The Aurora Orchestra declares war!

On the evening of Saturday 18th May 2013 I was back at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich to see the Aurora Orchestra at the Norfolk and Norwich Festival performing their Battle programme which combined break dancing and orchestral music. The Aurora Orchestra were conducted by Rory MacDonald with Thomas Gould - Leader and Max Baillie - Viola. The Dancers were from Bboy's Attic and Company Decalage.

The programme consisted of Battalia A 10 - Biber, Chamber Symphony Op.73A - Shostakovich arr. Barshai, Venus from The Planets - Holst arr. Farrington, Maxamorphosis - Julian Phillips and This Means War - Chris Willis. The Bboy's Attic and Choreographer Mickael 'Marso' Riviere joined the Aurora Orchestra for this adventurous cross-art project as part of the Orchestra's New Moves series.

Battle featured a playlist linked loosely by the theme of conflict or struggle. There is the baroque fireworks of Biber's Battalia, Shostakovich's third string quartet whose original guise as a straightforward 'war narrative' in fact masked more complex beginnings and Chris Willis' radical re-imagining of Holst's Mars, the Bringer of War. At the heart of the programme was Maxamorphosis, a major new work composed by Julian Philips and choreographed by Marso for chamber orchestra, dancers and solo viola.

This was an amazing night at St. Andrew's Hall with the Aurora Orchestra giving us a brilliant unique programme of break dancing and orchestral music which was greatly enjoyed by the enthusiastic audience. Maxamorposis not only featured breakdancers and a contemporary dancer, but the soloist, Baillie, danced as well as played the viola. He is trained in Capoeira, the Brazilian martial arts danceform. The Norfolk and Norwich reached another level of excitement with the stage being filled with break dancers as well as the orchestra.

Blue skies over Eaton

On Sunday 2nd September 2012 I attended The Jay Singers concert in the Eaton Concert Series at St. Andrew's Church, Eaton, Norwich. This was a wonderful afternoon to be in Eaton at the first concert in the 2012/13 Series. The Jay Singers were directed by Neil MacKenzie who was a founder member of The Sixteen. Piano accompaniment was provided by Neil Ricketts.

The programme consisted of Full fathom five (from The Tempest) - Shakespeare, Full fathom five - Charles Wood, Look, stranger - W H Auden, Just as the tide - Ralph Vaughan Williams, The Lover's ghost - Ralph Vaughan Williams, Neither out far nor in deep - Robert Frost, Break, break, break - Alfred, Lord Tennyson, There rolls the deep - Hubert Parry, The sea hath its pearls - Ciro Pinsuti, Walking Across the Atlantic - Billy Collins, Fear of Falling - Jehane Markham, Seal Lullaby - Eric Whitacre and Three Shakespeare songs - Ralph Vaughan Williams. There was an interval of 20 minutes and time for a refreshing apple juice before an exciting second half to the concert.

After the interval the programme consisted of Sea Fever - John Masefield, Cargoes - John Masefield, I love my love - Gustav Holst, Matelot - Noel Coward, arr Vlasto, Blue Skies - Irving Berlin, arr Woods, Not waving but drowning - Stevie Smith, The Last Swim - Michael Laskey, Meerfey - Robert Schumann, Der traumende See - Robert Schumann, In Meeres Mitten - Robert Schumann, The Owl and The Pussycat - Edward Lear, Shallow Brown - Percy Grainger and I'm seventeen come Sunday - Percy Grainger.

This was a splendid afternoon of music and poetry with the theme of the Sea as The Jay Singers took us on a journey to the seaside. It was brilliant to hear a couple of Percy Grainger songs along with a reading of The Owl and The Pussycat. A fun and enjoyable concert from The Jay Singers which proved to be the perfect opening to the 2012/13 Eaton Concert Series.

Elgar back home at Norwich's St. Andrew's Hall

I was back at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich on Saturday 10th December 2011 for the latest Norwich Philharmonic Orchestra concert which always means a large audience at this historic venue. This was a special night due to the links between Sir Edward Elgar and concert sponsors Hansells. The composer become good friends with Norwich solicitor Walter Hansell when he came to Norwich in 1905 to rehearse for the triennial Norwich Music Festival. The night's concert featured Elgar's Cello Concerto.

On the evening the Norwich Philharmonic Orchestra were conducted by Matthew Andrews with Philadelphia born Bartholomew LaFollette as cello soloist. the full programme consisted of Helios Overture - Nielsen, Cello Concerto in E minor - Elgar, Egdon Heath - Holst and Symphony No.5 in E flat - Sibelius.

The opening piece of the evening Helios Overture was composed by Nielsen in 1903 while in Athens and inspired by the sight of the sun rising over the Aegean Sea. This was followed by Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor which included an incredible performance from soloist Bartholomew LaFollette who along with his cello made St. Andrew's Hall his own which resulted in loud and warm applause from the enthusiastic audience.

After the interval we were given a splendid performance of Egdon Heath, Holst's portrait of a landscape which was inspired by Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native. This was followed by my highlight of the night with music by one of my favourite composers. Sibelius composed his Symphony No.5 in E flat as part of the celebrations for his fiftieth birthday in 1915 though the definitive score was not released until 1919.

This was a mighty way to finish the concert and how better to conclude then with the six massive majestic strokes at the end of the Symphony. This was a night of triumph for the Norwich Philharmonic Society who for 171 years has it's main object to promote and perform orchestral and choral music. Tonight they performed orchestral music that they can be very proud of.