Membership type Music
Gone are the days when every town had one but Brighton still has its very own mandolin and guitar orchestra currently with around 25 players from the City and surrounding areas. The group was founded in 1995 by Ian Harris with the goal of reviving the tradition of mandolin orchestras, which were hugely popular in the UK up until the 1930s. In April 2012 Ian passed the Musical Director baton to Lindsay Stoner.
Originally playing pieces typical of mandolin orchestras from the beginning of the twentieth century, the Fretful Federation has always been expanding and developing its repertoire. We now play a wide range of material including exciting contemporary music by living composers, as well as classical and popular pieces and concertos. We have collaborated with other mandolin orchestras, choirs and the Early Music group, The Pastores Ensemble as well as talented soloists of other instruments. We perform concerts all over Sussex and have toured abroad. If you come to one of our concerts you are guaranteed variety and entertainment.
The music is written in part form for mandolins, mandolas, mandocellos, mandobass, percussion and guitars. We welcome new recruits playing any of these instruments or their relative bowed cousins — the violin family — from beginners to advanced players.