About the Orchestra
When Burnley Orchestra first started, just after the First World War, it immediately attracted players who wanted to play the major works of the classical repertoire. Then, as now, the musical theatre scene was very popular and silent films were starting to spring up; both these required orchestras to accompany the songs in one and the action in the other. Many of those who played worked then in the local mills and earned extra income by going on to theatres and cinemas in the evenings to man these bands. And as these performances were often every evening from Monday to Saturday, it explains why our concerts are still sometimes on Sundays.
