440820 or email [email protected].
Lucy’s Pop Choir
For those who prefer contemporary harmonies – from Justin Timberlake to Diana Ross – to classical scores, Lucy’s Pop Choir offers a joyful singing experience. Happy, vibrant and fun, Lucy’s Pop Choir was founded by Lucy McLean with local choir leaders Emily Hughes and Cat McEwan. The choir now comprises 16 groups and more than local 120 members across the UK including Peterborough and Stamford. Rehearsals held on various weekdays at Marholm Village Hall; Loxley Community Centre; Stamford’s United Reform Church and at Austin Hall in Yaxley. Free taster sessions, look out for the choirs at Stamford and Peterborough’s Christmas Market and Lights Switch-On. Call 07590 268750 or see www.lucyspopchoir.co.uk.
Ketton Community Choir
Founded in 2012, Ketton Community Choir rehearsals in the village’s Congregational Hall on Tuesday evenings from September to July. Everyone welcome, no auditions and no need to be able to read music.07852 100982 or find the choir on Facebook.
Rutland Youth ChoirsRutland Youth Choirs meet weekly on Thursday afternoons at All Saints’ Church in Oakham, offering three choirs for singers aged 5-18 (Young Voices, Junior Choir, Senior Choir). Rehearsals are fun and varied, with a wide variety of songs and performance opportunities. There is no audition, and full bursaries are available. See www.rutlandyouthchoirs.co.uk.
Rutland Big Band
Formed in 2005, Rutland Big Band brings the golden age of swing to life with style and energy, performing Rat Pack standards, Bond themes and dance-floor favourites. A mix of professional musicians and talented local players, the band appears at festivals, vintage events and private celebrations, and its concerts are always crowd-pleasers. Next gigs are on Monday 22nd September in Glaston and 6th October in King’s Cliffe.See www.rutlandbigband.org.uk.
Rutland Concert Band
This community wind band was founded in May 2008 and has grown to include around sixty members, ranging from school-age musicians to retirees. Everyone helps and learns from each other. The main aims for the band are to have fun playing and to socialise. Meeting on Tuesday evenings at the Rutland Showground Pavilion in Oakham, they present an entertaining mix of marches, overtures and film scores, performing at summer fetes, Christmas events and formal concerts. See www.rutlandconcertband.org.
The D’Ukes of Rutland
Proof that music needn’t take itself too seriously, Oakham Ukulele Club is a lively, inclusive gathering that meets twice a week – Monday evenings at The Ovation Bar in Oakham and Thursday afternoons at the Cricket Club on Brooke Road. No prior experience is required, loan instruments are available, and the repertoire ranges from vintage tunes to pop favourites. Their performances bring an irresistible cheer to local events and fundraisers. Call 07919 520254 or see www.oakhamukuleleclub.weebly.com.
See the full feature in this month’s Rutland Pride at https://www.pridemagazines.co.uk/rutland/view-magazines?magazine=October-2025