Welcome to Macclesfield Symphony Orchestra. Founded in 1957, we are a friendly and committed orchestra who enjoy making music of a high standard together.
Under the baton of our talented Musical Director Anthony Houghton, we rehearse and perform a wide range of music, including mainstream symphonic repertoire, occasional new commissions and choral works with Macclesfield Singers. A list of our previous concert repertoire is available here.
We rehearse weekly, with a break over the summer, and give around six concerts per year.
New string players of a good standard are always welcome and, at present, we are particularly looking for viola, double bass, principal trombone and percussion players. Although we are fortunate to have a full complement in the other sections, we are always interested in meeting players who would wish to join us for larger works and play as deps from time to time.
We currently rehearse on Tuesday evenings, 7:40-9:45, at St Peter’s Church, Windmill Street, Macclesfield, SK11 7HS. View the rehearsal schedule here.
If you are interested in learning more about joining, please contact us here
Musical Director
Anthony Houghton was born in Warrington but brought up in the Lincolnshire countryside near Grimsby, where he attended the Choir School and played Clarinet with the Youth Orchestra. After study at the Royal Manchester College of Music (now the RNCM) he settled in Manchester working as a freelance Clarinet and Saxophone recitalist, orchestral and session player. He was Principal Clarinet of the Northern Ballet and Manchester Camerata Orchestras for many years and played regularly with the Hallé, BBC, Opera North and other UK orchestras. Anthony was the Founder and Conductor (until 2013) of Macclesfield Concert Band.
Anthony is Clarinet, Saxophone and Ensemble Tutor at Manchester Grammar School. Until 2019, he was Instrumental Tutor, Chamber Music Organiser and Ensemble Director at the University of Sheffield in addition to being the conductor of the award-winning Sheffield University Wind Orchestra for many years. He is a member of the executive committee of the British Association of Symphonic Bands and Wind Ensembles (BASBWE).
Leader
Henry Rankin is a Manchester-based violinist working across concert performance, recording and arranging. He studied at the University of Manchester and the Royal Northern College of Music.
He maintains an eclectic freelance career spanning chamber, studio and orchestral work across the UK. As a session musician he has recorded and performed with artists including Michael Kiwanuka, Laura Marling, Sam Fender and Yann Tiersen, and collaborates regularly with music production company Constella Music.
Henry also records extensively for Westwood Instruments, contributing to a number of their solo and ensemble string sample libraries.
Alongside his performing work, Henry composes and arranges for concert and media contexts, with broadcast credits on BBC One, BBC Two and National Geographic. He was awarded the 2025 BASBWE Composition Prize.