Editing Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (section)

===Origins to 1934: The Godfrey era===
The orchestra was founded as Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra in 1893 by [[Daniel Eyers Godfrey|Dan Godfrey]] as a group of 30 wind players and a drummer, though several of the instrumentalists – as is the current practice with military musicians – were proficient in both wind and string instruments.<ref name="Miller">Miller, Geoffrey, ''The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra''. Dorset Publishing Company, 1970 ({{ISBN|978-0902129061}}).</ref> This flexible approach meant that the musicians could form a military band for open-air concerts (playing on Bournemouth Pier) or a more formal classical ensemble for indoor programmes. The group gave its first concert on Whit Monday 1893 at the [[Bournemouth Winter Gardens|Winter Gardens]], with its first classical concert in October that year.

The band quickly expanded to become a full orchestra, gaining a reputation for championing British music. [[Edward Elgar]] and [[Gustav Holst]] (among others) conducted the orchestra in their own works. The orchestra gave the UK premieres of major works by [[Richard Strauss]], [[Camille Saint-Saëns]] and [[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky]]. On 14 December 1903, the Orchestra gave its 500th symphony concert, conducted by Godfrey; a souvenir booklet listed all the works played by the orchestra since its inception, noting any first performances.<ref>The document also included a preface by Godfrey about the origins of the orchestra, a record of the players in 1903, and photos of the orchestra. Arts and Humanities Research Council, [http://www.concertprogrammes.org.uk/search Concerprogrammes.org.uk] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080925182626/http://www.concertprogrammes.org.uk/search |date=25 September 2008 }}, accessed 30.8.08</ref> The Bournemouth Municipal Choir, founded by Godfrey in 1911, sang regularly with the orchestra.

From 1922 to 1940, an Easter Festival was an important feature in the Bournemouth calendar. In 1927, the Festival was devoted to music of British women composers. In 1934, Godfrey retired as principal conductor, having conducted over 2,000 symphony concerts.<ref>Croscombe B. A Chronology. In BSO 90 1893–1983 – A special souvenir edition of WOS News. 1983, Spring/Summer, p16-17.</ref>

The first recording by the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra was made in 1914 and occasional records were issued during Godfrey's tenure: Godfrey's recordings included works such as [[Ferdinand Hérold]]'s overture to ''[[Zampa]]'', [[Daniel Auber]]'s overtures ''[[Le cheval de bronze|The Bronze Horse]]'' and ''[[Les diamants de la couronne|The Crown Diamonds]]'', or [[Samuel Coleridge-Taylor]]'s ''Petite Suite de Concert'', along with "novelty items" with titles such as 'Slippery Sticks' and 'Whispering Pines' by members of the orchestra and featuring them as soloists.

Godfrey remains the longest serving principal conductor of the orchestra, and his stewardship ensured that, unlike many of the seaside orchestras that functioned from the end of the 19th century up until the outbreak of World War II, the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra established an ongoing tradition of music making. Godfrey's programmes mixed populist elements, such as variety acts and [[light music]], with extracts from more serious pieces. Alongside these, he instituted a series of symphony concerts which introduced diverse repertoire. He cultivated connections with most of the prominent British composers of the day including [[Edward Elgar]], [[Hamilton Harty]], [[Alexander Mackenzie (composer)|Alexander Mackenzie]], [[Hubert Parry]], [[Charles Villiers Stanford]], [[Ethel Smyth]], [[Gustav Holst]] and the Australian [[Percy Grainger]].<ref name=lloyd>Stephen Lloyd, ''Sir Dan Godfrey: Champion of British Composers''. Thames, 1995 ({{ISBN|978-0905210896}}).</ref>

From the very beginning, Godfrey had a difficult relationship with the [[Bournemouth (borough)|Bournemouth Borough Council]] who saw the orchestra as a commercial concern which needed to pay its way. As part of Bournemouth's visitor attractions, any request for expansion of the orchestra or changes to their contracts were the subject of exhaustive debates in the Council chamber.<ref name="Miller"/> However, in general, Godfrey was successful at balancing both high artistic standards and box-office success.