The Countess of Wessex’s String Orchestra (CWSO) was created as part of recent changes within the Corps of Army Music and came into being on 1 April 2014 and perform at events such as:
Investitures
Ceremonies at Royal Households
State Banquets & Dinners
Support to the Corps modern contemporary bands
Defence engagement activity
There have been string players in the Army for over 250 years and The Royal Artillery Regiment could boast of having the first professional orchestra in Britain. However this is the first time the Army has a dedicated ensemble where its members can concentrate solely on playing stringed instruments without the need to learn a marching band instrument as was the case in the past.
The CWSO is based at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich and is named after the Corps of Army Music’s Colonel in Chief.
The Orchestra also has several smaller ensembles, including
Piano trio
String quartet
6 piece group
The CWSO performs a variety of music, ranging from classical to pop, in various settings both in the UK and abroad.
As well as playing core string orchestra repertoire, the CWSO utilises the very latest technology in the use of electric string instruments (when supporting the Army’s new Rock and Pop band capabilities) and using digital sheet music.

свернуть