UEA Symphony Orchestra's English Connection Concert

On the evening of Friday 15th November 2013 I attended the UEA Symphony Orchestra's The English Connection Concert at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich. This was a Sir Colin Davis Memorial Concert. The orchestra were conducted by Sharon Andrea Choa and featured soloist Paul Silverthorne (viola).

The programme consisted of Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85 (transcribed for viola) - Elgar and Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88 - Dvorak.

Elgar's Cello Concerto is the last of four expressively linked works together with the Violin Sonata, String Quartet and Piano Quintet he wrote in 1918 and 1919. The chamber works have a wistful and eerie enchantment, to which the concerto adds an unmistakably tragic tone. Viola player Lionel Tertis worked tirelessly to establish the viola as a solo instrument in its own right and made a transcription of Elgar's concerto in 1929.

Dvorak wrote the Eighth Symphony in 1889 and was published by the London firm of Novello and Co in 1892. The Eighth is thought of as the sunniest and most relaxed of Dvorak's symphonies, but there is considerable emotional darkness in the slow movement, as well as light and tranquillity.

This was a wonderful evening at St. Andrew's Hall as the UEA Symphony Orchestra performed splendid pieces by Elgar and Dvorak. This was a fitting memorial concert in memory of Sir Colin Davis.

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.

Mendelssohn and Britten at St. Andrew's Hall

On the evening of Thursday 21st February 2013 I attended the UEA Symphony Orchestra and Choir concert at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich which featured Sharon Andrea Choa - Conductor, Simon Ireson - Piano, Lisa Cassidy - Soprano, Diana Moore - Alto and Andrew O'Brien - Tenor. The programme consisted of Piano Concerto No.1 in G minor - Mendelssohn and Spring Symphony - Britten. The Broadland Youth Choir performed on Britten's Spring Symphony.

The first of Mendelssohn's two numbered piano concertos was composed at the beginning of October 1831. Mendelssohn himself was the soloist at the first performance and his admission that it had been written in haste seem to be borne out by the fact that the piano part is left blank in the autograph full score.

Britten's Spring Symphony was composed between 1948 and 1949. It was commissioned by the Kusevitsky Foundation and dedicated to Serge Kusevitsky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. This was Britten's most ambitious choral work to date which he described its subject as the progress of Winter to Spring and the re-awakening of the earth and life which that means.

This was a wonderful evening of Classical Music at St. Andrew's Hall with Simon Ireson beginning the night in style as the soloist on Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No.1. Everyone put a lot of work and effort into Britten's Spring Symphony and we were rewarded with a wonderful and uplifting performance from the Orchestra and Choirs including the Broadland Youth Choir.

Academy of St. Thomas concert at St. Andrew's Hall

On the evening of Saturday 3rd March 2012 I attended the Academy of St. Thomas concert at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich which featured soprano Catherine May and conductor Christopher Adey. This was the Orchestra's Russian concert on another night of wonderful music.

The programme consisted of Ruslan and Ludnila Overture - Glinka, The Enchanted Lake - Liadov, Concerto for Coloratura Soprano and Orchestra - Gliere, Vocalise - Rachmaninov and Nutcracker Suite - Tchaikovsky.

Mikhail Glinka wrote two operas the second being Ruslan and Ludmila based on a fairy tale by Pushkin which was worked on between 1837 and 1842. The overture opens with the wedding music at the end of the opera which was an exciting way to begin the concert.

Liadov composed The Enchanted Lake in 1909 which is a depiction of an imaginary landscape inspired by a lake in a forest. With the effect of orchestral textures and harmonic changes the music suggests rippling water and the sparkle of the sun on the lake. A great piece to listen too close to the banks of the River Wensum.

Concerto for Coloratura Soprano was the first Russian vocal concerto composed by Gliere in 1943. This lyrical work was dedicated to singer Pantofel-Nechetskaya. British Canadian soprano Catherine May performed brilliantly along with the orchestra on this piece which was greatly appreciated by the St. Andrew's Hall audience.

Rachmaninov wrote over eighty songs including the wordless Vocalise in 1915 which was dedicated to the singer Antonia Nezhdanova. Yet again Catherine May and the orchestra conducted by Christopher Adey put in another splendid performance.

The concert concluded with Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite which is always popular with concert audiences. Tchaikovsky completed the score in 1892 and the Nutcracker ballet was first performed at the Mariinsky Theatre on 18th December 1892. The music from the Nutcracker always sounds magical and on Saturday night St. Andrew's Hall was turned into the Land of Sweets. This was the perfect way to finish the Academy of St. Thomas' Russian concert.

Little Ceremonial going around St. Andrew's Hall

The English Chamber Orchestra delighting us at
St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich

On Saturday 7th May 2011 I was fortunate enough to be present at the Festival Chorus with the English Chamber Orchestra concert at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich. This was the opening Classical Music event at the Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2011.

The programme on the night consisted of Egmont Overture Op. 84 - Beethoven, Little Ceremonial - John Tavener, Col sorriso d'innocenza and final scene from II pirata - Bellini and Stabat mater - Rossini.

Conductor on the evening was David Parry. Also performing were Carmen Giannattasio - soprano, Ann-Marie Owens - mezzo-soprano, Colin Lee - tenor and Andrew Foster-Williams - bass-baritone. Terry Edwards is the Chorus Master of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival Chorus.

The evening began with a lively performance of Beethoven's Egmont Overture Op. 84 that was very well received by the festival audience. We were then treated by the European premiere of John Tavener's Little Ceremonial which was made more special with the composer present on the evening. The idea of this piece is of a procession apparently going nowhere.

Carmen Giannattasio gave a magnificent performance on Bellini's Col sorriso d'innocenza. Her voice was amazing and I'm sure everyone at the concert were thrilled to hear her amazing vocals.  The Norfolk & Norwich Festival has truly arrived.

After the interval Rossini's Stabat mater gave us more delights from the Orchestra, Festival Chorus and Soloists that filled the hall. This was a very enjoyable evening that has set up two weeks of wonderful events to look forward too at the Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2011.

A girl walks across St George's Street Bridge

Andy Yourglivch outside Norwich Playhouse

A girl walks across St. George's Street Bridge surrounded by art and culture. From Cinema City where you can witness the latest movies down to the Norwich Playhouse for some theatre and banter. In the bar a band is playing a sad song on an acoustic guitar. In the garden everyone's chatting and drinking next to the river.

At the School of Art the students are displaying their latest works full of colour and splendour. People are eating lunch at St. Andrew's Hall surrounded by beautiful glass stained windows. In the hall an organ is playing to take away the strains of the day.

The girl turns around and smiles before entering the Dog House Bar to meet a friend and enjoy a home made mixed pepper quiche. The bar is full of real ale straight from the keg attracting crowds from near and far.