The Fantasy Orchestra in Bristol consists of an orchestra and choir who mostly rehearse separately and then come together for concerts.

We’ve been very fortunate to have a lot of new members join us since the end of the pandemic lockdowns, but we’re worried that we won’t all fit on stage, so we’re taking some time to assess the situation. In the meantime, please do still get in touch with us if you’re interested in joining, because we’d love to know how much interest there is out there and we can put you on our waiting list (and perhaps consider other ways to incorporate new people).

If you’d like to join send an email to
membership (@) fantasyorchestra.org

Music and skill level

We don’t hold auditions and welcome a variety of abilities. We work from sheet music or chord charts, so some knowledge of that is handy but not essential if you can keep up without (in particular many choir members learn by ear). There are instrument parts written with different levels of complexity and also MP3/midi files available to help with practise.

Some people who join us may be a learner or returning to playing an instrument after a long break, which is fine and quite common – in fact it’s a great opportunity for you. Rest reassured there are some bits that not everyone can play and we just duck out for those bits and play the parts we can. Many of us find that our playing ability is stretched (in a good way) and our sight reading is improved by being a member of the orchestra!

Where and when are rehearsals?

Orchestra rehearsals are on either Monday or Tuesday evenings, either in the town centre or St Anne’s.

Choir rehearsals are on Tuesday evenings in the town centre.

We maintain a calendar of rehearsal and concert dates for members and we send out weekly information about rehearsals.

How much does it cost?

Our membership fee currently costs £15 per month, payable via standing order (we can’t handle cash unfortunately). We have contingencies for those in financial difficulty.