St Andrews and Fife Community Orchestra is back up and running

St Andrews and Fife Community Orchestra is returning to live rehearsals this month in the University Music Centre’s new Laidlaw building.
The community orchestra in full swing - image taken prior to lockdown and restrictions.The community orchestra in full swing - image taken prior to lockdown and restrictions.
The community orchestra in full swing - image taken prior to lockdown and restrictions.

The organisation is absolutely delighted that with restrictions having now eased across Scotland, it is once more able to do what it enjoys best.

The ensemble fulfills a special role in the local music scene as an un-auditioned orchestra, providing a place for players of all ages and levels to make music together.

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Some who join StAFCO haven’t picked up their instruments in 20 years; others simply enjoy the flexibility of StAFCO’s more relaxed schedule.

Town and Gown come together at StAFCO rehearsals.

Locals welcome student players warmly, forging otherwise-improbable relationships.

While the students invariably come and go, local members often return year after year, allowing the orchestra to grow musically, supported by its principal conductor Gillian Craig.

The orchestra enjoys a strong partnership with the University’s orchestra in residence, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra who coach, and collaborate with, StAFCO.

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Spring StAFCO concerts feature a soloist from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, providing a unique opportunity for members to make music with a world-class player.

The tie-in between the two ensembles is a strong bond; during the pandemic, many of StAFCO’s members joined the SCO online to play parts of Mussorgsky’s ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’.

Resources for this project can still be found on the SCO’s website: www.sco.org.uk/join-in/ensembles/pictures.

StAFCO looks forward to welcoming members old and new on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm in the McPherson Recital Room, a large, mechanically ventilated space, and members will be distanced at 1m for safety of all concerned.

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For this reason, numbers will be limited and early registration is therefore highly recommended.

If you are interested in joining, or simply have an enquiry as to how the orchestra operates please contact Charlotte Perkins at the University of St Andrews Music Centre.

You can email [email protected] or alternatively call her on: ( 01334) 462228

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