Further Concerts Dates

Saturday 23rd March 2024, 7.30pm at Roding Valley High School, Main Hall

The programme will be:

Fanny Hensel (nee Mendelssohn) – Overture in C major

Fanny was Felix Mendelssohn’s sister and as such as been overshadowed by his prominence. It is also fair to say, while he encouraged her music-making, that he was prone to discourage her from publishing anything.

This added to the fact that she died at the age of 42 means that the only purely orchestral work in her catalogue is the Overture in C. Even then the overture was never published.

Anna Disley-Simpson – A Light Exists

Anna Disley-Simpson is an award-winning composer and performer originally from Dorset. She studied Composition at the Royal Northern College of Music before spending two years as the Graduate Musician-in-Residence at Radley College in Oxfordshire, where she taught music technology and composition, and ran a weekly popular music programme. 

The range of Anna’s creative output extends from uplifting vocal works and catchy pop songs to fragile electronic soundscapes and experimental multimedia installation pieces.

Inspired by the poem ‘A Light Exists In Spring’ by Emily Dickinson, this work explores the transition from a darkened winter into a lighter, vibrant spring.

Dvorak – Selections from Czech Suite

Premiered in 1879 in Prague at a concert organised by the Association of Czech Journalists, this was Dvorak’s attempt to build on the successes of his Serenades in E major and D minor. This time he tried to incorporate Czech folk dances.

A such it has often been compared to his more familiar Slavonic Dances.

Beethoven – Symphony No.7

While maybe not the most well known of his symphonies, Beethoven considered the 7th symphony to be one of his best. The sombre 2nd movement was so well received at the premiere that it had to be encored.

When Beethoven began composing the symphony, Napoleon was planning his campaign against Russia in 1812. As such, the 7th seems to be another of Beethoven’s musical confrontations with Napoleon, this time, in the context of the European wars of liberation from years of Napoleonic domination.

The work was premiered with Beethoven himself conducting in Vienna on 8 December 1813 at a charity concert for soldiers wounded in the Battle of Hanau. The program also included the patriotic work Wellington’s Victory, exalting the victory of the British over Napoleon’s France. 

Saturday 29th June 2024, 7.30pm at Roding Valley High School, Main Hall

Elgar’s Cello Concerto with the Essex Young Musician of the Year.

Saturday 16th November 2024, 7.30pm at Roding Valley High School, Main Hall

A very special concert to celebrate the 75th Birthday of a very dear friend of the Orchestra… David Silkoff. He will be playing two of Beethoven’s Piano Concertos: No. 4 and No 5.

String Workshop May 2024

Details of the spring string workshop will posted on the String workshop page hopefully in the near future

We are going to have a further string workshops next season.

See our string workshop page or contact Rosemary Fitchett leader@wsorchestra.org.uk .