The Eastbourne Orchestral Society (EOS) was founded in 1951 by Captain Waterhouse, with the aim of bringing together musicians in
the area, amateur and other, who were keen to meet regularly to rehearse orchestral works.
This venture proved very successful and the Orchestra was soon large enough and had reached a sufficiently high standard for it to put on two or three public concerts a year. All concerts were being held mainly at the Winter Garden.

After the death of Captain Waterhouse in 1954, the conductorship of the Orchestra was taken over by Mrs D. Waterhouse, under whom it continued to enjoy wide popularity. Upon her retirement in 1969 she was succeeded by Mr Graham Albon and, when he stood down in 1980, the baton was taken up by Dr Bryn Bridges O.B.E. In 1985 the concerts were transferred to the Eastbourne Town Hall, where the Orchestra continued to flourish and enjoy the support of the public. Growing the orchestra from a chamber-sized ensemble the orchestra became known as the EOS Concert Orchestra in 1989 with the first concert as the Eastbourne Concert Orchestra in 1994. 

Dr Bryn Bridges retired from conducting the Orchestra in 2000, and continued as a playing member until 2006 and has now moved away from the area. The Society was then in the enviable position of having the opportunity to appoint two eminently suitable Associate Conductors who were, Brian Smith M.B.E. and Adrian Shepherd M.B.E.