Worthing Symphony Orchestra: Nature Unchained

Worthing Symphony Orchestra are back at the Assembly Hall on Sunday 28 February 2027 with Nature Unchained, a programme built around the natural world. The afternoon's music comes from Moross, Barry, Walton and Smetana, with cellist Laura van der Heijden as soloist. The concert starts at 2.45pm and runs for about two hours and fifteen minutes.

It's a good way to get a feel for the orchestra if you haven't been before. They're billed as 'the professional orchestra of Sussex', and they've got a long history in the town. The group started back in 1874 as a nine-piece ensemble on Worthing Pier, became a full-time municipal orchestra in 1926, and moved into the Assembly Hall in 1935. They're now in their centenary season, playing eight concerts a year. It's not a self-funding operation, though — a full season costs over £150,000, so they rely on donations from individuals, organisations and charitable trusts to keep going.

The venue is as much a part of the experience as the music. The Assembly Hall is an Art Deco room that opened in 1933 and seats just under 1,000. It's known for its acoustics, and inside you'll find a sprung dance floor, a Steinway piano and one of Europe's largest Wurlitzers. Over the years it's hosted BBC Radio 2 concerts and more than 80 WSO seasons. Conductor John Gibbons opens every performance with a talk, which usually sets the scene before the music takes over. The orchestra has welcomed soloists like Nicola Benedetti, Jess Gillam, Johan Dalene and Julian Lloyd Webber in the past, and Laura van der Heijden joins that list here.

Tickets start from £18.75 plus a £1.75 transaction fee for Worthing Symphony Orchestra Advance Members, and under-26s pay £7.75, which includes the fee. Season tickets are also available. The concert is on Sunday 28 February at 2.45pm at the Assembly Hall, BN11 1HJ.