Orchestras
There are two orchestras to choose from.
Read more about them by scrolling down
Age 5 +
Beginner String ensemble
Age 10 - 16+
Year 6 and above at school
Full orchestra with strings, winds, brass and percussion
The North Shore Stringalongs is a group formed in 2013 aimed at giving young string players an opportunity to play in a string orchestra at a early age. The group will be made up of all string instruments (Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass) and will meet at 4.00pm – 4.45pm on a Wednesday afternoon at St Peters Church, Takapuna.
Young players (aged 5 and up), with approximately 6 months of lessons under their belt, are invited to become part of this exciting group by clicking on the Application Form. Once we have your details its as easy as coming along to the first rehearsal at the beginning of the year, and seeing how it goes from there! This will be a non-auditioned group.
The cost for the Stringalongs will be $280 for the whole year. That’s $70 a term, and works out to $7 per week. Payment can be made per term or for the whole year. Those members who are also in the Junior Orchestra will only pay $350 in total for both groups.
The focus of these sessions will be on basic string technique, intonation and tuning, orchestral technique (ie playing together in a section), sightreading, and other primary needs of a young string player.
The group will perform at least 3 times each year, at our main combined concert in June along with two other community concerts.
The Stringalongs will be conducted by David McNeill, a local musician and teacher who’s children have also been through the Junior Orchestra and Youth Orchestra in recent years.
The North Shore Junior Orchestra is a children’s orchestra made up of students aged 10+ years. We rehearse on a Wednesday afternoon 5.15pm – 6.45pm at St Peters Church, 11 Killarney Street, Takapuna.
2024 has been an exciting year for the Junior Orchestra with performances at Westlake Girls High School, Matakana and a performance with the 246 Studio ballet class of a selection of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker suite. 2023 also included a tour to Whangarei along with a performance at the Takapuna Christmas carnival. The orchestra continues to grow to over 65 members now with all orchestral instruments catered for.
During 2020 – 21 the orchestra toured to Waiheke Island, Cambridge and Matamata and performed at the NSYM mid year concert at Westlake Boys High School. 2019 also saw the orchestra tour to Mangawhai and Matakana and perform to many schools across the North Shore on their annual schools tour.
2017 was an extremely successful year for the orchestra performing at the Town Hall Concert Chamber for the mid year concert, as well as going on tour to Hamilton. They also played to over 2500 students from various schools around the North Shore and Hamilton regions, and have performed at the Takapuna Primary School fair.
2016 found the Junior Orchestra on tour to Tauranga and Kaitkati, performing on stage at the Bruce Mason Centre in June, performing to over 1000 school students on their annual schools tour in November, and entertaining many members of the community at various concerts throughout the year.
Fees for the orchestra are:
1 Child – $70 per term ($280 per year)
2 Children – $105 per term ($420 per year)
