Magical Mozart with Danielle de Niese at Grayshott

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Mozart ‘Overture’ from Don Giovanni, K.527
Mozart ‘In quali eccessi…Mi tradí quell-alma ingrata’ from Don Giovanni, K.527
Mozart Al desio, di chi t’adora K.577
Mozart Ballet Music from Idomeneo, K.366
Mozart ‘L’amerò sarò costante’ from Il re pastore, K.208
Mozart ‘Parto, parto, ma tu ben mio’ from La Clemenza di Tito, K.621
Mozart Symphony No.40 in G minor, K.550

Danielle de Niese soprano
Jonathan Bloxham conductor
Ruth Rogers leader

Join us for a marvellous evening featuring a selection of Mozart’s favourite songs and areas, sung by the soprano du jour, Danielle de Niese, together with the London Mozart Players. For years accolades have been heaped on this exceptional singer, including “The most sought-after soprano on the planet” (BBC Radio) and “A stage natural with a thrilling and bright soprano she can use for any effect she likes” (Wall Street Journal).

Famous not only for her divine singing but also her acting prowess, Danielle has a rich history of playing operatic roles – she played Hanna Glawari in the Merry Widow to great acclaim at Glyndebourne last year and has frequently created the quintessential Cleopatra in David McVicar’s classic production of Guilio Cesare. She also has a fine record performing Baroque music, including Poppea in L’incoronazione di Poppea, as well as more contemporary performances including Les Miserables on Broadway – her professional debut at the age of 18 playing Eponine.

While the final details are yet to be settled, the programme will comprise arias and songs by Mozart. What could be better?

Marlborough College Concert Series

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Handel Organ Concerto in F major, Op. 4 No. 5, HWV 293
Barber Adagio for Strings
Poulenc Organ Concerto, FP. 93
Widor Symphony No. 5 in F minor, Op. 42 No. 1

Philip Dukes conductor
Michael Butterfield organ
Ruth Rogers director/leader

On Wenlock Edge with LMP Chamber Ensemble

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Schubert ‘Quartettsatz’, D703
Vaughan Williams ‘On Wenlock Edge’
Shostakovich Piano Quintet in G minor, Op 57

Mark Le Brocq tenor
Anna Tilbrook piano

Vaughan Williams’s early masterpiece sets the words of A E Housman. Composed in 1909, ‘On Wenlock Edge’ provides an eerie foreshadowing to the many men lost in the Great War. Tenor Mark Le Brocq, who appeared with Welsh National Opera in its highly successful production of Britten’s ‘Death in Venice’, brings his unique perspective.

Pianist Anna Tilbrook joins the LMP for a work which writer Gerard McBurney described as ‘a chamber-music classic of the 20th century’.  Shostakovich’s work proved immediately popular with the public when it was first performed in September 1940.  It also won Shostakovich his first Stalin Prize, the highest decoration given at the time to the country’s most elite artists.

Royal Choral Society Verdi Requiem

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Verdi Messa da Requiem

Verity Wingate soprano
tbc mezzo-soprano
Alexei Dolgov tenor
Alistair Miles bass
Richard Cooke conductor
Royal Choral Society

Celebrating 150 years since the choir gave the UK premiere with the composer himself conducting, the Royal Choral Society performs Verdi’s Requiem.

Referred to as Verdi’s ‘greatest opera without a stage’, this is religious music from the pen of the master of Italian opera and he certainly didn’t let the conventions of sacred choral music hold him back from writing one of the most thrilling choral works in western classical music. His mixing of the sacred and the theatrical into a work of such scale and drama caused some scandal at the time, and it was considered unsuitable for use within religious services.

With its fearful, whispered opening leading into the thunderous drums, blazing trumpets and terrified chorus of the Dies Irae, the beginning of Verdi’s choral masterpiece leaves us in no doubt that it’s judgement day. But alongside the tumult, Verdi made space for sacred reflection, with music of exquisite beauty and quiet serenity that offer us a glimpse of his perception of heaven.

 

Virtuosity and Grace

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Mendelssohn String Symphony No. 10
Haydn Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major, Hob. VIIb:1
Bartók 2 Romanian Dances, Op. 8a, BB56
Mozart Sinfonia concertante in E flat major, K. 36
Simon Blendis director
Hugo Svedberg cello
Aki Blendis viola

Thaxsted Festival Closing Concert

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Purcell Abdelazar Suite Z. 570
Handel Concerto Grosso in B-flat major Op.6 No.7
JS Bach Concerto for Two Violins in D minor BWV 1043
Vivaldi The Four Seasons

Simon Blendis director

Our season is brought to a close in a feast of Baroque works featuring the string players of our Orchestra-in-Residence, the London Mozart Players.

Purcell composed his Adbelazar Suite to accompany performances of a revenge tragedy of the same name by the English dramatist Aphra Behn. It dates from 1695, the last year of the composer’s life. Handel’s elegant Concerto Grosso No 11 has delighted audiences since 1739, while Bach’s effervescent and energetic Concerto for Two Violins was composed in around 1730. The evening ends with Vivaldi’s ever-popular Four Seasons, from 1718-20.

Expect an evening of superb playing, in an uplifting programme of joyous period music.

‘LMP possess an unfailing professionalism, artistry, and commitment to music’ John Suchet

This concert is produced in association with Orchestras Live.

Wotton Concert Series

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Mozart March in D Major, K.335 No. 2
Mozart Symphony No 1 in Eb Major K.16
R. Strauss Horn Concerto No. 1 in E flat Major, Op. 11
Warlock Capriol Suite (version for strings)
Beethoven Symphony No. 4 in B flat Major, Op. 60

Ben Hoffnung conductor
Amadea Dazeley-Gaist horn

Thaxsted Festival Opening Night Concert

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Mozart Le Nozze di Figaro, Overture
Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major
Mozart Symphony No 41 in C major ‘Jupiter’

Jonathan Bloxham conductor
Charlotte Saluste-Bridoux violin

To open our 2025 summer season we welcome back the full forces of our Orchestra-in-Residence, the London Mozart Players, who join with rising-star violinist Charlotte Saluste-Bridoux in Beethoven’s monumental and game-changing violin concerto. Charlotte has been part of Thaxted Festival’s Developing Artists Programme over recent years, and we are delighted to feature her as the soloist in this central and challenging work of the violin repertoire. Mozart’s uplifting overture to The Marriage of Figaro opens the concert, which ends with the joyful ‘Jupiter’– his last, and probably his most popular symphony.

Experience the excitement of a major orchestra and virtuoso soloist in the magnificent acoustics of Thaxted Parish Church, with these popular and accessible works from the classical repertoire. Find out more about Charlotte Saluste-Bridoux here: ycat.co.uk/charlotte-saluste-bridoux

During the festival, members of London Mozart Players will be working with pupils from Thaxted Primary School and other local schools to enable the children to develop and perform their own pieces of music. Thaxted Festival is very grateful for the funding support it has received from a number of sources, including local charities, to support this education programme.

‘Salouste-Bridoux [brings] lyrical flow and tonal beauty to even the most complex passages of multiple-stopping.’ Tim Homfray, The Strad review of Charlotte’s debut solo album, ‘Ostinata’.

This concert is supported by a generous donation from Gareth and Pauline Stainer in memory of John R Stainer OBE, organist and composer, who was Registrar of the Royal College of Music from 1959 to 1976. The concert is produced in association with Orchestras Live.

Beethoven and McNeff: LMP with Fenella Humphreys

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Beethoven Coriolan Overture, Op.62
Stephen McNeff Violin Concerto

Interval

Beethoven Symphony No.3 in E flat Major Op.55, ‘Eroica’

Fenella Humphreys violin
Jonathan Bloxham conductor

In a tale worthy of a Pulitzer Prize, Beethoven’s Third Symphony is enshrouded in a story of betrayal and defiance as the composer battled through personal and political strife.

As the promise of liberty in the French Revolution emerged, Beethoven dedicated his symphony to Napoleon in the hope of a better future. When scandal erupted and Napoleon betrayed his way to the top, Beethoven furiously tore out the dedication and renamed the Symphony ‘Eroica’.

Grappling with his worsening deafness and political turmoil, Beethoven refused to write music for music’s sake. Instead, ‘Eroica’ shattered expectations and produced a radical vision of real-life heroism. ‘Eroica’ wasn’t just music; it was revolution.

The spirit of bold innovation continues to shape music today. Paired with ‘Eroica’ in this concert is the world-premiere of Stephen Mcneff’s Violin Concerto, performed by Fenella Humphreys. Drawing from Baroque influences, Mcneff’s Concerto fuses historical ideas with modern sounds, creating something entirely new – music that pushes boundaries, just like ‘Eroica’ did.

LMP Play Bach’s Brandenburgs

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Bach Brandenburg Concerto No.3 in G Major, BWV 1048
Bach Brandenburg Concerto No.2 in F Major, BWV 1047
Bach Brandenburg Concerto No.5 in D Major, BWV 1050.2
Bach Orchestral Suite No.2 in B minor, BWV 1067

Simon Blendis director/violin
SDNA lighting design and projection

In 1977, the Voyager spacecraft launched into the cosmos carrying some particularly precious cargo: two vinyl records designed to showcase Earth’s rich musical heritage to any curious extraterrestrials who might stumble across them. Among the selections was Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No.5.

The Brandenburg Concertos are a series of six groundbreaking works, three of which we will bring to life in this concert. Ever the visionary, Bach pushed the boundaries of the Baroque, experimenting with unique instrumental pairings and daring combinations that had never been heard. Combined with on-the-edge-of-your-seat flashy solo passages, the Brandenburgs have remained as some of Bach’s most popular music. All-in-all, quite deserving of a space on what can only be described as planet earth’s greatest hits.

To enhance your listening experience, St Martin’s will be transformed into a digital gallery in true cosmic fashion as bespoke, live projections fill the walls as the orchestra plays.

 

Mozart, master of drama: LMP with Danielle de Niese

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Mozart ‘Overture’ from Don Giovanni, K.527
Mozart ‘In quali eccessi…Mi tradí quell-alma ingrata’ from Don Giovanni, K.527
Mozart Al desio, di chi t’adora K.577
Mozart Ballet Music from Idomeneo, K.366
Mozart ‘L’amerò sarò costante’ from Il re pastore, K.208
Mozart ‘Parto, parto, ma tu ben mio’ from La Clemenza di Tito, K.621

Interval

Mozart Symphony No.40 in G minor, K.550

Danielle de Niese soprano
Jonathan Bloxham conductor

Never one to shy away from the spotlight, Mozart knew how to bring the drama.

As a master of opera, he had a knack for storytelling, bringing his characters to (larger-than) life through outrageous tales of love, loss, deception and even assassination. Danielle de Niese (‘Opera’s coolest opera singer’, New York Times Magazine) shows off Mozart’s theatrical skills with a selection of arias from his most-loved operas including Don Giovanni and Idomeneo.

Mozart’s love for drama didn’t just stop at opera. If turmoil had a soundtrack, it would undoubtably be his Symphony No.40. Oozing with anguish, the symphony shows Mozart to be in touch with his emotional side as he challenges the orchestra to battle through 35 minutes of pure angst. Though that all might sounds a bit miserable, it makes for an action-packed listening experience – there’s a reason it holds its place as one of Mozart’s most popular pieces.

Classical Pride at St. Jude’s

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Caroline Shaw Entr’acte (2014 version for string orchestra)
Barber Canzonetta for Oboe and String Orchestra, Op. 48
Vaughan Williams Concerto for Oboe and Strings
Barber Adagio for Strings
Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings, Op. 48

Nicholas Daniel oboe
Rebecca Miller conductor

Proms at St Jude’s often takes place during Pride Month, and tonight − nearly 55 years to the day since the first Pride marches in June 1970, following the 1969 Stonewall Uprising − we celebrate three LGBTQ+ composers and the immense contribution they have made in the history of classical music. Caroline Shaw is the youngest winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Music and described Entr’acte as ‘like a minuet and trio, riffing on that classical form but taking it a little further; [it] suddenly takes you to the other side of Alice’s looking glass, in a kind of absurd, subtle, technicolor transition’. American Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings is one of the most recognisable pieces of classical music in the world – it was used at Franklin Roosevelt’s funeral and after JFK’s assassination − and Tchaikovsky’s heartfelt Serenade for Strings is considered to be one of the late Romantic era’s definitive compositions.

Nicholas Daniel OBE is one of the world’s great oboists and one of Britain’s best-known musicians. He won the BBC Young Musician of the Year award in 1980 with the Vaughan Williams Oboe Concerto and has made several award-winning recordings of it over the years. Mr Daniel will also perform a second piece by Barber − an oboe Canzonetta − the middle movement of an unfinished concerto, his final work.

Haslemere Festival: London Mozart Players with Levi Andreassen and Elfida Su Turan

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Mozart Divertimento in F major K.138
Bottesini Gran Duo Concertante
Barber Adagio for Strings op.11 in B flat minor
Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings in C Op. 48

Levi Andreassen double bass
Elfida Su Turan violin
Simon Blendis director

Set up over 75 years ago by Harry Blech to perform the works of Mozart and Haydn, LMP’s mission has evolved into creating bold, ambitious and accessible musical experiences for all. LMP are proud to be at the forefront of embedding arts and culture into the life of communities across the UK and beyond, performing both new works and music that stays true to their roots.

LMP are based at Fairfield Halls in Croydon and have residencies at St John’s, Upper Norwood, Thaxted Festival and Grayshott Concerts. Collaborating with many of the world’s greatest soloists and conductors, LMP’s work is made in Croydon and celebrated across the globe.

Ishani Bhoola, violinist and leader of The Waverley Ensemble, launched the Haslemere International String Competition in 2017 to give talented young string players a chance to gain significant solo concert exposure. Originally aimed at students living in the counties around London, it has since greatly expanded its reach and now draws talented young performers from all over the world. It is open to string players aged 11-22 and takes place every two years.

Stan and Mabel: The Race for Space

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Jason Chapman (author) Stan and Mabel and the Race for Space
Music by Paul Rissmann
Featuring music by Mozart, Elgar and Tomlinson.

Simon Blendis director
Polly Ives narrator

Psssst parents – are you looking for an affordable day out for the whole family? Join our dog and cat friends, Stan and Mabel, on a musical adventure as they discover the orchestra!

Music-loving dog and cat Stan and Mabel are back. This time, they’re joined by a whole carnival of animals as they escape from the School for Wild and Dangerous Animals in search of a safe place to call home.

This fun-packed interactive concert for children aged 3+, features highly engaging music by composer Paul Rissmann, storytelling by Polly Ives and projected illustrations from Jason Chapman’s original book. This is a perfect introduction to the orchestra with music also by Mozart, Elgar and Tomlinson.

Music at Oxford: London Mozart Players with Jess Gillam

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Jessie Montgomery Strum
James Macmillan Saxophone Concerto
Vaughan Williams Fantasia on Greensleeves
Dowland Flow my tears
Bartok Romanian Folk Dances
John Harle RANT!
Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings, Op. 48

Jess Gillam saxophone
Ruth Rogers leader
Jonathan Bloxham conductor

A concert full of memorable tunes and toe-tapping dances with the electrifying saxophonist Jess Gillam bringing folk-inspired music for strings to life.

From the Scottish Isles in Macmillan’s punchy saxophone concerto to the idyllic English countryside of Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Greensleeves, the evening showcases the rich variety of folk-influenced classical music. As well as spanning the globe, tonight’s music also traverses time, transporting you from the Renaissance with Dowland’s Flow My Tears to now, with Jessie Montgomery’s spiky Strum.

Jess Gillam, known for her warm and charismatic presenting style on BBC Radio 3, will guide you through the programme with engaging spoken introductions.

A Festival of the Saxophone

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Jessie Montgomery Strum
James Macmillan Saxophone Concerto
Vaughan Williams Fantasia on Greensleeves
Dowland Flow my tears
Bartok Romanian Folk Dances
John Harle RANT!
Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings, Op. 48

Jess Gillam saxophone
Ruth Rogers leader
Jonathan Bloxham conductor

Join us for an exhilarating evening as Jess Gillam, the brilliant saxophonist hailed for her dynamic and joyful performances, makes her Grayshott Concerts debut. Known for her infectious energy and unique style, Jess has been enchanting audiences worldwide and breaking new ground for the saxophone in classical music. Together with the London Mozart Players, she will guide us through a diverse programme that showcases the saxophone’s versatility, moving from classical to jazz-inspired pieces.

 

 

Royal Choral Society: Dvořák Stabat Mater

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Dvořák Stabat Mater

Royal Choral Society
Richard Cooke conductor
Simon Blendis leader

Verity Wingate soprano
Rebecca Afonwy-Jones alto
Peter Davoren tenor
William Gaunt bass

In this intensely passionate music, whose composition was overshadowed by the deaths of three of his infant children, the greatest Czech composer pours out his most profound and heartfelt writing.

It is a work of deep beauty and pathos from the heartrending despair of its extended first movement, as Mary laments the death of her son Jesus at the foot of the cross, to the radiant hope of the final movement.

Standing alongside the Cello Concerto and the New World Symphony as one of his greatest works, Stabat Mater was also the work that cemented Dvorak’s reputation internationally. Following the success of its first London performance in December 1883, Dvořák himself was invited to conduct it with the Royal Choral Society in the Royal Albert Hall in March 1884, when the choir numbered some 800 singers. Today’s Royal Choral Society is happy to present it for the first time in many years.

Academy Choir Wimbledon

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Beethoven Egmont Overture, Op. 84a
R. Strauss Metamorphosen
Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45

Ruth Rogers leader
Matthew Best Conductor
Academy Choir Wimbledon