Worthing Symphony Orchestra: Rossini, Schumann & Mozart

The Worthing Symphony Orchestra are back at Assembly Hall on Sunday 14 March 2027, with a matinee that pulls from three different centuries. It's a long one — two hours and forty-five minutes — and the programme runs from the late 18th century through to the mid-19th. John Gibbons is conducting, and pianist Maria Marchant takes the solo part.

They open with Rossini's The Silken Ladder Overture, then move into Schumann's Piano Concerto in A minor, which is where Marchant comes in. There's a shorter piece in the middle, Romanze by Emilie Mayer, and the whole thing closes with Mozart's Symphony No. 39 in E-flat major. It's a broad spread of the classical repertoire, and the matinee timing means you'll be out well before dark.

The orchestra itself has a deep history in the town. It started as a nine-piece ensemble on Worthing Pier back in 1874, and by 1926 it had become a full-time municipal orchestra. It moved into the Assembly Hall in 1935 and has played more than 80 seasons there since. The hall opened in 1933 in the Art Deco style, seats just under 1,000, and is known for its acoustics, sprung dance floor, Steinway piano, and one of Europe's largest Wurlitzers. This is their centenary season, and over the years they've hosted soloists like Nicola Benedetti, Jess Gillam, Johan Dalene, and Julian Lloyd Webber. Much of that is made possible by the Worthing Symphony Society, which relies on donations from individuals, organisations, and charitable trusts.

Tickets for WSO Advance Members start from £18.75 plus a £1.75 transaction fee, and under-26s pay £7.75 including the fee. Season tickets are also available. The concert starts at 2:45pm at Assembly Hall on Stoke Abbott Road, BN11 1HQ.