Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra are celebrating their tenth season with a special concert coming up.

Spokesman Gareth Simpson said: “Founded in 2016 under the auspices of Hastings Philharmonic Choir, their opening concert included two magnificent pieces: Beethoven's iconic Ninth Symphony, the Choral, and a specially commissioned work by Philip O’Meara, No Man.

“Choir and Orchestra, together with soloists Helen May (soprano), Sarah Denbee (mezzo-soprano), Leonel Pinheiro (tenor) and Robert Winslade Anderson (bass), under the baton of Marcio da Silva, will join forces to repeat that inaugural programme on Thursday, November 20 at 7pm at the White Rock Theatre.”

Tickets, priced from £10–£29.50, are available online via the choir’s website www.hastingsphilchoir.org.uk/autumnconcert2025 or in person from the White Rock Theatre box office.

“Beethoven extended musical boundaries when he integrated vocal soloists and a full chorus into the final movement – Ode to Joy – of his Ninth Symphony in 1824, the first time that a major composer had done such a thing. The work remains one of the most performed and revered works in the classical repertoire.

“O’Meara’s No Man leads the listener on a musical and literary journey, from the No Man’s Land of war to the No Man is an Island message of peace and unity of John Donne’s famous sonnet. Drawing on texts in English, French and Latin by W B Yeats, Victor Hugo, Donne, the Psalms of the Bible and Friedrich Schiller; and weaving together the melodies of ancient Gregorian plainsong and a reforming of the famous theme from Beethoven’s choral finale, No Man presents an Ode to Joy for the modern age.”

Gareth added: “Hastings Philharmonic Choir has been growing strongly in the past couple of years and now has about 100 singing members. It performs three major concerts a year, plus a carol concert and is acclaimed by audiences and critics alike.

“This friendly choir is always happy to welcome new members who enjoy singing and who can follow written-down music. The best way of finding out if Hastings Philharmonic Choir is for you is to visit one or more of our weekly rehearsals. If you would like to do this, please send us an email and we will be delighted to see you – [email protected]

“HPC can trace its beginnings back to 1928 when the organist at the Wellington Square Baptist Church, merged his choir, the Wellington Square Choral Society, with the St Mary in the Castle Centenary church to celebrate the centenary of St Mary in the Castle with a performance of the Messiah.

“The concert was so successful that it was repeated the following year and there began a highly successful Town Choir that Hastings Borough Council was pleased to promote, alongside the prestigious Hastings Municipal Orchestra for the traditional Good Friday performances of Handel’s Messiah at its newly built White Rock Pavilion.

“So nearly 100 years later, under its musical director, Marcio da Silva, the Hastings Philharmonic Choir has established itself as one of the foremost choirs in the area, thrilling audiences and critics alike with performances to rival those of many professional ensembles. Revolving around the major choral works of the baroque to romantic periods, the choir’s wide-ranging repertoire extends also to classics of the twentieth century. Concerts in recent years have included works by Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Rossini, Brahms, Verdi, Orff, Britten and Lauridsen.”

Gareth added: “Through his work with our choir since 2012 and as artistic director of Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra and the HPO Singers (both founded under the umbrella of Hastings Philharmonic Choir in 2016 but now operating separately), Marcio da Silva has made a huge contribution to the musical life of the whole town, offering an impressive range of high-quality choral, orchestral and chamber music performances each year. Marcio has wide-ranging international experience as an orchestral conductor, having worked with orchestras in Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, Brazil, Poland, Turkey and Kosovo. He also has considerable experience of oratorio, having conducted most of the mainstream romantic and baroque oratorio repertoire. As well as conducting Hastings Philharmonic Choir, Marcio is the music director of the Billingshurst Choral Society.”