CLO is an orchestra of around 70 amateur and semi-professional musicians who meet in Henley Community Centre, near Ipswich, every Tuesday morning during school term times. We perform concerts of “light classical” and popular music in aid of charities. We rehearse on Tuesday mornings, term-time 100-1200 at Henley Community Centre. Our String Orchestra meets fortnightly after the orchestra rehearsal 1230-1400.
Our conductor is Vincent Taber. Our leader is Cecilia Metherell.
If you are interested in joining us, please visit our membership page. We ask that players should, ideally, be of Grade 5 standard.
Current Vacancies – We have spaces in the violin and viola sections.
Forthcoming Concerts
Saturday 21st November, 2026, 7.30pm, St John the Baptist, Felixstowe
In aid of church charities. Dedicated to Andrew Fairley.
Andrew was given his first flute when he was 12 and started having flute lessons soon after.
He began his musical career at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall, where he
learnt his craft on the flute and piccolo. Following this he served in a top military band for
several years. He later played for musicals in the pits for amateur productions – the coldest
place in the theatre according to Andrew.
Andrew had his own shop, The Music House, on Church Street in Woodbridge selling music,
musical instruments, and music related items, and giving private lessons. Around this time,
he wrote the book Flutes, Flautists & Makers, published in 1982. He taught flute both
privately and at the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook.
Andrew was a very well-known and widely respected musician in Suffolk. As well as being a
very accomplished flute and piccolo player he played the violin, double bass, conducted, and
in later years taught himself how to play the guitar. He arranged countless pieces of music
for flute ensembles, string orchestras, and full orchestra. He was a member of the
Community Light Orchestra for many years, initially playing the double bass, but transferring
to the flute and piccolo section when the opportunity arose.
Andrew set up and conducted the Suffolk String Orchestra and the CLO String Orchestra.
He initially set up the CLO String Orchestra for CLO members, but this was later opened up
to other string players in the area. He also set up Suffolk Flutes, and the Summer String
Course, the latter starting in 2001. These groups all continue to thrive today.
In the run-up to the new Millennium, Woodbridge Community Council were putting together a
series of events to run during the year and Andrew suggested a live Viennese Concert on
January 1st to open up the New Year. That was quickly agreed with Andrew putting together
a full Orchestra and Soprano singer and Woodbridge Community Council being responsible
for the general administration of the event – program production, advertising and ticket sales,
hiring and setting up our Community Hall and seating; refreshments and general
management of the event and even managing to get our new MP Thérèse Coffey to come to
the event as guest of honour. The concert was a huge success with all 350 seats filled and
was so successful that it was decided to continue running the concerts for many more years
to become an annual Woodbridge Community Council event. After several years Andrew
handed the baton to the late Roger Jones for future concerts whilst he continued to play in
the concerts playing double bass, flute and piccolo – so Andrew was a good “all- round”
musician.
Saturday 22nd May. 2027, at St Michael’s Church, Martlesham Heath.
A celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the founding of the Community Light Orchestra – in aid of East Anglian Air Ambulance.
Would you like to book us? Please visit our Bookings page. Our January 2022 concert in aid of East Anglia Children’s Hospices raised over £600. Our May 2024 concert raised £500 for Ipswich Salvation Army. The CLO String Orchestra concert in July 2026 raised over £500 for Families in Need.