Music is a language which cuts across national boundaries, and the Wilmslow Symphony Orchestra's new season of five evocative concerts promises an exciting tour of Europe's great musical traditions.
The Orchestra makes a welcome return to the Evans Leisure Centre in Wilmslow for our first concert on 20th October at 7:45pm, when we head east for Tchaikovsky's romantically lyrical swansong, the Pathétique Symphony, and north for Grieg's ever-popular first Peer Gynt suite. From central Europe, Alfred Pollard brings an oboe concerto by Beethoven's Czech contemporary Krommer. The sunny south is represented by Spanish conductor Juan Ortuňo.
On 1st December, the Orchestra turns to the west when Carlos del Cueto conducts a concert of English music, including two of our national musical treasures, Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis and Elgar's Enigma Variations. There's also music by Holst, Delius and Sullivan.
Mark Heron then takes us northwards again on 23rd February for Grieg's Piano concerto, with young soloist Jackie Campell, Sibelius's Symphony no.2 and Nielsen's Helios overture.
Royal Northern College of Music Gold Medal winner Sophie Rosa is the soloist in Mendelssohn's Violin concerto on 20th April, in a concert which also welcomes back conductor Ken Woods to scale the heights of Bruckner's Symphony no.7.
Juan Ortuňo returns on 15th June for our final concert, when we head south and which appropriately features Spain as seen through the eyes of others. Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnol is on the programme, together with the suites from Bizet's Carmen and Fauré's delicate Pavane. Two of Debussy's evocative Nocturnes, including the Spanish-inspired Fêtes, and Dvořák's sparkling Scherzo Capriccioso complete the bill.
Tickets, priced £10 for adults and £2 for under 18s, which includes the price of our professionally produced programme, are available at the door or in advance from Bang & Olufsen, Bank Square, Wilmslow.
All concerts will be held in the Evans Hall at Wilmslow Leisure Centre, starting at 7.45 pm. Where you are warmly invited to meet members of the Orchestra in the relaxed atmosphere of the bar, which will be open before the concert and during the interval. Free parking is also available at the Leisure Centre during the evenings.
This is a member post by John Mills.
Photo: Mark Heron.
