Important announcement [1]

We regret that due to the unexpected non-availability of the Great Hall at Ravensbourne School in the early part of 2012, we have had to make alternative arrangements for the remaining concerts of the current season. The March concert will now be at the newly built hall at Ravens Wood School [2] and the May concert will be at Bromley‘s first ever proper purpose-built concert hall at the Langley Park School for Boys [3]. Details of these locations are below.

As the acoustics of the Ravens Wood hall would not be ideal for Bruckner’s music, we have deferred our previously announced performance of his Eighth Symphony until our 2012/13 season. This will be at Langley Park School for Boys. For March we have therefore created a programme featuring the wonderful piano soloist, Masa Tayama.

Concert Saturday 17th March 2012 at 7:45pm [4]

Ravens Wood School, Oakley Road, Bromley BR2 8HP

Note change of venue and programme

Ludwig van Beethoven

Borodin Overture and Polovtsian Dances from ‘Prince Igor’ [5]

Beethoven Piano Concerto No 5 ‘The Emperor’ [6]
Soloist Masa Tayama [7]

Bartók Concerto for Orchestra [8]

Borodin’s wonderful music is very widely known, much of it having been adapted for use in lighter and popular genres, notably in the musical ‘Kismet’. For Beethoven’s most well loved piano concerto, we are delighted to welcome back Masa, whose previous appearances with us met with such enormous acclaim. Bartók certainly puts the various sections of the orchestra through their paces in his showpiece concerto, a true 20th Century classic.

Concert Saturday 19th May 2012 at 7:45pm [9]

Langley Park School for Boys, South Eden Park Road, Beckenham BR4 3BP

Note change of venue

Johannes Brahms

Rossini Overture ‘William Tell’ [10]

Walton Two pieces from ‘Henry V’ [11]

Strauss Horn Concerto No. 2 [12]
Soloist Richard Watkins [13]

Brahms Symphony No. 4 [14]

Rossini’s overture is very well known, not least for its galloping finale which became the ‘Lone Ranger’ theme music. Music for strings from Walton’s ‘Henry V’ film music calms things down. Strauss’s love for the horn shines though all his orchestral works, and particularly in this late concerto which needs a real virtuoso soloist. We conclude our season with this wonderful symphony, which has been a mainstay of the orchestral repertoire ever since it was written.

Summer Workshop - Sunday 10th June 2012 [15]

Langley Park School for Boys, South Eden Park Road, Beckenham BR4 3BP

Our Summer Workshop is an occasion when the orchestra spends a day rehearsing an interesting work then gives an early evening informal performance which audiences may attend at no charge, although a collection is made to help cover our costs. The rehearsal is open to non-members and spectators, including (quiet) children.

The work to be studied this year is the Symphony in E by Hans Rott, [16] a composer few people have encountered. He was a brilliant fellow student with Mahler, but sadly went mad and died at the age of 25. Mahler greatly admired this symphony, and his own symphonies, the first of which was written 8 years after Rott’s, show very strong influences. Anyone who appreciates Mahler’s music will enjoy this. For more details, visit this site nearer the time.

Location of Ravens Wood School [17]

Our January and March concerts will be at Ravens Wood School [2], Oakley Road, Bromley BR2 8HP

View Ravens Wood School [2] in a larger map

Our soloists... [18]

Masa Tayama [19]has appeared in numerous recitals, chamber music and concerto performances in Europe, Japan and the USA, including a recent solo recital at London’s Wigmore Hall. He first came to prominence in 2000 winning First Prize in the Takahiro Sonoda International Piano Competition in Japan, followed by numerous top prizes in Europe. We are delighted to welcome him back once again.

Richard Watkins title= Richard Watkins [13], one of the most sought-after horn players of his generation, is well-known as a concerto soloist and chamber music player. He was Principal Horn of the Philharmonia Orchestra from 1985 until 1996, and is currently a member of the Nash Ensemble and a founder member of London Winds. He has appeared at many of the world’s most prestigious venues in the UK, Europe and the USA, and has worked with conductors such as Giulini, Sawallisch, Salonen, Slatkin, Sinopoli, Rozhdestvensky, Andrew Davis and Mark Elder. He currently holds the Dennis Brain Chair of Horn at the Royal Academy of Music as well as being in great demand for teaching and masterclasses in Europe and the USA.