In date order
1890
While still a schoolboy John Cope, founding conductor of the NSSO, showed musical talents which attracted the attention of Madame Marie Reymond, a music teacher, living in Burslem. She assisted him to study the organ under Rheinberger, in Munich. Here is his photo from that time in Germany. (togther with a modern AI animation which shows him singing!)
1906
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| The Potteries Orchestral Society, 1906, with John Cope |
1930 May
In May 1930 Josiah Wedgwood and Sons Ltd., the pottery manufacturing company, celebrated its bi-centenary with a magnificent Historical Pageant in Hanley Park. The NSSO accompanied the event with John Cope conducting. An official film was made of the pageant and here is part of it. You can clearly see Cope conducting, baton in hand, and some of the orchestra players in the foreground.
""The Pageant attempts to portray vividly with all the help of colour, spectacle, drama and music, the scenes of the glorious Past to the Present generation… Visitors from far and near will all be kindled with admiration and praise for the proud Heritage of the Potteries."" (from the original programme notes).
Many thanks go to Ray Johnson MBE of the Staffordshire Film Archive for making the extract from the film available.
Film of the NSSO at the Wedgwood Pageant in May 1930
Courtesy Ray Johnson MBE and the Staffordshire Film Archive
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| Souvenir Programme |
1974
The orchestra plays in the Victoria Hall, Hanley Stoke-on-Trent, under their conductor, Alan Paynes.
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| All photos in this sequence courtesy Steve Boulton |
1993 November
Tunstall Town Hall - NSSO plays on 20 November 1993
1998 December
Long service awards presented at the last rehearsal before Christmas.
1999
The Woolliscrofts - Second cousins, Eric on Timpani and Terry on Trumpet
2000 June
The North Staffordshire Symphony Orchestra Millenium Concert
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| NSSO Millenium Concert 18 June 2000, Victoria Hall Hanley Bizet's Carmen at The Victoria Hall, Hanley, with guest choirs and Timothy Redmond conducting. more> |
2001
Swiss born Baldur Bronnimann conducted the North Staffordshire Symphony Orchestra for a number of concerts at the turn of the last century, between 1997 and 2001. Look where he is now! here>
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| North Staffordshire Symphony Orchestra 2001 - with guest conductor Baldur Bronnimann More about Baldur here> http://www.baldur.info/ |
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| North Staffordshire Symphony Orchestra 2004 - with conductor Peter Stallworthy |
2005
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| North Staffordshire Symphony Orchestra 2005 Centenary Concert Victoria Hall Hanley, and after show party |
2007 September
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| North Staffordshire Symphony Orchestra 2007 |
2013 June
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| NSSO Wolstanton High School with Juan Ortuno conducting Aaron Copland - Billy the Kid Ballet Suite 22 June 2013 |
2017 November
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| NSSO Peter Stallworthy, Conductor and Paul Sellers, Chairman 11 Nov 2017 Conductor of the NSSO for over 16 years. Leaving concert. Peter Stallworthy contributed significantly to the orchestra’s development. |
2017 December
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| NSSO and the BBC Radio Stoke Christmas Concert Kings hall, Stoke, December 2017 Image courtesy BBC Radio Stoke |
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| North Staffordshire Symphony Orchestra 2018 21 April 2018 Cooperative Academy Tunstall Conductor - Juan Ortuno Photo: Terry Woolliscroft Collection |
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| NSSO 17 November 2018 Cooperative Academy Tunstall Conductor Marco Bellasi, Piano Soloist Charlotte Dentan Image courtesy Ray Johnson MBE |
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| Piano Soloist Charlotte Dentan Image courtesy Ray Johnson MBE |
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| Piano Soloist Charlotte Dentan Image courtesy Ray Johnson MBE |
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| Piano Soloist Charlotte Dentan receives gift of pottery from NSSO presented by Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, Councillor Lillian Dodd and NSSO Chairman Paul Sellers Image courtesy Ray Johnson MBE |
NSSO 17 November 2018, Cooperative Academy Tunstall,
Conductor Marco Bellasi, Piano Soloist Charlotte Dentan,
Video courtesy Ray Johnson MBE
2022 January
22 January 2022 - at St. Thomas More Catholic Academy, Longton. Conductor Juan Ortuno, with Tuba Soloist, Ian Betteridge, playing "Pacific Concerto for Tuba" by Ian Rae (1946 - )
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| Ian Betteridge, Tuba Soloist "Pacific Concerto for Tuba" - Ian Rae |
Link to video of the Concerto here: