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Details
Assembly Hall Theatre
Crescent Road
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN1 2LU
England
Tickets
Prices: £5 - £36
Booking line: 01892 554441
Book Tickets
Programme
Ralph Vaughan Williams – Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor – Violin Concerto, Op.80
~ Interval ~
William Walton – Symphony no.1 in B flat minor
Performers
Peter Selwyn – Conductor
Fenella Humphreys – violin
Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra
Other concerts in this Series (+)
Programme Note
In response to German music critic Oscar Schmitz’s 1904 claim that Britain was the “land without music,” this concert proudly showcases the depth and brilliance of English composers.
The programme begins with the deeply moving Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis by Vaughan Williams. Drawing on a 16th-century sacred melody, this piece for double string orchestra is both solemn and transcendent, a timeless meditation on harmony and heritage.
We then celebrate a long-overlooked voice with Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Violin Concerto, written in 1912. A composer of mixed heritage and extraordinary talent, Coleridge-Taylor’s music is lyrical, heartfelt and beautifully crafted. His concerto is performed by Fenella Humphreys, who delighted RTWSO audiences in 2024 with Sibelius. This work deserves far more exposure – its Dvořák-like warmth and individuality are a joy to hear.
The concert concludes with Walton’s Symphony No. 1, a towering achievement of 20th-century British music. It’s bold, brassy, rhythmically alive and emotionally intense. At times tempestuous, at others majestic, this work shows Walton’s mastery and vision. Its explosive finale alone is worth the ticket.
Far from being a musical backwater, this concert proves that Britain’s composers have plenty to say – and say it magnificently.
