The orchestra was founded in 1968, in a farmhouse in Pembury, when Jim Hill, a keen amateur clarinettist, and his wife Jean, who played the bassoon, invited a group of their friends to their house to play chamber music. Then, as now, the emphasis was on the enjoyment and fulfilment of making music together with friends. As the circle grew from a chamber group to an ensemble big enough to be called an orchestra, the players migrated first to the barn, and then to the village hall. There it officially became the Pembury Orchestra, though it began to attract members from further afield, some travelling from Maidstone and even St. Leonard’s on Sea.
There was always a strong singing tradition in the Hill family, and in those early years the occasional concerts always used to feature vocal and instrumental items, culminating in a performance by the full orchestra. The conductors included such eminent local musicians as Angela Nankivell, Diana Whitehead, Ann Molyneux, Anthony Roberts and Graham Dibbens, several of whom were also keen singers.
In the mid-1980s the orchestra had to look for a new rehearsal room. It found one in Tunbridge Wells, in the form of the ‘Satellite’ hall, situated in the Hilbert recreation ground. It soon became clear that the original links with the village of Pembury had become increasingly tenuous, so the committee was tasked with re-branding the orchestra. The Hilbert recreation ground is bounded on one side by Upper Grosvenor Road, where the then chairman lived, and after some discussion the name ‘Grosvenor Orchestra’ was duly adopted.
Around that time Howard Jones became the orchestra’s conductor, a position he held until 1996. A glance through the programmes from that time shows the orchestra growing in numbers, and beginning to tackle more ambitious works, including symphonies by Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn and Dvorak. A number of challenging contemporary pieces also received a hearing, including works by John Cage, Howard Skempton and Michael Finnissy. This also marked the beginning of a tradition of giving concerts in support of local charities, which continues to the present day. Howard’s association with St Philip’s church eventually led to another relocation. In 1987 a major project to refurbish and extend the church was completed, and it became the orchestra's new home.
In 1997 the conductor's baton passed into the hands of a coalition between Michael Hitchcock and Roland Millar, each of whom brought his own special brand of musicianship to developing the orchestra, frequently sharing the concert programme. Under their leadership the orchestra presented programmes of great variety and imagination. Roland’s many other musical commitments meant that he eventually had to hand over the role to Michael, who now directs the orchestra as it continues to go from strength to strength.