In 1975, Colin Touchin began tutoring at the Stockport Recorder College, which had been set up by Dennis Bamforth (Colin’s music and recorder teacher at William Hulme’s Grammar School in Manchester) and Colin Martin. There he founded the first regularly rehearsing Recorder Orchestra in the world, comprising advanced students, eventually numbering almost 40 Grade 8+ players of ages 15 –18, who gave many concerts, including a 90-minute programme on a 4-concert South Manchester tour.
Orchestras in London and Manchester soon followed but it was November 1992 before the orchestra for the midlands, HERO, first met at Centre 13, Moseley, Birmingham. Thirty five people attended from as far afield as Basingstoke, Sheffield, Oxford and Worcester. The meeting was conducted by Paul Clark who had agreed to become the orchestra’s permanent conductor. He selected a challenging programme consisting of Werther’s Aria from Act Two of “Werther” by Jules Massenet, Suite in Three Movements by Douglas K. Mews, the Overture Russlan and Ludmila by Glinka, The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (from Handel’s “Solomon”) arranged by Paul, and Colin Touchin’s Showpiece for Recorder Orchestra.
As a result of a questionnaire it was decided that the Orchestra would meet on the fourth Sunday of each month (except August) from 2 – 5pm at the Arts Centre, University of Warwick.
It was agreed that the object of the Orchestra was “to challenge, stimulate and provide a scene of action for eager high-level players, by exploring the Recorder Orchestra repertoire with a view to public presentation”. The Recorder Orchestra should seek to provide a higher level of playing than the average SRP (Society of Recorder Players) group and also seek to explore the sonorities and textures available from a large group of like instruments, in which it resembles, to some extent, the brass band or string orchestra.
The Orchestra gave its first concert on Saturday 22nd May 1993 with the All Saints Chamber Choir at All Saints Church, Stretton on Dunsmore near Rugby. Since then the Orchestra has performed regularly in concerts often combining with different choirs and younger recorder players throughout the Midlands. In the summer of 1994 members of the Birmingham Schools Recorder Sinfonia joined the Orchestra to make a recording of ‘The Winds of Change’ by Michael Short, which was later used in a documentary programme on windmills, filmed in Norfolk.
The Orchestra organised the first of many Combined Orchestra Playing Days on Sunday 24th September 1995. Members of the Manchester and London Recorder Orchestras travelled to Coventry to attend and the three conductors (Paul Clark, Dennis Bamforth and Denis Bloodworth) shared the conducting.
Paul Clark conducted the Orchestra until June 1999 (almost 7 years) when Colin Touchin – who was then the Director of Music at Warwick University - took over. Colin had been very supportive of the Orchestra from its inauguration, allowing the Orchestra to use the Ensemble Room at the University for rehearsals. In December 2002 Terry Gill (SRP conductor) travelled from Nottingham each month to conduct the Orchestra and in September 2005 former member Grace Barton took over from him. The Orchestra rehearsed at Westwood Heath Church for a few months before moving to its present rehearsal venue – St James Church, Styvechale, Coventry. Unfortunately due to increased teaching commitments and the distance from the Wirral, Grace had to resign before her agreed period of time. Caroline Jones very kindly and enthusiastically agreed to conduct the Orchestra for the remaining 6 months before Colin Touchin returned in September 2007.
In December 2007 HERO gave the world premiere of Raymond Head’s Recollections of Sun and Water, dedicated to Colin Touchin, at Bromsgrove.
Rehearsals have been extended by half an hour (2 – 5.30pm) and are now usually held on the second Sunday of the month (subject to Colin’s availability). The Orchestra plays a wide range of music which varies in period and style, with arrangements of well-known music as well as compositions specifically for Recorder Orchestra.
July 2008