January heralds a new beginning for orchestra music in London as #WePlayOn (formerly Orchestra London) rebrands with a new name and direction. On January 20, the tenacious group will perform Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 as well as other pieces at Metropolitan United Church, under the baton of conductor Kevin Mallon.

Dvorak’s popular arrangement, affectionately known as New World Symphony, is an appropriate introduction to the orchestra’s future. Written in the 1890s while Dvorak lived and worked in North America, it embodies the Czech composer’s sense of wonder at his new environment and draws heavily from his exposure to African-American music. It echoes the orchestra’s uplifting rise from the ashes of 80-year-old Orchestra London, which declared bankruptcy in 2014.

Project manager Patricia McKinna says, “The musicians have been the ones to carry this forward.” She emphasizes that “maintaining musical standards is a given.”

The plan is to start small and build momentum. #WePlayOn plans two additional spring concerts and another three in the fall.

Loosen the strings in February with altered chords and improvisation during the 27th Annual Firehall Reunion.The event takes place February 18 at the London Music Hall. Local stars Cheryl Lescom and Tim Woodcock headline along with national and international guests such as Chuck Jackson (of Downchild Blues Band) playing with the Hogtown Allstars, Paul DesLauriers Band, and Chris Gill from Mississippi.

Brian Mortimer, the man behind it all, expects upwards of 800 people from all over Canada to attend the reunion and says the VIP tables-for-10 sell out every year. Mortimer, who ran the bar between 1979 and 1990, recalls The Firehall as a place of inclusion and credits the quality of the musicians and the staff for its popularity.