Robert Barclay Wilson FGSM was appointed the orchestra’s first conductor. He was at the time Professor of Conducting and Composition at the Guildhall School of Music in London, and lived locally, in Norwood Green. In September 1954 the orchestra began rehearsing as an evening class and the first concert was given on 5th December at the Woodfield County Secondary School in Cranford. At that opening concert the orchestra performed with two soloists; the eminent soprano Elsie Suddaby sang arias by Mozart & Handel, and Dr Donald Hughes, the Middlesex County Music Adviser played the Schumann Piano concerto. The programme was completed by Brahms’ Symphony number 1 in C minor, and was received with enthusiasm by the audience.
Mr Wilson continued as conductor until April 1972 - some eighteen years, and remains the orchestra’s longest serving musical director. When the London boroughs were re-organised in 1977, the orchestra followed suit and was re-named Hounslow Symphony Orchestra, but it remained the same ensemble. The 2003/2004 season marked an unbroken sequence of 50 years and during that time the orchestra performed well over 150 concerts. Since 1993 HSO has performed regularly at St Mary's Church Osterley, where the vicar and Parish Council enthusiastically support a wide range of musical events.
In December 1999 the orchestra undertook its first overseas venture, with a concert in Lyon as guests of l'Orchestre Symphonique de Lyon. That concert included Elgar's cello concerto, which was unknown to our French colleagues and made a great impression. Just over a year later we acted as hosts for the return leg of the joint venture, with concert including a great French cello concerto - by Saint-Saëns.
On 5th December 2004 we celebrated our 50th Anniversary with the Brahms 1st symphony and Mozart arias, echoing the programme at the inaugural concert in 1954, and combining that with a the first performance of a commissioned work Lament to the Children of Beslan by Fay Neary.