History of BHCO
The orchestra commenced rehearsals on Tuesday 28th October 1975. The first performance was at the BH Quartette Club's Jubilee Concert on 22 November 1975, under the baton of Hartley Harvy who was the orchestra's founder. The orchestra had 25 members for its first performance, and increased to 39 for the orchestra's First Birthday Concert a year later. The orchestra has continued with an annual program of concerts up to the present day.
The orchestra has had several principal conductors. After Hartley Harvey's retirement due to ill health, he was succeeded by Ken Lay, with subsequent conductors including Roly Lower and Nessie Osten. Ian Finlayson conducted the orchestra from 1991 until 1999. Mark Curtis conducted the orchestra from 2000 until 2005, and he is currently the orchestra's principal conductor once more. From 2006 until mid 2007 Margaret Chadwick conducted the orchestra, with her farewell performance taking place at Albert Hall in Tibooburra. Assistant conductors over the years have included Murray Baume, Jean Boyd, Chris Harvey, Leonie Mason, Robynne Sanderson, Ron Cotterill, Bob Keenan and Kristil-li Baldwin (junior orchestra).
Since 1977 the orchestra has been bringing some of Australia's best instrumentalists and tutors to the city on a regular basis for workshops funded largely by government grants. In 1987 the orchestra visited the Adelaide Conservatorium with members having specialised tuition and performing at Elder Hall. In September 1993 the orchestra visited Port Pirie for a band festival, and in June 1994 our orchestra played in a combined performance with St Peter's Lutheran College Band from Brisbane. In September 1997, and on several subsequent occasions, the Civic Orchestra has played in combined ensembles with visiting musicians under the baton of Mark Walton, who has conducted several very successful workshops in Broken Hill. In August 2007 BHCO performed at Albert Hall in Tibooburra.
25th Anniversary
Our 25th Anniversary concert and celebration was held on the weekend of 7th to 9th July 2000.
Past players returned from as far afield as Perth and Sydney for the occasion.
Some of the highlights of the concert on the Saturday night were the combined performance with past
members of the orchestra, and the huge birthday cake, with June Bennetts popping out of the cake to sing
"Happy Birthday" to the orchestra.
In true orchestra fashion, another important part of the evening was the supper which followed the concert.
On the Saturday morning some of the visitors and orchestra members visited the Living Desert sculpture site,
culminating in an impromptu musical performance amongst the sculptures on top of the hill.
The Sunday afternoon consisted of a jam session for past and present orchestra members.
First Newspaper Article about BHCO
Here is the text of an article which appeared in the Barrier Daily Truth on Sat 15 Nov 1975
NEW ORCHESTRA
Next Saturday at the Civic Centre another cog in the wheel of the city's cultural life will turn, with the
first performance of the newly formed BH Orchestra. The orchestra which will be conducted by Mr Hartley Harvy
and led by Mrs Melva Keelan on the violin, will play an overture at the BH Quartette Club's Jubilee Concert
on that night. The orchestra will consist of 23 to 25 local musicians.
Mr Harvy said yesterday that the formation of a BH Orchestra had been his ambition for some time "and with
the help of many people the orchestra has now been formed."
He said that a photo of the first BH orchestra, which was conducted by Mr A. Guidi, at present hangs in
the BIU Bandroom. Mr Guidi operated a paint and glass store in Argent Street between Bromide and Sulphide Streets
(in the building currently occupied by Parisian Dry Cleaners). Two of Mr Guidi's great granddaughters
Robynne (17) and Barbara (16) Sanderson will play in the new orchestra, Robynne on clarinet and Barbara on flute.
The girls' grandmother, Mrs Mabel Dulfer, who now lives in Geelong, was one of the city's top singers some years
back. Their mother, Mrs Sanderson, teaches music at the BH High School.
The music for the orchestra was made available to Mr Harvy by the director of the state Conservatorium of Music,
Mr Rex Hobcroft. The music came from the state's music library.
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