Celebrating 50 (well, 51) years of ECO!

Lockdown may have put a stop to our 50th anniversary celebrations in 2020, but we came back with a bang and celebrated them in 2021 instead with a fantastic Christmas Extravaganza featuring the music and animation of The Snowman.

It was touch-and-go all the way up to the concert date. Would be able to perform? Would the government lock us down again?

We were, short of parents to transport the equipment to the university so Rob hired an appropriately named van to collect the drumkits, timpani, tubular bells, more drums, keyboards and other random percussion from Okehampton, to Dawlish, the school where we rehearse and on to the University.

Rob loved driving the van so much he now wants one!

Once set up at the university (Rob got lost) we started out rehearsals and were overjoyed to welcome back some past members on strings, brass, and percussion.

Both the matinee and evening concerts were a success and our Junior Orchestra lead by Helen Patterson did us proud too in the afternoon playing Jingle Bells to huge applause.

Rob bought 100 music stand lights for the orchestra to read their music in the dark while performing The Snowman.