Rare airing of trombone concerto
SOUTHERN Sinfonia’s concert tomorrow evening (Friday, 7pm) features Chris de Souza’s exciting work, performed by Chris de Souza from Matthew Gee who joins Newbury’s resident professional orchestra at St Nicolas’ Church for Classical Celebration II.
The orchestra’s music director David Hill will conduct the concert, which also includes works by Mozart and Elgar.
The orchestra will play a rare performance of the Sinfonia’s artistic adviser Chris de Souza’s Trombone Concerto. The concerto was last performed in 2008 by Michael Buchanan – a previous winner of our Young Musician of the
Year competition. An esteemed soloist and the chairman of the British Trombone Society, Matthew Gee, pictured, will perform the concerto.
Gee currently holds the position of principal trombone for the Royal Philharmonic and Aurora Orchestra. He has played with some of the finest orchestras and chamber ensembles in the world and worked with some of the greatest conductors of this generation.
Listen out for the middle movement sandwiched by some outstanding trombone virtuosity, showing the extremities of what the instrument can achieve.
Elgar wrote Serenade for Strings in March 1892; it received its first performance by Worcester Ladies Orchestral Class, with the composer conducting. The piece is actually dedicated to organ builder and keen amateur musician Edward Whinfield. The serenade is a firm favourite among classical music fans, and will provide a fine opening to the concert.
Written in 1788, Mozart’s Symphony no. 40 is often referred to as the Great G minor Symphony. Incidentally, it is one of only two of Mozart’s 41 symphonies that he wrote in a minor key. It is often suggested that Mozart never actually heard the piece; some say he never even wanted it to be played. This has been disputed, however, by numerous music academics over the years following studies of his letters. The piece contains one of the composer’s most famous motifs, used countless times in advertisements and on television programmes.
Tickets are available from the Corn Exchange. Visit www.cornexchangenew.com or call 08455
218218.
To find out more about Southern
Sinfonia visit www.southernsinfonia. co.uk/Facebook and Twitter.
