These pages contain programmes and recordings of most of our recent performances. In addition, a list of every piece we have performed since 1960 is on the repertoire page and a history of the orchestra is on the about page.
Many of the sound recordings in this archive were recorded by students on the Tonmeister course at the University of Surrey, for which we are very grateful. Note that explicit approval is required for any photography or recordings, since we must have the consent of everyone involved and pay any extra fees incurred.
Click the programme covers to download the complete programme in PDF format. You can use a browser plugin such as Video & Audio Downloader to download audio and video recordings (start playing the recording to make it appear in the list).
Saturday 10th November 2018 at 19:45
|
Composition Competition
Europa by Marco Muilwijk This work will be performed as part of our May 2019 concert. We are very grateful to our adjudicator Paul Patterson for the many hours he donated to this project. The orchestra members voted for Bacchanal by Florence Anna Maunders and we will perform this in March 2020. Proem by John Senter will be performed in our November 2019 concert. We received more than 30 entries, thank you! We are very grateful for the considerable time and effort that went into preparing each of them. The other shortlisted finalists were:
The rehearsal recordings made of each of the finalist’s works are below. Europa by Marco Muilwijk Bacchanal by Florence Anna Maunders Proem by John Senter Bromleag by Robert Ely Kent Invicta by Philip Steel |
Saturday 19th May 2018 at 19:45
Roy Harris Symphony No 3 Holst Suite ‘The Planets’ Following Bernstein’s scintillatingly offbeat overture to Candide, we present an underrated masterpiece, Harris’ magnificently energetic, occasionally brooding yet always glorious (single-movement) Third Symphony. We follow this with the mercurial Holst’s self-described ‘mood pictures’ – his Herculean tour de force, The Planets. Bernstein Overture ‘Candide’ Roy Harris Symphony No 3 Holst Suite ‘The Planets’ |
Saturday 10th Mar 2018 at 19:45
Smetana Overture: ‘The Bartered Bride’ Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto Shostakovich Symphony No. 15 Smetana’s Bartered Bride overture is sheer orchestral effervescence – with a Slavic twist. Tchaikovsky’s eloquent violin concerto features prizewinning violinist Anna-Liisa Bezrodny on her Amati violin. The second half consists of one of Shostakovich’s quirky masterpieces, his 15th symphony. Side-swiped excerpts from William Tell in the first movement, evocative violin and cello solos and ghostly brass chorales in the second, plus a sardonic scherzo, are superseded by a finale echoing some of the most stirring moments from Wagner’s Ring and a sense of utter completion. |
Saturday 27th Jan 2018 at 19:45
Vaughan Williams Oboe Concerto Strauss Suite from ‘Der Rosenkavalier’ Nielsen’s 3rd Symphony (the ‘Espansiva’) is light and joyous – not ‘typical’ Nielsen at all. Its famous slow movement, which Nielsen himself described as a ‘landscape Andante,’ uses offstage solo voices to marvellous effect. Vaughan Williams then provides a virtuoso showpiece for principal oboist Caroline Marwood. A folk music-inspired pastorale is followed by a delicate minuet, while the finale is almost a perpetuum mobile – interrupted by some stunningly lyrical passages. The Rosenkavalier suite excerpts moments of Strauss’ greatest masterpiece, including the ‘Presentation of the Rose’ scene, and the most richly textured of the opera’s several waltzes. It concludes with the powerful trio for the Marschallin, Octavian and Sophie – and by the languorous final duet. Not to be missed! |
Saturday 11th Nov 2017 at 19:45
Casals arr Brown ‘Song of the Birds’ Debussy ‘Ibéria’ from ‘Images’ De Falla ‘Nights in the Garden of Spain’ Ravel ‘Boléro’ Sexy, sassy and Latin American, Márquez’s Danzón No. 2 is followed by a Spanish folk miniature for solo cello and orchestra. Then we get into the meat of the concert. Debussy’s ‘Ibéria’ – impressionistic and evocative – reminds us of his comment: ‘Music is as boundless as the elements, the wind, the sky, the sea… ’ De Falla himself acknowledged Debussy’s achievement: ‘the intoxicating spell of Andalusian nights, the joyous strains of guitars and bandurrias, whirls in the air!’ De Falla’s own Nights in the Gardens of Spain follows (‘the most tragic and sorrowful of his works, expressing an intimate and passionate drama.’) Catherine Borner’s piano solos are woven within a flamboyant orchestral texture. We conclude with Ravel’s iconic Boléro – by far his most famous work.(At its premiere, a woman furiously objected that Ravel must be mad. Ravel’s comment? ‘She has understood the piece!’) A barn-storming finale! A good quality video of this concert exists (all 5 pieces, no announcements, 74 minutes approx), recorded in high definition using three cameras and edited by Chris Beston. DVDs (standard definition, £8) and Blu-ray discs (high definition, £12) are for sale in the foyer on concert days or can be ordered through our contact page. Márquez – Danzón No.2 Casals – Song of the Birds Debussy – Ibéria De Falla – Nights in the Garden of Spain Ravel – Boléro |
Saturday 20th May 2017 at 19:45
Debussy: Rapsodie pour orchestre et saxophone Brahms: Symphony No. 2, Op. 73 Dukas suggested that his La Péri should evoke ‘translucent, dazzling enamel’ with hints of Persia. Debussy’s Spanish-inspired Rhapsody for saxophone and orchestra is followed by Brahms’ radiantly sunny, transcendently lyrical Second Symphony. See you there! |
Saturday 18th March 2017 at 19:45
Schumann: Symphony No. 2, Op. 61 Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde Schumann’s affirmatory Second Symphony precedes Mahler’s orient-inspired masterpiece, in which international artists Janice Watson and John Upperton take us on a journey from heroic energy through autumnal lament to a gloriously existential farewell.                                           |
Saturday 21st January 2017 at 19:45
Ireland: A London Overture Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 30 Bliss: A Colour Symphony Ireland’s vibrant London Overture is coupled with Rachmaninov’s rhapsodic and virtuosic Third Piano Concerto, starring Masa Tayama. Arthur Bliss’ exuberantly dashing ‘Colour’ symphony – one of the great British masterpieces of the 20th century – spins its magic in the second half. |
Saturday 12th November 2016 at 19:45
Berlioz: Overture ‘King Lear’ Op. 4 Debussy: Danse sacrée et Danse profane Ravel: ‘Daphnis et Chloé’ Ballet Our French first concert opens with Berlioz’ mercurial and richly programmatic King Lear. Harpist Elizabeth Scorah features in Debussy’s dreamily evocative Danse sacrée et Danse profane, followed by Ravel’s masterpiece of which he wrote: ‘Sumptuous and subtle, I have created the Greece of my dreams.’ |
Saturday 21st May 2016 at 19:45
Prokofiev Symphony No. 7 in C# minor, Op. 131 Arutiunian Trumpet Concerto in A-flat major Soloist Martin Bunce Borodin In the Steppes of Central Asia Tchaikovsky ‘1812’ Overture, Op. 49 The final concert of this season features four short classics. In the first half, Prokofiev’s seventh symphony is teamed with Arutiunian’s dashing trumpet concerto – featuring our own trumpet principal, Martin Bunce. Afterwards, Borodin’s pint-sized tone poem ‘In the Steppes of Central Asia’ is followed by the careering fire, stirring drums and wild cannon of Tchaikovsky’s ‘1812’ Overture. See you there! |
Saturday 19th March 2016 at 19:45
Bruckner Symphony No. 9 in D minor Our third concert of the season features another clever piece of programming: Schubert’s delightfully winning Symphony No 5 is followed by Bruckner’s shortest symphony: his seismic, turbulent and (finally) transcendent Ninth Symphony. |
Saturday 23rd January 2016 at 19:45
Sibelius Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63 Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 Soloist Mathieu van Bellen Beethoven takes pride of place in our second concert: his powerful ‘Prometheus’ Overture and his fabulous violin concerto frame Sibelius’ moodily brilliant Symphony No 4. We are delighted to once again feature rising star Mathieu van Bellen and his Guadagnini violin, this time in one of Beethoven’s most iconic works.
|
Saturday 14th November 2015 at 19:45
Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 Soloist Alexander Soares Tchaikovsky ‘Manfred’ Symphony in B minor, Op. 58 We open the season with two ‘takes’ on the romantic period pin-up, Manfred: Schumann’s broodingly magnificent ‘Manfred’ overture and Tchaikovsky’s rich and dramatic ‘Manfred’ symphony. In between we feature serial international prizewinner Alexander Soares in Grieg’s endlessly tuneful piano concerto. Not to be missed!
|
Concert Saturday 16th May 2015 at 19:45
Strauss Serenade for Thirteen Wind Instruments in E flat Glazunov Violin concerto in A minor Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances This concert consists of four brief and delightfully contrasting works. Humperdinck’s tuneful overture to Hansel and Gretel gives way to Richard Strauss’ charming chamber serenade for thirteen wind instruments and Glazunov’s scintillating violin concerto (starring previous Young Musician of the Year violin winner Callum Smart). Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances (a very late work) winds up the evening in sardonic, sensual style. |
Concert Saturday 21st March 2015 at 19:45
Mahler Symphony No. 7 Not to be missed is our third concert, comprising Mahler’s stunning Seventh Symphony, written at the height of his success as conductor and composer, and exemplifying his famous quotation: ‘A symphony must be like the world; it must contain everything.’ The seventh is rightly reckoned rather enigmatic, but contains, after a funeral march, the exquisite ‘night music’ movements and a demented waltz of a scherzo, an exultant climax. |
Concert Saturday 24th January 2015 at 19:45
Dvořák Cello Concerto in B minor Raine Memories of a Dream Brahms Symphony No. 3 in F major Nineteenth-century Romanticism is hugely to the fore for our second concert, kicking off with the Dvořák, the world’s best-known and best-loved cello concerto, performed by the gifted young soloist Daniel Benn in memory of his grandfather, Tony Benn. After the interval the orchestra performs Brahms’s Third Symphony, a masterpiece written in a mere four months, of which Clara Schumann wrote to Brahms on February 11, 1884: ‘All the movements seem to be of one piece, one beat of the heart.’  Many thanks to Ian Gillett, Steve Belgrave and Lester Barnes for photographing and recording the rehearsal and performance. Dvořák Cello Concerto – Allegro Dvořák Cello Concerto – Adagio Dvořák Cello Concerto – Finale Jonathan Raine: Memories of a Dream Brahms: Symphony No. 3 Allegro con brio Andante Poco allegretto Allegro – Un poco sostenuto |
Concert Saturday 15th November 2014 at 19:45
Walton Concerto for Viola and Orchestra Elgar Symphony No. 1 in A-flat major Our opening concert showcases outstanding British composition. From the light, jazzy Portsmouth Point, with its swaggering brass and pointed off-beats, to Walton’s resonant, lyrical and eloquently full-throated viola concerto, featuring Caroline Harrison, principal viola of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the concert winds up with Elgar’s immortal First Symphony, of which its first conductor, Hans Richter said to his orchestra, ‘Let us rehearse the greatest symphony in modern times.’ |
Concert Saturday 17th May 2014 at 19:45
Bernstein Symphonic Dances from West Side Story Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Overture We end our season with three very different works depicting Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Tchaikovsky’s sublime fantasy overture weaves the main themes of the story into twenty minutes of orchestral perfection. In West Side Story, Leonard Bernstein transplants the two doomed lovers to jazzy 1950’s New York. His Symphonic Dances leave the listener breathless as they are shamelessly bombarded with many of the twentieth century’s best tunes, including ‘Maria’, ‘America’ and ‘Cool.’ Berlioz was equally inspired, especially by his wife-to-be’s performance as Shakespeare’s Juliet. His ‘take’ on the work is bursting with harmonic imagination, fervent power, eloquent emotion and frustrated desire. Berlioz: Roméo et Juliette Bernstein: West Side Story Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliette |
Concert Saturday 22nd March 2014 at 19:45   Shostakovich Symphony No. 6 Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition Shostakovich’s 6th symphony, conceived in the 1930s, is a very personal work, reflecting not only the suffocating oppression of the Stalinist era but also the resilient spirit of the composer, with the power of the first movement balanced by the defiant and even riotous flair of the following two. Mussorgsky’s famous Pictures at an Exhibition was composed within a single month for piano, and has never slipped from orchestral repertoire since Ravel (among others) arranged it and it is Ravel’s orchestration we will be playing. Listen to the spooky ‘Catacombs’, enjoy the gossip from ‘The Market of Limoges’ and thrill to the grandeur of the final ‘Great Gate of Kiev.’ |
Our composition competition has now ended and the winner is:
Bernstein Overture ‘Candide’ 
Nielsen Symphony No.3 
Márquez Danzón No.2 
Dukas: ‘La Péri’, Fanfare et Poème dansé 
Schumann Overture from Manfred, Op. 115 
Humperdinck Prelude ‘Hänsel und Gretel’ 
Walton Overture “Portsmouth Point” 