On Tuesday 18 December, the Tillingbourne Accordion Orchestra celebrated their 30th Anniversary with a concert. The concert featured pieces the orchestra had performed or competed with during the year. Once again there was competitions for the best dressed players and a prize for the best decorated Music Stand.

The Tillingbourne Accordion Orchestra (formerly known as the Tillingbourne Accordion Band) was founded in 1988 meeting for rehearsals in Albury Village Hall and in 1992 moved to its current home, the Ripley Village Hall, where it meets on Tuesdays at 8:00 PM. In addition to the orchestra, in April of 1990 the Orchestra founded The Guildford Accordion Club, open to all music and accordion lovers, both players and non-players. The Club meets on the third Friday of every month in Ripley Village Hall.

The concert program featured the Orchestra performing Overture Furiant by renowned German composer Adolf Götz, Finlandia by Sibelius, Artango by Thomas Ott and Skatacco. Several members of the orchestra performed duets by Mary and Myra Brooks, Melanie Wright and Ben Smith, Cheryl Beasley and Ruth Matthews, solos by Pauline Nixon, David Hoffman, Alison Worthington and our Music Director Marion Szuman. Amici (Marion Szuman, Melanie Wright, Ben Smith, Mary Smith, Ruth Matthews, Cheryl Beasley) also performed while there was a 3rd Class performance made up of member of the thirds section (Myra Brooks, Margaret Haffenden, Ruth Matthews, Alison Worthington, Anita Boothby and Patrick Jordan).

The conclusion of the concert featured the premiere of ‘Tillingbourne Rhapsody’ composed by Ben Smith in celebration of this milestone. Ben who has been a member of the orchestra for almost a decade, has found strength of character and personality in the individuals of the orchestra. The Russian these are fire and spirited which matches the Tilingbourne temperament. It was written with the hope of capturing some of the fund and excitement experienced every week at rehearsals.

Photo Credit: Stefan Szuman Picture below (left to right): The cake cutting, Phil Wheeler (immediate past music director), Marion Szuman (current music director), Peter Denman (previous conductor), David Small (founding member).