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Details
The Great Hall - Reading University
27 London Rd
Reading
Berkshire
RG1 5AG
England
Programme
Benjamin Britten – Four Sea Interludes, Op.33a
George Dyson – Violin Concerto
~ Interval ~
William Walton – Symphony no.1 in B flat minor
Performers
Philip Ellis – Conductor
Rupert Marshall-Luck – violin
West Forest Sinfonia
Other concerts in this Series (+)
Programme Note
WFS gives its first concert of 2024 on Sunday 28th January at 4.30pm. As usual, the concert takes place at The Great Hall, Reading University and will be directed by Philip Ellis, WFS Principal Conductor.
We have a wonderful programme of English music. The concert begins with Four Sea Interludes by Benjamin Britten. The music comes from his opera Peter Grimes. To cover scene changes Britten composed six orchestral interludes. Four of these now form the suite and amply capture the atmosphere and spirit of the Suffolk coast where the opera is set. The movements are Dawn, Sunday Morning, Moonlight and Storm
Benjamin Britten studied composition with John Ireland at the Royal College of Music. At the same time, George Dyson was also on the staff and later was appointed as the Director of the RCM where he became known as something of a moderniser. Of his surviving works, The Canterbury Pilgrims is probably his best known composition. However, he was a quite prolific composer (particularly towards the end of his life) and we are delighted to have the opportunity to perform his Violin Concerto with soloist Rupert Marshall-Luck. We are indebted to the George Dyson Trust for their support of this performance.
In the early part of his career, William Walton was probably best known for his collaboration with Edith Sitwell resulting in the suite Façade. Belshazzar’s Feast followed and the over a period of four years (1931-5), he wrote his First Symphony. The symphony aroused international interest and received performances throughout the world. Walton went on to achieve fame through his writing for film (Henry V with Laurence Olivier) and recently two works Crown Imperial and Te Deum (as commissioned for the 1937 and 1953 coronations of George Vl and Elizabeth ll) featured in the coronation of Charles lll.
