The first meeting of the Irish Doctors Orchestra took place as a residental weekend, in conjunction with the Irish Doctors Choir at An Grianán ( www.angrianan.ie) where we launched our orchestra with a varied music program.

Our schedule offered a mixed weekend of orchestral and chamber music, with sectional rehearsals on the Saturday morning with some eminent local professional players.

Our conductor for the Tutti sessions was Brian Mackay, well known from all the other work he has done with the Irish Doctors Choir, most notably for Mahler 2 in Belfast with the European Doctors Orchestra.

Our concert programme for that weekend was as follows :

Cantique de Jean Racine - Faure - Strings, Harp, WW (2Fl, 2Ob, Cl. Bn. 2Horns)

Jesu bleibet meine freunde - BWV 147 last movement - Strings, Ob,

Zion hört die wächter singen - BWV 140 4th movement and chorale (Strings, Horn)

Orchestra:

Pastorale d'Été - Honneger - Strings, Fl, Ob, Cl, Bn, Hn

Trittico Botticelliano (no 2)- Respighi - Strings, Fl, Ob, Cl, Bn, Hn Harp / Piano

Symphony no 9 - Haydn - Strings, 2Fl, 2Ob, Bn, 2Hn, 

While small in number of players, the weekend was a huge success and led to the developlement of the orchestra, and the delivery of ever more ambitious concerts