A Decade of Harmony: Celebrating 10 Years of the NDCO

Lin Larmer
Mar 23
2 min read

The air at our recent rehearsal was filled with more than just music—it was filled with the sweet scent of celebration! To mark the 10th anniversary of the North Downs Community Orchestra, we took a well-deserved break from the sheet music to share some birthday cake and reflect on an incredible decade.

We were especially honored to be joined by our patron, Rainer Hersch, who made a special trip to celebrate with us. Rainer’s history with the NDCO goes back to the very beginning; he was right there with us at our first-ever rehearsal in the Godstone scout hut. To support the orchestra, Rainer took on the challenge of learning the viola from scratch. We are incredibly proud to share that over the last ten years, he has progressed from a complete beginner to achieving his Grade 8, embodying the spirit of dedication and musical joy that defines "The Fun Orchestra."

From those humble beginnings to becoming a thriving 50-strong ensemble, it has been a journey defined by the joy of playing together. As our founding member Pam Deverill says, it’s always been about community. We’ve grown into the group we are today thanks to the dedication of our players and the support of our local music lovers.

Join Our Anniversary Concert

We would love for you to help us celebrate this milestone season at our upcoming concert. Under the baton of our Musical Director, Anna Maria Tabor, we have curated a programme that truly captures the spirit of our first ten years.