I’m really pleased that Robin Browning is able to conduct HCO on Saturday after the very successful concert he directed in February.  He’s written an interesting introduction below and we hope he will enjoy the music as much as you and the Orchestra will.

At our recent Committee Meeting, we discussed possible changes to the way the Orchestras will progress and how the background administration can be undertaken now that Sandra needs more time with her family.  There will be much more on this subject in the next Newsletter.

However, the one change that we wholeheartedly approved was a complete change to the production of the Programme Book which will now actually be six Programme Books – i.e. one for each concert!  This means that the information will be more up-to-date, especially if we have to make last minute changes to playing personnel or advertised programmes.  Again, more details in July.

Strangely, the change was pin-pointed immediately as we shall have to produce ‘supplementary’ details for the soloist in July because Anna-Liisa Bezrodny is not able to play with HSO.  However, Tom Hammond, our Guest Conductor recommended that David Le Page should take over and he was happy to accept.  David has played with HSO before - the Mendelssohn Concerto at Hayling Island in 1986.

In the meantime, enjoy the music on Saturday!

Best wishes

Becky Hill

Saturday 18 May – the Programme

David Goodall’s Talk

Why has David called his talk ‘The Last of the Mohicans’?  Does anyone know the answer?  No prizes, but if you don’t know, come to the talk at 6.30pm on Saturday and all will be revealed ….. and ‘No’ this is not a portrait of David!

Upbeat in the Church Hall at 6.30

Hello Upbeaters!

Elise Fairley will be leading Upbeat again.  In fact I’ve asked her to take over as Upbeater-in-Chief now that I am Chairman of the Orchestras as I know she has some great ideas and will really interest you with her enthusiastic approach.

Do come and meet her on Saturday

Best wishes
Becky Hill

The Pre-Concert Interlude

in the Church, 7.00 – 7.20pm.  No details as yet but do come early and listen to the young players.

Holy Trinity Church is on the main street in Fareham, just beyond the shopping centre to the west.

The car park behind the church will, in all probability, be used by the players so space will be limited.  Other car parks include the main car park (next to Ferneham Hall) about 5-10 minutes away – depending on how fast you walk; or on the left in Osborn Road South; in King Street (left at traffic lights on West Street) and Trinity Street (right after next traffic lights on West Street).

More details on www.fareham.gov.uk (see Parking in Fareham Town Centre).  Parking is free after 6.00pm.

By Train: walk towards town centre, the Church is on the right.

By Bus: walk through the precinct towards the train station and the Church will be on your left.

Other advice / information -

The Church  postcode is PO16 0EL.

To purchase tickets please call Margaret Packe on 01243 377430 to reserve and collect on the night.  Alternatively arrive in good time on Saturday - Box Office will be open at 6.30pm.

Seats are guaranteed but not reserved.

Refreshments will be served in the Hall at the Interval.

In a former life I was a string player, but now I don’t even dabble – life on the road as a professional conductor means I have little time for fiddling. Alas. But I’ve always, always been drawn to string music – there are such bountiful riches, after all. Disappointingly, I actually perform little of it – for all kinds of reasons (not least because it’s often so tricky). So it’s a real joy to be asked to step in for Peter once more with HCO and this string programme. I’ve never performed anything on the menu before except the Grieg Holberg Suite (some time ago), and I’m hugely looking forward to it.

As I write, we’re enjoying the earliest flushes of spring, and the sun is out, finally – after such a long time! I’ve accompanied this beautiful weather with studying the score of the Dvořák Serenade for Strings. I truly cannot think of a better piece of music to go with such sunny weather! E major always lifts the spirits, being such a bright and elevated key (full of sharps). But it isn’t just that. Dvořák has such skill in creating a simple, almost perfectly charming scene within only a matter of bars. And yet he finds variation in texture, harmony and rhythm to sustain each wonderful movement superbly well.

People often complain of Dvořák’s inability to develop musical ideas. Well, in the symphonies perhaps – wonderful as some are, yes, their developments are lacking a certain vitality or originality. But in this String Serenade his original motifs and ideas are packed full of possibility. More importantly, his imagination is so spring-like and fresh, that we are treated to five movements of invention, drama, scherzo, waltz, the odd touch of melancholy (like only Elgar could really match) and some real sun – at last!!

When Grieg wrote the Holberg Suite, he was deliberately looking over his shoulder to the music of the past, as a tribute to the playwright Holberg from some 200 years previously. So, it has a big link with the Bach Suite on the programme – they’re both a sequence of dance numbers, effectively: the Bach including Sarabande, Bourrée and Polonaise, while the Grieg involves us in Gavotte, Musette and Rigaudon. Two fascinatingly connected suites, yet distinctly characterful in their delivery.

The Glazunov is a discovery for me, I confess – I only knew of it before I was asked to conduct this concert, but had never heard it. I’ve previously performed some Scandinavian Sax concerti, and also played his violin concerto, but never this particular combination. It’s a short piece of intertwined movements, with elements of scherzo, slow movement and fugato-like finale all packed into a densely and dazzling quarter of an hour.

I hope, like me, you all enjoy listening to this wonderful – and above all sunny! – music as much as we’ve enjoyed preparing it.

Robin Browning

Robin enjoys a busy conducting career in the UK and abroad.  He is currently music is currently director of five orchestras – de Havilland Philharmonic, Wimbledon Symphony Orchestra, Petersfield Orchestra, Southampton University Symphony Orchestra and Essex Youth Orchestra.  His debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at London’s Barbican was broadcast on Classic FM. He has conducted the Hallé, English Northern Philharmonia, Northern Sinfonia, Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Intercontemporain, St Petersburg Festival Orchestra, Estonian National Youth Orchestra, and in 2011 made his US debut with the Boise Philharmonic.  He took 2nd prize in the NAYO Conducting Competition in 1994, and won the inaugural Boosey & Hawkes Award at the Edinburgh Festival the following year.

Robin has been assistant conductor to Benjamin Zander with the Philharmonia Orchestra and has also assisted Sir Mark Elder and Wayne Marshall.  He studied at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena with Ilya Musin and Myung-Whun Chung, furthering his training in the USA with Joseph Gifford.

In 2008 he was invited to the David Oistrakh Festival in Estonia for masterclasses with Neeme and Paavo Järvi.  He also studied with Sir Charles Mackerras, Sian Edwards and Markus Stenz.  Now established as a teacher himself, Robin runs the conducting course at the University of Southampton.  He is passionately committed to training younger musicians and conducts orchestras at Trinity College of Music and Guildhall School of Music.  In 2008 he was involved in the Barbican Young Orchestra project with Peter Stark and Sir Colin Davis.

Robin has four commercially-released CDs currently available, including many world-premiere recordings.

CDs for this concert

Sourced by Gordon Egerton (Clarinet)

Bach  – Suite No 2 in B minor
Academy of Ancient Music / Hogwood
c/w Suites 1, 3 & 4 and 2 concertos for 2 harpsichords
Decca - Double Decca E4580692 - 2 discs mid price

Grieg  – Holberg Suite
Moscow Soloists, Yuri Bashmet
c/w Mozart, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings
Onyx ONYX 4037 - full price

Glazunov  – Saxophone Concerto
Theodore Kerkezos / Philharmonia Orchestra / Martyn Brabbins
c/w saxophone works by Debussy, Ibert, Karamessini, Milhaud and Villa-Lobos
Naxos 8.557063 - bargain price

Dvořák  – Serenade for Strings
Philharmonia Orchestra / Warren-Green
c/w Serenade for Wind
Chandos Collect CHAN 6678 - bargain price

End of the Era Sale - ENORMOUS REDUCTIONS!!

Peter’s CDs will be at BARGAIN PRICES ON SATURDAY

Come Early for the biggest Choice

Saturday 8th June, 7.30pm

St. Mary’s Church, Portsmouth
Portsmouth Choral Union

Motets  – Stanford and Puccini
Magnificat  – Cecilia MacDowell
Gloria  – Vivaldi

Tickets from: 023 9282 2227 and at door

Wednesday 12th June 7.30pm

St George's Church, Waterlooville
Portsmouth Philharmonia

Classics used in television advertisements –
Match the music to the advert –
A prize for whoever gets the most right!

Tickets £6 at door, including Interval drink

Saturday 29 June, 7.30 pm

St Peter’s Church, St Peter's Rd, Hayling Is.
Cantemus

Coronation Mass  – Mozart
Songs of Springtime  – E J Moeran
Choral Medley from Les Miserables
Conductor Malcolm Munro

Tickets £8.00 from 023 9246 3531 and at door

Saturday 6 July, 7.30pm

Ferneham Hall, Fareham
Havant Symphony Orchestra Conducted by Tom Hammond
Overture Rob Roy  – Berlioz
Mother Goose Suite  – Ravel
Violin Concerto in A minor  – Glazunov
    Soloist - David Le Page
Symphony No 3, Unfinished  – Borodin
Carmen Suite No 1  – Bizet