When I first heard a number of years ago that Sooke had a Philharmonic Orchestra I had to suppress a chuckle.
I have always been fond of Sooke, fished here for 30 years and lived here for 7 but I had a mental picture of salmon roasting on an open fire and log rolling competitions. A Classical Orchestra did not feature prominently. The first concert we attended changed all that. We have rarely missed since.
The other night at the Alix Goolden Hall it was clear that the Orchestra has become much more than a Community Orchestra, it is now renowned throughout the Greater Victoria region. It was interesting to observe the reaction of the audience at the end of the performance, at first hearty applause then, more slowly, as they realised what they had just witnessed, a standing ovation.
SPOtlight 
Hi David – thanks for the email. Speaking for myself. I think all of us in the orchestra are very appreciative and somewhat overwhelmed by the response of the audience to these performances.
As an SPO musician, I am indeed grateful to have such strong support from a community who believes in us! Thank you, the rest of the board and the volunteers for all your efforts to ensure that the music keeps coming!
Lee Anderson Violist SPO