2026

Newport Philharmonic Choral Society & the Adams Choral Society,  May 16th 

Guy Harbottle - Conductor

Thank you so, so much for providing such an excellent orchestra on Saturday. Everyone was very indulgent with my interpretations and they all coped admirably with my no-doubt-less-than-conventional conducting style. Everyone in the band was very kind and obliging. I do hope they found it an enjoyable and worthwhile musical experience.

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Ross on Wye Choral Society May, 16th

Stephen  Power- Conductor

Antonia Cuthbert

We had an amazing evening last night! The percussionists were brilliant and we were delighted to have them with us.

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Cwmbran Baroque Singers, April 18th

Carol Williams - Conductor
A huge thank you to the orchestra for coming up trumps in the concert. I am grateful to all performers for coping so well with a variety of music from so many different periods. It brings the music to life for us and provides a real buzz for the choir. 
Needless to say, Helen (Miles) was thrilled with the trumpet player (Stuart  Paul) so special thanks to him. She’s back rehearsing Samson and Delilah with Royal Opera this week but thrilled to have been part of our special concert too. 

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Hereford Choral Society, March 14th 

Peter Dyke - conductor​

​Thank you so much for all you did to help make Saturday’s concert such a success. I thought the orchestra was tremendous, rising to the challenges of a big programme with huge aplomb and the singers have enjoyed themselves hugely, as did the audience. I am hugely grateful to you and your colleagues for the whole experience. Thank you also for fixing the replacement trombonist – please convey my thanks to him and all the players.

 

Ian Roper - Chairman​

I just wanted to pass on my thanks to you and colleagues after last night’s concert. The orchestra sounded excellent throughout and the Peer Gynt suite was a real treat!

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2025 

 

Orchestra De Cymru - Messiah - December 14th

Stephen Benavente - conductor

It was a pleasure conducting the orchestra  They were really on form and the balance of the whole ensemble was as good as it's ever been.

 

Member of the orchestra

“Just to let you know that as I was walking back to the car last night a group of concert goers were singing the praises of the orchestra saying how wonderful and unexpected it was to have an orchestra of that high standard playing in their local church. They were thrilled when I said I’d  pass on their comments to you.

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Hereford Choral Society, November 15th 

​Geraint Bowen - conductor​

I’d like to thank you for everything you’ve contributed to our choral society concerts over the years, especially more recently when you’ve taken over the fixing. It must have been especially stressful the weekend of the Verdi trying to replace players who were stranded by the weather and we were all very appreciative of the trouble that you went to. I will remember the orchestra’s wonderful playing in this and so many other concerts for a long time to come.

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Gwent Chorale, July 12th 

Martin Hodson​

On behalf of Gwent Chorale, I want to say a most sincere "Thank you" for providing us with an excellent ensemble for our performance of Handel's Messiah yesterday evening. It could hardly have been better!

It's a challenging work in so many ways, but all turned out well in the end, and much of that was due to your players working so well to support us, as indeed, they always do!

It was also good to welcome you back as a player, keeping watch over your brood!! 

Of course, the trumpet playing of your young soloist for "The trumpet shall sound" was exemplary, and really inspired our bass soloist to give of his best as a result! He and his partner together lifted those numbers where they were involved. 

Indeed, all were superb soloists in their own right! I hope you were happy with your lead cellist, especially with the recits! A job not to be taken for granted! All the strings made for a lovely ensemble with a splendid coordinated sound. Oboes and bassoon equally sparkling away, and the young timp player also making a mark.  

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Ross Choral Society, May 17th  Elijah

Antonia Cuthbert​

Please thank all your players for such an amazing performance on Saturday. We really enjoyed working with them. Please stress how much we all appreciated the musicians's playing, it's a tough work for all of us and despite a few glitches (none of the orchestra's making) we were delighted with how it went

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Cwmbran Baroque Singers, April 5th 

Carol Williams
I’d like to pass on my sincere thanks and appreciation to you and the wonderful team of musicians who played for us yesterday. The performance was very well received with a number of the audience and choir commenting on how fantastic the orchestra were. I was particularly grateful that the music kept moving onwards and, after just one rehearsal, the performers were able to sound at one with the choir. That is a testament to everyone’s skill and professionalism.
Huge thanks to you all.

 

2024

 

Gwent Chorale, July 13th

Martin Hodson​

“Thank you so much for providing a splendid orchestra for our concert.

The strings played beautifully for the Mozart, and I think it was lovely for the audience to see how an ensemble can work without a conductor. It made for an excellent start to the concert.

With the additional instruments in place, we really enjoyed their support for us singers in the Mass. The orchestral sound didn't overwhelm us, and there was some fine solo playing on the way through. It could hardly have been better. I hope they enjoyed working with us, and we look forward already to a similar ensemble for our Messiah next year. Please pass on our thanks and good wishes to them all”

 

Ross Choral Society, April 2024

Antonia Cuthbert

"We had a wonderful evening last night and the orchestra were fabulous. Please thank them very much for their efforts, they really were superb. I didn’t have a chance to see them afterwards as I was taking the staging down which is quite a complicated process. By the time I turned around everyone had gone! We enjoyed their company too so hopefully we can collaborate again."

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Cwmbran Baroque Singers April 2024

Carol Williams-conductor

“Wow and wow again! What a brilliant concert! I’m still buzzing after a great evening of music-making with you all. I realise it is probably the most varied and challenging programme we have done in a while (even compared to Walton!)………..

Special thanks too to the wonderful Orchestra de Cymru who create magic for us with their wonderful sounds and the flexibility of their musicianship (adding in parts written for different instruments, adding in parts to support tricky passages for us etc.). Most of all, we thank them for being lovely people to work with. We must continue to raise funds in whatever way we can to ensure possibilities of singing with an orchestra in this part of Wales can continue. (suggestions please!)”

 

Llandaf Cathedral March 2024

Simon Lovell Jones - conductor

Thank you for putting such a marvellous bunch of players together for us.   The concert was a triumph.   Mozart is so challenging to play well and the concerto was exquisite with Ariel duetting beautifully with your players.   Iain’s piece, being challenging in a very different kind of way, was also a triumph and, although I haven’t listened to it yet, I’m very much looking forward to hearing the recording of that.

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Hereford Cathedral March 2024

Mark `Ewins - Secretary​

“Thanks, both personally and on behalf of Hereford Choral Society, for the superb orchestra you put together for us. It was a glorious sound and played with such sensitivity. A good measure of that is proven by the conversation I had with Graham Bradley just before the rehearsal: I’d realised the impossibility for the percussionists to practise beforehand due to having to set out so much kit. He confirmed that they have to sight-read in the moment, so it is for that very reason that the accuracy and sensitivity of mood to the music showed the true measure of their musicianship. This is a specific example that simply illustrates what we experienced from the whole orchestra yesterday. Thank you!”