Constitution

We became established as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in April 2012, with our own Constitution, Code of Conduct, and Committee, comprising:

• Chair - Philip Dommett
• Secretary - Mark Bramwell
• Treasurer - Katherine Davies
• Committee Members - Karen Hodges, Joy McMullen, Susie Fokken, Gemma Weston
  

History

Back in July 2008, Colin Rendell of the Cornwall County Music Service embarked on a mission to start an orchestra for Cornish people to dust off their long-dropped musical instruments and brush up their long-forgotten musical skills. Click the image to the right.

Thus was born the Cornwall Returners Orchestra, meeting for the first time at the old Richard Lander School, Truro, at 7.30pm on Monday 22 September 2008. We consisted of Colin as conductor, and a group of ten rusty but keen players, frustrated at how much we had forgotten, yet inspired to pick it all up again. We were joined by some experts as well, and they helped us with all the forgotten notes, keys, scales, timing, etc. etc.

Here we must give a special mention to one of those experts and a very special mentor, oboist Gemma Harries, who remained with us until April 2009. Gemma had played with Welsh National Opera, and she regularly led us through sectional workshops during rehearsals. Her unending patience and her uplifting passion for high standards of music making were a tremendous inspiration.

We hovered between eight and ten players for the first few weeks as various people tried out and dropped out, and then following a very positive article and a call to arms in the local press, we quickly reached twenty. Click on the image to the left.

We soon decided we would add a hint of spice by committing to reach a standard worthy of performances, so our rehearsals began to have purpose and direction.

By January 2009 we realised that the now thirty or so of us had actually improved quite a bit, and the returners had well and truly "returned". We therefore committed to give our début performance at St Agnes Methodist Church on Mothering Sunday, 22 March 2009. We were six months old to the day, and it was a huge success! The photograph on the right was taken just before the performance.

At the time of writing (March 2013), we really have come a very long way. We've lost a few good friends but gained many more. We currently have 57 players in our ranks, and we regularly see upwards of 40 at our rehearsals. Happily, three of our players from "Day One" still play with us: Mark Bramwell (clarinet), Helen Sandle-Baker (clarinet), and Karen Hodges (violin). 

Of course we are, and forever will be, indebted to Colin - the one whose dream started it all, and who continues to guide, encourage and inspire us in everything we do.