NEXT month sees the centenary concert of York Symphony Orchestra, one of the oldest musicaLinstitutions in the city. Its 75 members will be performing at the University of York’s Central Hall just over 100 years after the orchestra gave its first concert in April 1899, conducted by its founder Tertius Noble.A definitive history of the orchestra, Mr Noble s Band, was written 11 years ago by bassoonist Tony Fox and violinist Brian Hibbins and the duo are now working on an extra section to bring their book up to date to mark the centenary year.
Brian, who has been a member for 23 years, said they had been lucky when researching their book that so much material had been kept over the years. One former member Doris Witts kept programmes from every concert for the 60 years that she played with the orchestra.

Old programmes, photographs and Evening Press reviews had helped them put together a picture of a dedicated band of musicians who stuck together through two world wars, changing fashions and increasing competition, to give today orchestra a future to look forward to.
The early days of the orchestra were dominated by the figure of founder Tertius Noble, who was also Minster organist at the time. An accomplished musician, he was appointed organist in 1897, beating 78 other applicants to the job.
His right hand woman was violin teacher Editha Knocker, the orchestra’s first leader, who was apparently also expert at fly-fishing and fencing and once jumped fully clothed into the Ouse to save a boy from drowning.
Yorkshire Herald reviews and programmes show that the orchestra, which started out with 50 members, gradually moved from more simple pieces of music to more ambitious works.
They also reveal early controversies. In 1902 the orchestra was allowed to

give a concert in the Great Hall of the Exhibition buildings, behind the art gallery, as long as they offered 1,000 seats for a penny each to the “working classes”.
Tony and Brian found that this move caused some comment when hardly any of the more expensive seats were occupied and some observers suspected that the more wealthy citizens were taking advantage of the bargain tickets.
Mr Noble conducted his last concert with the orchestra in 1913, at the Great Hall of the Exhibition, before leaving to take up a job in New York.
There then followed a period of change as different conductors took over for short periods.
Concerts were difficult to hold during the two world wars, when all the halls were requisitioned by the Army and the orchestra went through a period of uncertainty.
A long stretch of stability started in 1947 when another Minster organist, Francis Jackson, became conductor.
He stayed on for 33 years and for much of that time the leader was

Geoffrey Stephens and his wife Grace was secretary. Frederic Waine was assistant conductor for 22 years.
It was during this tim~that the orchestra established a pattern of giving two concerts a year, securing regular audiences and some prominent soloists.
These included a young cellist Julian Lloyd Webber in 1973, pianist Denis Matthews in 1968 and Frederick Grinke in 1961.
Dr Jackson was popular with orchestra members and after retiring in 1980 continued to keep in touch, becoming the orchestra’s president and sometimes joining them as a player — on one occasion he performed in the Saint Saens Organ Symphony.
The past 20 years have seen several conductors at the helm of the orchestra before its current conductor, Leslie Bresnen, took over in 1995.
First came Martin Hotton, music teacher at St Olave’s School, who introduced a series of successful summer Strauss concerts in the 1980s.

Violinist Claire Jowett, a teacher and freelance musician, has been leader for nine years.
Brian said: “During the last 20 years, proliferation of other orchestras and amateur societies has increased, but the orchestra has risen to the challenge.”
Programmes over the past few years have included challenging works like symphonies by Rachmaninov and Sibelius.
“I think the well-known classics or music by well-known composers are always popular with audiences,” said Brian.
“And the orchestra has always made a point of using local soloists where possible.”
He said the most successful concert ever had been back in 1991 when panto star Berwick Kaler joined forces with the orchestra to perform Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf.
The final concert of the centenary season at the University of York’s Central Hall on June 26 will feature music by Bizet, Brahms, Rossini, Walton and Wagner.

Then came three conductors all connected with the University of York. First John Godfrey a composer and post-graduate student, then Paul Mann, another post-graduate student.
Paul Mann went on to win a year as assistant conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra in the Donatella Flick conducting competition and has also conducted concerts in Kuala Lumpur and New York.
Eno Koco, who came to York from Albania to study music, came next.
Leaders during this period included Hazel Henderson and Catherine Van de Weyer, who died last year.
The current conductor Leslie Bresnen is a well-known figure in local amateur music, having taught at Queen Anne School for 23 years and been principal musical director of York Opera for 20 years.

Past conductors and players as well as civic dignitaries have been invited and the orchestra will be joined by York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir.
With planning now underway for the orchestra’s Millennium season, Brian said the orchestra was now confident of its future.
It had a good cross section of players, of all ages, and from many different backgrounds and regular social events on its diary.
“Membership has never been greater and morale is high,” he said.

Copies of Mr Noble’s Band will be on sale at the concert on June 26.