Come for the music. Find your people.
Walking into any new group can feel daunting.
You may wonder whether everyone else will already know one another, whether you will be good enough or whether you should wait until you feel more confident.
If that sounds familiar, you are far from alone. Many of our members felt exactly the same before their first rehearsal.
When you arrive, there will be someone ready to say hello, help you find where you need to be and introduce you to the people around you. There will be music to get stuck into, time to chat and, at most rehearsals, tea, coffee and an impressive number of biscuits.
Nobody expects you to arrive knowing everything.
Confidence tends to grow quietly here. It grows when you learn a new piece, begin recognising familiar faces, share a joke with the person next to you or realise that the music would sound different if your part were missing.
People may first join us because they want to sing or play. Very often, they stay because they have found somewhere they belong.
We take the music seriously, but not ourselves
We love making music that people are genuinely excited to rehearse and perform.
That can mean soaring film scores, music from television and games, songs from musicals, pop and rock favourites, jazz, swing and the occasional piece that nobody can stop humming on the way home.
Our members perform at local community events, festivals, conventions and concert halls. They have appeared at venues including Birmingham Symphony Hall and the Royal Academy of Music, joined massed performances with hundreds of other singers and musicians, and taken part in concerts and tours in the UK and overseas.
These are exciting opportunities, but there is no pressure to do everything.
Some members love being on stage whenever they can. Others prefer weekly rehearsals and occasional local performances. Some need time and support before deciding whether performing feels right for them.
All of those choices are valid.
We want members to experience the thrill of creating something ambitious together without losing the friendliness, laughter and support that make the journey enjoyable.
Find your place
Music is where our impact begins
The People’s Orchestra is not simply an organisation that puts on rehearsals and concerts. We are a registered charity, and the communities created through music help us support people in several ways.
Some of that happens naturally when people rehearse together. Someone who has been feeling isolated has a reason to leave the house. A person who has lost confidence finds that others value their contribution. New friendships grow from a shared interest, without the pressure of walking into a room simply to socialise.
Other parts of our work offer more direct, practical support.
Helping people feel less alone
Loneliness does not always look the way people expect. It can affect someone who lives alone, someone who has recently moved to a new area or someone whose life has slowly become little more than work, home and the same four walls. A weekly rehearsal creates a regular point of contact. People notice when you arrive. Over time, they also notice when you are not there.
We cannot promise that singing or playing will solve every difficulty someone is facing. We can promise regular opportunities to make music, talk, laugh, work towards something and become part of a community where their presence matters.
Supporting confidence and wellbeing
It can take courage to return to an instrument after twenty years or to sing in front of another person for the first time. Our rehearsals give people space to build confidence gradually. Members can also access specialist performance support when nerves, anxiety or past experiences make it harder to take part.
There is no single definition of progress. It might be performing at Symphony Hall. It might be getting through the door, staying for a whole rehearsal and deciding to come back the following week.
Both are achievements worth recognising.
Creating routes into work
Our employability programmes, volunteering opportunities and work placements help people build confidence, skills and meaningful experience.
Participants contribute to real projects involving events, marketing, administration, design and community activity. They are supported, but they are also trusted with work that matters.
For someone who has been out of work, struggled with their mental health or started to believe they have little to offer, being needed can be an important first step. Over the years, our programmes have helped people move into employment, education, training and new opportunities.
Supporting local communities
Our Community Grants turn small amounts of money into practical help for people living near our music groups. Supported by The People’s Orchestra Community Lottery and fundraising by our singers and musicians, the grants allow members to nominate a neighbour, friend, carer, volunteer or local resident who could use a hand. Grants are usually between £50 and £500. They can help with emergency costs, essential bills, mobility equipment, travel to appointments or the cost of taking part in a community activity.
It means a choir, orchestra or band can become more than a group that meets each week. It can become a local community of people who notice what is happening around them and choose to help.
What our members tell us
We can tell you that our groups are welcoming. What matters most is whether members feel that way themselves.
In 2026, we asked 152 choir members about their experience of being part of The People’s Orchestra.
- More than 95% said they felt they belonged, either immediately or after having a little time to settle in.
- 82% felt welcome straight away.
- Nearly two-thirds said joining had improved their mood.
- 63.2% felt more confident.
- 63.8% felt more connected to other people.
- Members who were disabled or living with a long-term health condition reported an almost equally strong sense of belonging.
The figures show an overall picture. Members’ words show what belonging feels like:
“It’s the most positive part of my week.”
“The music is amazing, but it’s the people that make it truly special.”
Our Story
Recognised for the difference people make
In 2021, The People’s Orchestra received The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, now known as The King’s Award for Voluntary Service. It is the highest award given to voluntary groups in the UK.
The award recognised the work of our volunteers and the support they provided to communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are also proud to be an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.
Awards and recognition matter, but they belong to the people who make the work possible: members, volunteers, staff, supporters and partners.
They are the people greeting nervous newcomers, organising events, raising money, moving chairs, preparing music, supporting participants and taking care of the countless small jobs nobody in the audience ever sees.
Extraordinary things happen because people play their part.
