City of Carlisle Orchestra

24/03/2026

Next stop, Dvorak! Totally biased, being a cellist myself, but this concerto is one of the best ever written for any instrument IMHO.

10/03/2026

City of Carlisle Orchestra highlights local talent once again

At its first concert of 2026, the city’s orchestra will once again be showcasing a young, local composer. The concert, on Saturday 21st March, at St John’s Church, London Road, is the second consecutive concert to feature a composition written by a talented, teenage musician from the county.

Eighteen-year-old Tamsin Crook is a trumpet player and composer from Penrith. She has played with a number of groups including the Hallé Youth Orchestra, the National Youth Concert Band, and the City of Carlisle Orchestra, as well as local choirs.

Tamsin began composing during her studies for GCSE Music and quickly realised how much she enjoyed it. She says: “The passion grew when I was selected for the ORA Singers Young Composers Scheme, where my piece was performed at Worcester Cathedral as part of the Three Choirs Festival.
“More recently, I have written pieces for the International Festival of Brass Bands and Cumbria Opera Group. I am excited to keep developing my voice as a composer.”
Tamsin’s composition ‘Postcards from Cumbria’ is a series of musical snapshots inspired by everyday life and the changing seasons in Cumbria, set against the landscapes of the Lake District. The work opens with an enchanted winter scene of frost-covered trees and cold, still lakes, before moving to a lively autumn market, full of colour and movement. The third movement reflects traditional festivals, inspired by Penrith’s Winter Droving. The final movement offers a grand reflection on the region’s natural beauty; its fells, rolling hills, and wide-open fields, bringing the piece to a warm close.

Alongside Tamsin’s composition, the orchestra will play Mikhail Glinka’s Spanish Overture No.1: Capriccio Brillante, and Sergei Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony.

The orchestra will be conducted by Ammal Bhatia, a Leverhulme Scholar who is currently studying for a Masters in Orchestral Conducting with Martyn Brabbins at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS).

Ammal was Conductor in Residence of the London Schools Symphony Orchestra for the 24/25 season and has also conducted the Ulster Orchestra, the Chineke! Orchestra and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

A graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, where he trained as a violinist, Ammal has performed with the Chineke! Orchestra, most recently in their European tour and at their BBC Prom.

He joins the orchestra as part of the ongoing, highly successful collaboration between RCS and City of Carlisle Orchestra, whereby young conductors have the opportunity to take over for a term and prepare the musicians for a concert.

The programme starts at 7.30pm at St John’s Church on London Road, Carlisle on Saturday 21st March. Tickets are £10 in advance (or £12 at the door) and are available from orchestra members or the Tourist Information Centre at the Old Town Hall. Under 18s free.

04/02/2026

What a fantastic programme to play and be involved in. We're also premiering a great piece by a young, super-talented, local musician, Tamsin Crook.
Rachmaninov Symphony No. 2 is one of the most popular symphonies - regularly featuring highly in Classic FM's Hall of Fame.
Tickets are available from the Town Hall or orchestra members.

29/11/2025

Did you see??

Concert is tonight!!

26/11/2025

This is going to be wonderful!!

The concert is this Saturday!

25/11/2025

This Saturday..

Tickets available!

25/11/2025

Last rehearsal before concert night!!

12/11/2025

Wonderful to rehearse with our soloist last night...

Not long til our concert and tickets are now on sale.

08/10/2025

Rehearsals are going well and tickets are now on sale for our Autumn concert.

From the brilliance and virtuosity of the Binge Saxophone concerto, the traditional Britishness of the Coates (of Dambusters fame) to the coolness of Gershwin's American in Paris there is something for everyone!

16/09/2025

We're delighted to be back rehearsing again with the amazing Chloe Lu Ye. She'll be putting us through our paces to get ready for our Autumn concert (29th November, 7:30pm, St John's Church, London Road).

Shostakovitch: Festive Overture
Anna Morley: Meilleur des Mondes (Premiere),
Binge: Saxophone Concerto (Soloist: Aidan Fowler, RCS)
Coates: London Suite (London Every Day)
Gershwin: An American in Paris

18/08/2025

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