History
The Southside Community Orchestra began life in 1971 as the “Senior Citizens’ Orchestra Committee”, meeting in Riddles Court. It became officially a Community Orchestra in 1995, and so one of Lothian Regional Council’s Adult Education classes, changing its name to Riddles Court Community Orchestra.
Due to reorganisation of Community Education in 2005, the orchestra was obliged to seek new premises. The Salvation Army Centre, East Adam Street was used for a period before the move to the Southside Community Centre in 2006. The orchestra’s name was changed in 2007 to the present “Southside Community Orchestra”.
The orchestra expanded notably while Geoffrey Emerson was conductor ( 2008-2012), the larger numbers meaning that it was no longer practical to give concerts in Old People’s Homes, Church groups etc., as had been the practice formerly. From that time on, the orchestra’s thrice-yearly concerts have been presented in the SSCC. Geoffrey Emerson was succeeded by Vaughan Townhill in 2012.
The Southside Community Centre continues to be the established venue for the orchestra’s regular Monday afternoon rehearsals and for the public concerts given each term.
Our Conductor
Vaughan is a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama where he was a prize-winner for clarinet. He was a chorister at Peterborough Cathedral as a boy, and Bass Lay Clerk at St Mary’s Cathedral while a student at the RSAMD. For 35 years he was Director of Music at Cargilfield School in Edinburgh and retired in December 2008.
Vaughan is a founder committee member of Scottish Schools Orchestra Trust, an organisation promoting orchestral playing for young people. He has been principal clarinet of the Edinburgh Symphony Orchestra, a member of Doune Wind Quintet and soloist with other orchestral ensembles. As a soloist he has performed concertos with Scottish Sinfonia, Philomusic, the East Lothian Players and Edinburgh Symphony Orchestra.
He has conducted Opera Camerata, the Edinburgh Players and with his school choir performed some of the great Choral works, including The Christmas Oratorio, The Messiah and Vivaldi’s Gloria. He is the conductor of Dunbar and District Choral Society; in 2010 they performed Brahms German Requiem and in May 2011 they performed Messiah.