Great music since 1854
In this section of our site, we periodically add selected items from our archives which we think visitors will find of interest.
From humble beginnings....
Over one hundred and seventy years ago, a small body of men met in the front room at the home of Mr R B Blackshaw, who resided in Brook Green Lane, Gorton, for the purpose of forming a musical society. There were ten or twelve people present, amongst them James Rider and Walter Knight. These two, along with Mr Blackshaw, were actively connected with the Aspinal Nonconformist Chapel, at which the latter at appropriate times of the year, special services were held when the Messiah, Elijah, St Paul, The Creation, and other similar oratorios or excerpts therefrom were sung, the organ accompaniment being augmented by a body of musicians. The latter, who had only been drawn together previously as and when required, were, however, of one mind, viz:- that they ought to become organised into an entity, and the Gorton Philharmonic Society accordingly came into being.
The picture below is from 1866.
Founding members are on the front row:
F Holland, J W Tatton, R B Blackshaw, James Rider and Walter Knight