A short history of the Southside Community Orchestra
The South Side Community Orchestra originally began as the Edinburgh Senior Citizens’ Orchestra, a group of amateur musicians who used to meet to rehearse together on Monday afternoons. After a while, their rehearsal venue changed to Riddle’s Court, and the name of the group became The Riddle’s Court Community Orchestra. At this time, the orchestra became a Registered Charity, committed to entertaining people in residential homes, community centres, nursing homes, etc., with concerts of light orchestral music.
In 2005 the City of Edinburgh Council decided to close Riddell’s Court, so WEA classes held there had to move. The orchestra was offered, and accepted, a base at the South Side Community Centre in Nicolson Street, and took the new name of The South Side Community Orchestra. Since then, the South Side Community Centre has become the established venue for the orchestra’s regular Monday afternoon rehearsals and for the public concerts given each term.