CSO continued the 2023 / 2024 season with a great concert at The Winding Wheel on 16.3.24 playing Carwithen's Bishop Rock's Overture; Bruch's Violin Concerto No 1with the amazing Lizzie Dawson and finishing with Rachmaninov's 2nd Symphony.

The audience feedback was great with many audience members saying how much they enjoyed the concert on the night and comments on social media included:

"Last night, I have attended a CSO concert for the first time, and I was very well impressed. Well done!"

"Returning home from a magical concert given by CSO.....It began with Carwithen's Bishop Rock overture, definitely a piece I'll be listening to again. This was followed by Bruch's Violin concerto No 1 in G Minor Op 26. The soloist, Elizabeth Dawson, played it with sophisitication, and made it seem effortless. When she is famous, I can say I heard her at Chesterfield first! .....It was the conductor Jack Grime's last concert with CSO. I look forward to hearing them play under a new conductor. Who knew Chesterfield was home to such talented musicians?!"

Thank you to everyone who came and supported the orchestra. A huge thank you to our soloist Lizzie Dawson, our leader Lucy Phillips and to our MD Jack Grime.

Here's the information from the programme to show the orchestra's appreciation to Jack for all he has done for the orchestra:

Tonight, CSO are saying a fond farewell to our Musical Director (MD) of the last 7 years, Jack Grime.
Jack and his wife Jess are planning a move away from their current Huddersfield home which will make continuing to travel to Chesterfield every week to rehearse CSO impossible.
The membership of CSO could not let this occasion pass without publicly saying a huge thank you to Jack for the time, effort and goodwill he has poured in to the orchestra since his appointment in 2016.
Jack had just graduated from the University of Leeds when he applied for the role of Musical Director in 2016. Unusually,
every single member of CSO who took part in the MD auditions selected Jack as their candidate of choice making his appointment completely unanimous. Jack repaid that confidence by being an outstanding musical director, applying his calm, direct style of lleadership from the very first rehearsal. Jack’s time as musical director has spanned the most challenging period the orchestra has faced in its 41 years of existence, the COVID 19 pandemic.
Like everybody else in the UK, the COVID 19 pandemic halted all CSO activities. CSO did not meet to play together for over 18
months meaning that when we did finally get back together Jack faced the challenge of rebuilding our playing and performance confidence. In true Jack style he simply worked away at the problem getting us back to our pre COVID 19 standard in a very short period of time culminating in our very successful 40th anniversary season last year.
Over the last 7 years Jack has had a massive impact on CSO. Travelling initially from Leeds and then Huddersfield, via his
job in Manchester, Jack has never missed a weekly rehearsal. The orchestra has flourished and grown under Jack’s direction,
bringing in new players as well as growing our audiences. We will be for ever indebted to Jack for the significant part he has played in the growth and development of CSO.
All the members and friends of CSO ask you, our loyal supporters, to join us in wishing Jack and Jess all the very best for the future. As is always the case in musical circles, this is farewell and not goodbye. We hope to see Jack and Jess again one day in the not too distant future.