About Us
The Big Summer Wind Orchestra and Choir is brought to you by the same team as the Big Christmas Wind Orchestra and Choir.
We have years of experience putting on large scale music participation events for wind orchestra musicians and singers, where absolutely everyone is welcome to come and perform.
We have specially arranged music for all instruments and voices, suitable for musicians of all levels
After registering online, we'll send your music digitally in advance, and have a printed copy for you on the day too if you ask us to print one
Our professional musical director will lead us through 1.5 to 2 hours of running through well known songs, classical favourites and more
If our huge fun event inspires you to make more music, we'll help you with resources to find an ensemble or choir near you.
Our participants at Christmas have been asking for extra events throughout the year. So, it's been fantastic to work with Making Music to create a summer event on Make Music Day, so that we have another chance each year to run a really special event.
The Big Christmas Wind Orchestra was formed in 2012 to bring together a range of people into a scratch built band and ensemble.
What started with perhaps less than 30 people, sheepishly gathered on the edge of a Christmas market, has now become an enormous regular annual event. Up to 300 performers bring Christmas cheer to all participants and audience members, who take part in the UK's biggest annual scratch wind orchestra and choir performing Christmas carols and festive favourites every year!
In exactly the same spirit, the Big Summer Wind Orchestra and Choir launched on 21st June 2023, giving anothere chance for musicians to come and take part in an inspirational scratch ensemble.
We have two main aims:
We want to encourage everyone to consider making music all year round - by running one-off events we hope to kick-start people's engagement with amateur bands, choirs and orchestras around the country. Our friends at Making Music can help you find a band, choir or orchestra near you if you've been inspired by our performances - click here to find out more.
We also know that our events mix total beginners with professional players, to improve everyone's playing ability and make new musical contacts. Where else can you find 10s of tubas, contrabassoons and even a serpent all in one place?! By playing well known popular songs, we want to encourage and inspire players by showing what can be achieved when musicians come together at a great scale.