Ripon’s remarkable St Cecilia Orchestra began life as a small local ensemble, formed to accompany the Cathedral Choir at their annual St Cecilia’s Day Concert.

It has since developed into a community orchestra par excellence, drawing on players from all walks of life and providing opportunities for professional and amateur musicians, teachers, students and talented schoolchildren to make music of supreme quality.

"That a rural community can provide a capacity audience is praiseworthy, that it can also provide most of an orchestra of this size and quality is little short of miraculous."

Donald Webster in the Yorkshire Post

Since 1993, the orchestra has performed 313 different works by 97 composers at 183 Evening Concerts, including 47 St Cecilia own promotions, 8 St Cecilia's Day Concerts, 8 Christmas "Spectaculars", 112 Mowbray Orchestra performances, 10 "Specials" and 15 Cathedral services. Repertoire is wide and varied, ranging from chamber works of Bach and Handel to exciting large-scale works such as Janacek’s Sinfonietta, Holst’s Planet Suite, Richard Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben, Mahler’s Symphony No 1, Elgar's Symphony No 1, Rachmaninov's Symphony No 2, and Shostakovich’s Symphony No 5.

Most of the major concerts take place in Ripon Cathedral and the orchestra cherishes its special relationship with the Cathedral, regularly performing for services as well as for the St Cecilia’s Day Concerts.

"An evening that would have done justice to the largest City concert hall …Ripon is indeed fortunate to have a ‘resident orchestra’ of such calibre."

A highlight of recent years has been the immensely successful, annual “Christmas Spectacular” concert in Ripon Cathedral. Having produced this event for 8 years and developed it into one of Ripon’s most popular community events, St Cecilia Orchestra took a break from it in 2006 because Xen & Jane were on holiday in New Zealand. We are waiting to see if and when the Ripon City Festival (promoters of the event) will invite us to participate in the future.

Audiences, and many of the players too, are frequently amazed at the orchestra’s high standard of performance. Its conductor Xenophon Kelsey, and all who support him, are keen to maintain the orchestra’s power to enrich the life of the community.

"…orchestral music making among the highest calibre achievements in the country."

The orchestra is maintained and promoted by the Ripon St Cecilia Society, a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. Its voluntary board of directors consists of local musicians, business people and others. Would you like to help?

For its income the orchestra depends heavily on grants, sponsors and patrons. Are you, or perhaps your organisation, able to offer this kind of valuable help? Above all, the orchestra depends on those who buy tickets!

"…a performance whose overall standard was beyond most non-professional British Orchestras."