OCTOBER 2017 JULY 2018
Conductor s Introduction Welcome to the 2017 18 season of the Cambridge Philharmonic, one of the UK s leading music societies. With a full symphony orchestra and a large chorus, the Cambridge Philharmonic presents a series of concerts in West Road Concert Hall, the Emmanuel United Reformed Church and Ely Cathedral. Our season begins in October with Rossini s Petite messe solenelle, a deliberately misnamed work if ever there was one, being neither petite nor particularly solemn either. November s programme features Dvor ák s turbulent Seventh Symphony and Rachmaninov s magnificently dark tone poem, The Isle of the Dead which together frame a performance of Britten s stunning violin concerto. Our soloist, Matthew Trusler, always a hugely popular guest, is a noted exponent of the work and has performed and recorded it to great acclaim. Our annual opera-in-concert this year takes us to the heart of romantic Russia, for Tchaikovsky s masterpiece, Eugene Onegin. The stunning cast includes many Philharmonic friends including Matthew Hargreaves (Pistol, Falstaff), Mark Wilde (Cat, Pinocchio) and Yvonne Howard (Auntie, Peter Grimes) and several artists whom we welcome for the first time, including the award-winning Julien Van Mellaerts and Katherine Broderick. The Cambridge Phil family concerts in January are a highpoint of our season and this year I m delighted that we ll be working once again with my brother, the presenter and broadcaster, Tom Redmond. Paris has always held great appeal to composers from all over the world and for our concert in March we bring together works by some of the 20th century s masters who lived and worked there. Timothy Ridout is one of the most exciting young musicians of his generation and I m thrilled that he will be joining us in May to play Walton s viola concerto. That concert also feature Elgar s ever-popular Enigma Variations and we take the opportunity to celebrate Leonard Bernstein s centenary with a performance of the symphonic suite from On the Waterfront. The season ends with Mahler s stunning Eighth Symphony a work ideally suited for the grandeur and rich acoustic of Ely Cathedral. We look forward to seeing you at a concert and thank you for supporting the Cambridge Philharmonic. Principal Conductor The world renowned Cambridge Philharmonic one of Cambridge s great city institutions. Local Secrets Season Summary Saturday 7 October 2017 Rossini Petite messe solennelle Emmanuel United Reformed Church, Cambridge Saturday 4 November 2017 Rachmaninov The Isle of the Dead Britten Violin Concerto Dvor ák Symphony No. 7 Saturday 16 December 2017 Tchaikovsky Eugene Onegin Saturday 13 January 2018 Family concert Tim and Tom s Symphonic Adventure Saturday 17 March 2018 Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms Poulenc Concerto for 2 Pianos Ravel Daphnis and Chloé Suite No. 2 Poulenc Stabat Mater Sunday 20 May 2018 Bernstein On the Waterfront: Symphonic Suite Walton Viola Concerto Elgar Enigma Variations Saturday 7 July 2018 Mahler Symphony No. 8 Ely Cathedral
Saturday 7 October 2017 at 7.30pm Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle Conductor Soprano Clare Tunney Alto Hannah Bennett Tenor Alexander Aldren Bass Richard Walshe Cambridge Philharmonic Chorus Saturday 4 November 2017 at 7.30pm Darkness to Light Rachmaninov The Isle of the Dead Britten Violin Concerto Dvor ák Symphony No. 7 The programme begins with one of the great tone poems of the 20th century. Inspired by Böcklin s iconic painting, Rachmaninov s dark, brooding music conjures up the stroke of oars in the water and a slow funereal journey that gradually builds to a huge orchestral climax. Matthew Trusler s virtuosic playing has won him acclaim throughout the world. Following his unforgettable performance of Shostakovich last year, he returns to the Cambridge Phil with Britten s haunting Violin Concerto, a work composed in Canada, premiered in New York and imbued with an anger and sadness at the Spanish Civil War. When Dvor ák wrote his Seventh Symphony he intended the piece to stir the world. Commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society and first performed in London under the composer s own baton, it is arguably Dvor ák s finest work. Conductor Violin Matthew Trusler Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra By the age of 37, Rossini s 40 operas had made him a wealthy man. William Tell was to be his last, after which he left his adopted France for Italy all-but retiring from composing. However, after a long illness he returned to Paris and to music writing many light-hearted vignettes and salon pieces, the greatest of which is the Petite messe solennelle. Rossini described it as the last mortal sin of my old age. Packed with stunning melodies and sumptuous harmony, this delightful work is a perfect start to the season. And you are invited to experience the piece close-up at an open rehearsal on Saturday 23 September. Here you will be able to join the Philharmonic Chorus and conductor for the afternoon and work in detail on this extraordinary music. The soloists are supported by the Josephine Baker Trust. Tickets (unreserved): 15 Powerful, radiant singing from the Phil chorus Cambridge News The language of music is common to all generations and nations; it is understood by everybody, since it is understood with the heart. Gioacchino Rossini Open Rehearsal Saturday 23 September 2.30 5.30pm, Emmanuel United Reformed Church. For further details and an application form go online to Emmanuel United Reformed Church, Cambridge Tickets (reserved): 12, 16, 20, 25 What I try to do when writing down my music is to make it say simply that which is in my heart. Rachmaninov Trusler s playing is richly nuanced and deeply empathic. Westdeutsche Zeitung
Saturday 16 December 2017 at 7.30pm Tchaikovsky Saturday 13 January 2018 at 2.00pm and 4.00pm Family Concert Making the music feel fun, accessible and at times downright FASCINATING... a brilliant way to introduce kids to orchestral music. Cambridge News Conductor Tchaikovsky s most famous opera, a setting of Pushkin s timeless verse novel, is a deeply moving tale of love, rejection, jealousy and loss. Tatyana, a country girl, falls for the dashing society bachelor, Onegin, pouring out her love for him in an impassioned letter. Onegin s cold response leads to a tragic chain of events that affects all those closest to him. Julien Van Mellaerts and Katherine Broderick, both Kathleen Ferrier Award-winners, lead a stellar cast of international soloists Tickets (reserved): 15, 20, 25, 30 Onegin Julien Van Mellaerts Tatyana Katherine Broderick Lensky Thomas Atkins Olga Bethan Langford Larina Yvonne Howard Filippyevna Fiona Kimm M. Triquet Mark Wilde Prince Gremin /Zaretsky Matthew Hargreaves Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus The Cambridge Philharmonic s annual opera is becoming a wonderful local tradition Local Secrets Conductor Presenter Tom Redmond Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra For this year s Philharmonic Family Concert, conductor Tim Redmond is joined on stage by his brother Tom. Together, they find an old chest full of mysterious objects which take them on some unexpected musical adventures! With works by Mozart, Wagner, John Williams (and lots more besides) you can look forward to an action-packed hour of musical entertainment. If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music. Albert Einstein Tickets (reserved): 12
Saturday 17 March 2018 at 7.30pm (pre-concert talk & performance 6.45pm) Sunday 20 May 2018 at 7.30pm FRENCH CONNECTIONS Varèse Ionisation* Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms Poulenc Concerto for 2 Pianos Ravel Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2 Poulenc Stabat Mater Conductor, Finan Jones* Soprano Margo Arsane Pianos Nicolae Mihaila, Thibault Charrin Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus Guildhall Percussion Ensemble Paris entre-deux-guerres, played host to the some of the greatest creative geniuses who ever lived. Throughout the 1920s and 30s, in the salons and concert halls of the French capital, Gershwin and Copland rubbed shoulders with Picasso and Chagall, Gertrude Stein and Ernest Hemingway, Coco Chanel and Nina Ricci. The music of the time was as varied as it was brilliant. In this concert, Stravinsky s austerely beautiful Symphony of Psalms contrasts with the unabashedly lush sound world of Francis Poulenc. *A free pre-concert talk at 6.45pm will include a performance of Varèse s Ionisation for thirteen percussionists, conducted by Finan Jones. Tickets (reserved): 12, 16, 20, 25 My music is my portrait. Francis Poulenc This music is very, very French. Stravinsky on Poulenc Bernstein Walton Elgar On the Waterfront: Symphonic Suite Viola Concerto Enigma Variations 2018 marks the centenary of Leonard Bernstein, perhaps the most celebrated of all 20th century musicians: composer, conductor, pianist and educator, Bernstein s legacy is extraordinary. Though he wrote so many phenomenal stage works West Side Story, On the Town and Candide among them Elia Kazan s 1954 film On the Waterfront was the only movie Bernstein ever scored. Composed when he was only 26, Walton wrote his Viola Concerto for Lionel Tertis at the suggestion of Sir Thomas Beecham. With its poignantly beautiful opening and thrilling scherzo, the work quickly became one of the central works of the viola repertoire. Timothy Ridout, first-ever British winner of the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition, is the soloist. It was at a performance of his viola concerto in 1932 that Walton met Elgar for the only time, 33 years after the Enigma Variations first burst into the world and changed English music forever. Tickets (reserved): 12, 16, 20, 25 Conductor Viola Timothy Ridout Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus Music can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable. Leonard Bernstein
Saturday 7 July 2018 at 7.30pm MAHLER Mahler Symphony No. 8 Conductor Soprano Judith Howarth Soprano Katherine Broderick Soprano Paula Sides Mezzo Soprano Heather Shipp Mezzo Soprano Madeleine Shaw Tenor Daniel Norman Baritone Michael Druiett Bass Richard Wiegold Cambridge & Norwich Philharmonic Choruses Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra Mahler described his mighty Eighth Symphony as a gift to the whole nation. Whilst its nickname Symphony of a Thousand might be an exaggeration, with eight soloists, several choirs and a truly enormous orchestra, it s not too far off the mark. In the summer of 1906, Mahler was concerned that his creative powers were failing him. He decided to rest from his usual composing routine, but on his first day of holiday, the Spiritus Creator took hold of me and shook me and drove me on for the next eight weeks until my greatest work was done. Based on the Latin hymn Veni Creator Spiritus and the final part of Goethe s Faust, this is a celebration of life, love and the creative spirit. Tickets (reserved): 15, 25, 30 / (unreserved): 10 Box Office: 01353 660349 (Ely Cathedral) Online: tickets.elycathedral.org Ely Cathedral 8 Cambridge Try to imagine the whole universe beginning to ring and resound. There are no longer human voices, but planets and suns revolving. Gustav Mahler Philharmonic Supporters Scheme The Cambridge Philharmonic is a charitable organisation and has to be fully selfsupporting. Our main sources of revenue are ticket sales, membership fees and the generosity of Cambridge Philharmonic Supporters, which include businesses, trusts and individuals who share our vision, and whose support we gratefully acknowledge. The Cambridge Philharmonic Supporters Scheme (CPSS) is open to all and is intended to give music lovers an opportunity to become more closely involved with the Cambridge Philharmonic and its objectives. We cater for various levels of support and in return offer a range of benefits. These include an advance copy of our season brochure allowing preferential booking, acknowledgement on the Cambridge Philharmonic website and in newsletters, invitations to open rehearsals and the opportunity to sponsor a concert. The funding we receive through the Supporters Scheme is vitally important. It allows us to be more ambitious with our programmes, to engage leading musicians to work alongside our largely non-professional membership, and to continue to attract the enviable roster of world class soloists who perform with the Cambridge Philharmonic every season. For information on becoming a Cambridge Philharmonic Supporter or for information about concert sponsorship write to: chairman@cam-phil.org.uk Cambridge Philharmonic Society, Registered Charity No. 243290 Design & artwork: John Williams. Cambridge Philharmonic photos: Joe Howarth, Pete Jones and Bill Hiskett. Cover: Timothy Ridout photo Kaupo Kikkas; Julien Van Mellaerts photo Diana Roberts; Matthew Trusler photo Sheila Rock. Page 5: background after Arnold Böcklin. Page 8: background after Cassandre. Page 9: background after Jessie Tarbox Beals. Page 10: Mahler photo courtesy Library of Congress. Other background images pixabay.com and Wikimedia Commons. For their continuing support we would especially like to thank: Principal Patron Bill Parker Patrons total eye care The Pye Foundation Kevin Judge Jan Littlewood Principal Benefactors John Short and Debbie Lowther Paddy Smith Benefactors Edward and Gillian Coe Rob and Janet Hook Donors & Friends Emmanuel College Trinity College St John's College Churchill College Pembroke College Josephine Baker Trust Gerard and Margaret Chadwick
How to book Tickets for all concerts (except Ely Cathedral) are available: Online: via www. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk/tickets or visit By telephone: Cambridge Live 01223 357851 Mon - Sat 10.00am to 6.00pm In person: at the Cambridge Live Box Office 2, Wheeler Street, Cambridge CB2 3QB From 12 noon - 6.00pm. Ely Cathedral concert (Saturday 7th July 2018) Box Office: (Ely Cathedral) 01353 660340 Online: tickets.elycathedral.org Tickets will also be available on the door for all concerts. West Road Concert Hall tickets & prices West Balcony 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 S 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 S 1 2 3 4 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 T D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S Stage 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 S D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S E E 19 E 20 21 S 20 21 22 23 24 T Wheelchairs 5 6 7 8 East Balcony 15 19 20 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Price 1 Balcony: Lowest price Price 2 Second price seats Price 3 Third price seats Price 4 Highest price seats Family Concert: all tickets 12 Please note: some seats in the balcony have a partially restricted view Wheelchair + companion Further information To join the Cambridge Philharmonic as a performer please email: chorus@cam-phil.org.uk or orchestra@cam-phil.org.uk For all other enquiries, please email: secretary@cam-phil.org.uk