Next concert

NEXT CONCERT: Sunday 26th November 2023

6:30 pm in Lavenham Church

Schubert: Overture in the Italian Style in C

Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor

with soloist Jill Morton

Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 "The Pastoral" in F

Concert Programme

Our autumn concert this year will be in Lavenham Church at the slightly later than normal time of 6:30.  Our hopes for a triumphant return to St Peter's Sudbury were dashed due to over-running building works.   But we will be back there for our March concert which is great news.    

The two principal works for the evening are Schumann’s Piano Concerto with Jill Morton as soloist and Beethoven’s wonderful 6th Symphony, the Pastoral.  We start the evening with Schubert’s very jolly Overture in the Italian Style in C, written when Schubert was just 20 years old.  He wrote this and another overture in the style of Rossini who he much admired and who was very popular at the time.  And when you hear it you will agree – it is very Rossini in style. 

Schumann’s Piano Concerto had its premiere in 1845 with his wife, Clara, as soloist.  This concerto has become one of the most widely performed and recorded piano concerto from this period.  The concerto starts with a grand flourish with some wonderful melodies repeated throughout the orchestra and the piano. After a graceful middle section the concerto moves into a its buoyant last movement full of dance like themes before ending in a jubilant and exhilarating finale.  It’s a lovely work which played on a magnificent Steinway grand piano in Lavenham Church will sound absolutely fantastic.

Our soloist for the piano concerto is Jill Morton who has played with many times and it is always a delight for both us and the audience when she returns to us.  She has performed in all the major concert halls throughout Britain and has been heard on BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night is Music Night as soloist with the BBC Concert Orchestra.  She will certainly do the Schumann justice!

Beethoven’s 6th Symphony, the Pastoral, is a wonderfully original work which includes bird calls (a nightingale, a quail and a cuckoo) which, it has to be said, put the fear of god into the soloists.  We also have peasant musicians falling asleep (so the story goes) somehow portrayed in the music with great sophistication followed by the famous storm with everyone playing full pelt.  This is probably the hardest music to play for a double bass player in the whole orchestra repertoire so please listen out for them. The storm passes and the music gives thanks.  This is a joyful piece with beautiful tunes that you will be humming for weeks to come.

So – a wonderful evening of music in store, do come and enjoy.  
 

Tickets

Tickets for this concert are available now from TicketSource and will soon be available in person from the Tourist Office in Sudbury (in the Town Hall),   Peddars in Sudbury (lovely gentlemen's outfitters) and Lavenham Guildhall.  Tickets are just £15 for adults (including complimentary concert programme) and £2 for children aged 16 and under.  Tickets will also be available on the door.  Or click here to email us and reserve your ticket.   

Reserve your Seat

Friends of the orchestra can reserve their seats in advance once they have purchased a ticket.  If you are not already a Friend, you can easily become one by clicking here. For just £20 a year (although if you would like to donate more, please do so) you are entitled to reserve seats at each concert given by the Orchestra and you will receive three vouchers, each voucher entitling the holder to a free drink at one of our concerts.