As Rutland Sinfonia is busy with their 50th anniversary season, let's take a look back at the Sinfonia's history.

Rutland Sinfonia's first concert was in January 1976, being formed in 1975 by Barry Collett, including players from Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire, as well as across Rutland.

The Sinfonia quickly built an excellent local reputation, known for the great quality of their performance and their broad repertoire of music.

During this time, Rutland Sinfonia performed at prestigious events, including two concerts at the Malvern Festival and a special Elgar Birthday Concert in Worcester Cathedral.

Founder Barry Collett was a Elgar scholar, being awarded a gold medal by the Elgar Society and, under Barry, the Sinfonia performed the entire orchestral collection of Elgar's music, including many of his earlier pieces that were thought to be lost.

Although being an 'amateur orchestra', their performances were far from amateur. The Sinfonia became the first non-professional orchestra to make their own professional CDs, which were sold and broadcast around the world.

After 27 years of being led by Barry Collett, he was succeeded as Musical Director by Graham Steven, who did the role for one season before passing the reins to Peter Wadl.

In 2008, Paul Hilliam was appointed Musical Director.

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The Sinfonia flourished under Paul's leadership, going from strength to strength both locally and further afield.

They launched a concert series showcasing the talent of local young musicians, giving them the opportunities to perform as soloists.

More recently, Rutland Sinfonia has presented many sell-out performances, including a series of concerts featuring songs from stage and screen, bringing audiences entranced by their take on familiar favourites.

The Sinfonia has also given a lot back, raising thousands of pounds for local and national causes, including LOROS, Batten Disease Family Association, SHINE, The Royal British Legion and the Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance.

Now, the Sinfonia is celebrating their 50th Anniversary season, with a series of shows in Rutland and the surrounding area.

Their show The Sound of Hollywood is already sold out but they still have several shows in the series with available tickets.

On Saturday 6 June, they will be performing Elgar: Enigma Variations at St. Peter's Church in Oundle.

This is followed by the end of season show on Friday 24 July with an ensemble of string platers showcasing a rich variety of music at All Saints Church in Oakham.

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Tickets are available online or in Oakham Wines and the Oundle Bookshop.

To find out more about the Sinfonia's rich and fascinating history, click here.