The Choir’s Orchestral Partners

The Mowbray Orchestra
The Mowbray Ensemble was established in 1991 as the professional chamber music ensemble of the Ripon St. Cecilia Orchestra, which specialises in the performance of chamber works for a flexible combination of forces that rarely get performed.
Ripon St. Cecilia Orchestra began its life as a group of local instrumentalists whose task was to accompany Ripon's Cathedral Choir for the annual St. Cecilia Day's Concert. From this grew Ripon St. Cecilia Society, a community orchestra "par excellence", drawing on professional, amateur musicians, teachers, students and talented schoolchildren to make music of supreme quality.

Because of the high acclaim that the performances from both the Ripon St. Cecilia Orchestra and the Mowbray Ensemble has produced in the last few years, the professional orchestral offshoot of the two groups evolved - the Mowbray Orchestra.

The Mowbray Orchestra is now in great demand accompanying choral societies throughout the North of England.