Local orchestra to perform charity concert.
A charity concert this coming Saturday features the Bournville String Orchestra, comprising around thirty current and former local music students (Grade 7 or above), Under the auspices of Birmingham music teacher Lucy Akehurst, the ensemble has come together annually for the last decade, raising money for Christian Aid and Save the Children in the process.
This will be the first BSO performance for conductor Tadeusz Kaznowski (currently studying on the Master’s course at Canterbury Christ Church University) who is also both an accomplished French Horn player and experienced arranger and orchestrator. As in previous years the BSO will be led by Christian Halstead.
This year’s programme, the result of a week-long series of rehearsals, offers the following quintet of pieces:
Dvorák – Serenade for Strings in E Major
Fuchs – Serenade No. 3
Mozart – Divertimento in D Major
Jacob – Denbigh Suite
Delius – Two Aquarelles
Dvorák’s Serenade for Strings was written in 1875 during an auspicious time in the composer’s life as he enjoyed his first successes on the concert platform. Performed in five short movements around a three-part song form, it flows easily and naturally with both a sense of immediacy whilst retaining an idyllic and peaceable character.
Austrian composer Robert Fuchs wrote Serenade No. 3 (one of his five serenades) in 1877, dedicating it to Elizabeth Habsburg, Empress of Austria. It was composed in three movements for four violins, two violas, two cellos and string orchestra. Following a rather sad opening section, the third and fourth movements are the brightest and most exciting.
Mozart’s Divertimento in D (sometimes known as Divertimento 11) is the evening’s main work. Consisting of six movements, it was written in 1776. One of three divertimentos written by Mozart (the BSO has previously tackled the other two) it should provide a stern test for these talented young musicians.
English born composer Gordon Jacob’s Denbigh Suite was written in 1928 and consists of three movements: the Praeludium, Pavane and Gavotte
Consisting of two part songs written in 1917, “to be sung of a summer night on the water”, Delius’s Two Aquarelles was arranged in 1932 by Eric Fenby for string orchestra under Delius’s supervision, after the composer had become both paralyzed and blind. What was haunting in the choral version becomes consoling in the string version and have been described as being as nearly pure Delius as was possible for another hand to create.
Tickets (£12/£8 concessions) are available on the door.