Welcome to our Spring Concert

Weston Youth Orchestra would like to welcome you to our Spring Concert which includes a wide variety of music, performances from both our Junior and Senior Orchestras, and a solo item. We hope that you enjoy your time with us this evening!

The Orchestra is very grateful for the support received from our audiences as well as from family and friends of Orchestra members. We are pleased to be able to offer young musicians the opportunity to experience orchestral playing, including concert performances, as well as the chance to socialise with other young musicians and to experience a broad repertoire of music.

The orchestra continues to invest in new items to add to our extensive library of music and some of our most recent purchases feature as part of tonight’s programme.

We continue to welcome new members each year to both our Junior and Senior Orchestras, so if you are inspired by what you hear this evening, or know of a young musician who might be interested to join us, please get in touch! More information about the orchestra, including its history, past programmes and how to join can be found at our website: www.westonyouthorchestra.org.uk.

Forthcoming Concerts

Sunday 14 May5.00pm

Junior Orchestra ConcertBoulevard United Reformed Church

Waterloo Street, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 2LF

Saturday 7 October7.30pm

Junior & Senior Orchestra ConcertAll Saints Church

All Saints Road, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 2NL

Saturday 16 December7.30pm

Junior & Senior Orchestra Christmas ConcertSt. Paul's Church

Walliscote Road, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1EF

Available in the Foyer

50th Anniversary Concert CD - £10(recorded at Weston Playhouse, 2009)

Music from Stage & Screen CD - £10(recorded at Weston Playhouse, 2013)

Weston Youth Orchestra Stickers – 50p

Raffle Tickets - £1

All funds raised contribute to the running costs of the orchestra

Violin & Cello RecitalIn aid of the Lymphoma Association

Saturday 25 March - 7.00pmSt. Paul's Church

Walliscote Road, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1EF

Laura Barrington (violin)Kate Robey (cello)

Programme to include items by Beethoven, Kreisler, Ravel, Bloch & Bach

About Our OrchestraWeston Youth Orchestra was established in 1958 to provide an environment for young musicians to improve their performance skills through playing in an orchestra.

Many former members have gone on to forge careers within the world of music, including conducting and performing with the world’s top orchestras, arranging and composing music as well as playing for West End shows. In 2010 Nigel Hess, a former orchestra member and prominent composer of television and film scores, became the orchestra’s president.

We are a self-funding voluntary organisation whose income is generated solely from public performances and annual membership fees.

On average we perform four full concerts each year. Repertoire for these is primarily sourced from our own library; this includes works ranging from standard Classical repertoire through to music from Stage & Screen.

Weston Junior Arts Festival 2017Weston Junior Arts is a competitive music festival with classes

for all age groups from 7 to 18 years.

Late entries are being accepted in the String and Wind/Brass categories this year – the new deadline for entries is Wednesday 15

March. Please visit our website or email for more information.

The festival is held at Victoria Methodist Church:Strings – Monday 1 MayPianos– Tuesday 2 May

Woodwind/Brass – Wednesday 3 MayVocal – Thursday 4 May to Saturday 6 May

www.westonjuniorartsfestival.org.ukentries@westonjuniorartsfestival.org.uk

Our Concerto Soloist – Laura BakerLaura has been a member of Weston Youth Orchestra since 2004 and has recently graduated from the Birmingham Conservatoire with a Bmus (Hons) in clarinet performance.

During her studies, she performed with the Conservatoire’s major orchestras and was a member of Joe Brougton’s Conservatoire Folk Ensemble performing at Music for Youth festivals at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, and the Royal Albert Hall. Laura has also played with the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra, Central England Ensemble and South West Youth Orchestra.

During her third year, she completed a semester abroad on Erasmus Exchange, studying at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague where she undertook many masterclasses and gained extensive performance experience.

Laura would like to thank the Orchestra for their ongoing support and for giving her the opportunity to perform the finale to Weber’s clarinet Concerto No.2.

Programme Notes – Second Half Senior Orchestra

Karelia Suite – Jean SibeliusJean Sibelius's Karelia Suite, Op. 11, was written in 1893 for the Viipuri Students' Association. It was premiered in the Imperial Alexander University in Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland, under the title ‘Karelia Music’. The suite is one of Sibelius's earlier works and remains one of his most popular.

Overture to William Tell– Gioachino RossiniThe William Tell Overture is the overture to the opera William Tell, whose music was composed by Gioachino Rossini. William Tell premiered in 1829 and was the last of Rossini's 39 operas, after which he went into semi-retirement. There has been repeated use (and sometimes parody) of parts of this overture in both classical music and popular media, most famously as the theme music for The Lone Ranger in radio, television and film. It was also used as the theme music for the British television series The Adventures of William Tell.

Masquerade Waltz– Aram KhachaturianMasquerade was written in 1941 by Aram Khachaturian as incidental music for a production of the play of the same name by Russian poet and playwright Mikhail Lermontov. It premiered on 21 June 1941 in the Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow.

Selections from Indiana Jones – John WilliamsOur Senior Orchestra will end tonight’s concert with a selection of musical themes from Indiana Jones, composed by John Williams. Indiana Jones is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise; George Lucas created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s films.

Junior Youth Orchestra Members:

1st Violin Cello OboeChloe Hanlon Natalie Page Anna WhitingLuke Curran Charlie MitchellToby Mitchell Robert Ramshaw ClarinetCharlotte Painter Peter Skeen Chloe Phipps

Laura Caton2nd Violin Double BassMaisy Bartlett Peter Rice TrumpetAmelia Ford Daniel LucasJulia Trybull Flute Sarah AlsopSophie Gardner Vicky Lee

Maisie Slingsby TromboneViola Jess Lee Matthew LucasGeorge Skeen Lydia Cashmore

PercussionJohn Skeen

Programme Notes – Second HalfJunior Orchestra

Hungarian March – Hector BerliozThe ‘Marche Hongroise’ (Hungarian March) from ‘The Damnation of Faust’, Op. 24, is a work by the French composer Hector Berlioz. Berlioz apparently referred to this composition as a "légende dramatique" (dramatic legend). It was first performed at the Opéra Comique in Paris on 6 December 1846.

Clog Dance – Ferdinand HeroldThe Clog Dance is taken from Herold’s comic ballet ‘La Fille mal Gardee’ (The Wayward Daughter), composed in 1789, and was inspired by a painting by Pierre-Antoine Baudoin. The Clog Dance has also recently been used for a television advertisement for Quality Street.

Pan – Johannes DonjonPan will be performed for us by Maisie Slingsby. It was composed by Johannes Donjon, who served as principal flautist at the Paris Opera. His compositions for the flute have found a secure place in the French flute repertoire.

Allegro in C – Wolfgang Amadeus MozartAllegro in C is one of over 600 works composed by Mozart. Many have been acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, chamber, operatic, and choral music. Mozart is among the most enduringly popular of classical composers, and his influence is profound on subsequent Western music.

Theme from The Simpsons – Danny ElfmanDanny Elfman is an American composer, singer, songwriter, and record producer. One of his most famous compositions is the theme to the animated TV show ‘The Simpsons’. He composed the piece in 1989, and it has been used ever since.

Theme from The Muppet Show – Jim HensonThe theme by Jim Henson has been used for both the opening and closing theme of every episode of The Muppet Show, which was first featured on television in Britain in 1976.

Programme Notes – First HalfSenior Orchestra

New World Symphony – Antonin DvorakDvorak’s Symphony No. 9 in E minor is popularly known as the New World Symphony. It was composed in 1893 while he was the director of the National Conservatory of Music of America. It is said to be one of the most popular of all symphonies and several of its themes have been used widely in films, TV shows, anime, video games, and advertisements.

March in D Minor – Anton BrucknerMarch in D Minor is one of ‘The Four Orchestral Pieces’ (Vier Orchesterstücke) which Anton Bruckner composed in 1862 during his tuition with Otto Kitzler. The Four Orchestral Pieces were first performed by Franz Moißl on 12 October 1924 in Klosterneuburg.

Brandenburg Concerto No.3 – Johann Sebastian BachThe Brandenburg Concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach are a collection of six instrumental works and are widely regarded as some of the best orchestral compositions of the Baroque era. The string section of our senior orchestra will perform the Allegro from Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No.3 and will be conducted by Andrew Barrington.

Clarinet Concerto No.2 – Carl Maria von WeberWeber’s 3rd movement of the Concerto No.2 for Clarinet and Orchestra is widely regarded as an exhibition of technique and style on the part of the soloist and the work finishes with a virtuosic passage marked "brillante" which is largely made up of scales and arpeggiated runs. Tonight our soloist is Laura Baker.

Suite from Downton Abbey – John LunnDownton Abbey is set in a fictional Yorkshire country estate, and depicts the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants in the post-Edwardian era. Downton Abbey has received acclaim from television critics and has won numerous accolades. By its third series, Dowton Abbey had become one of the most widely watched television drama shows in the world.

Hungarian Dance No.5 – Johannes BrahmsIn 1869 Johannes Brahms composed a set of 21 lively dance tunes based mostly on Hungarian themes. The dances vary from about a minute to five minutes in length and are among Brahms's most popular works.

Youth Orchestra Members are taught by:

Violins & Violas Cellos ClarinetsDennis Cole MBE Anne Tyler Laura BakerAndrew BarringtonLaura Barrington Flutes TrumpetsHelen Page Diane Parfitt Sarah AlsopJenny Heathcote Helen Page

Joyce Ruddal Alison Warner TrombonesSusie Spanring Carole Jenner-Timms Jon Hopes Nicola Bradshaw

OboesRob Heathcote

Senior Youth Orchestra Members:

1st Violin Cello ClarinetAnnie Tiso (Leader) George Rabin Laura CatonGeorge Skeen Natalie Page Laura BakerStephanie Ball Anne Tyler Chloe PhippsAndrew Barrington Hannah McLorinan Adam MorrisLaura BarringtonSam Elms Double Bass French HornDennis Cole MBE Peter Rice Laura PageChloe Hanlon Katherine Dumbell

Flute2nd Violin Vicky Lee SaxophoneToby Mitchell Maisie Slingsby Amy IrvineLuke Curran Amy IrvineCharlotte Painter Katja Heyken TrumpetHelen Page Jess Lee Daniel LucasEmma Hanlon Diane Parfitt Sarah Alsop

Viola Oboe TromboneMaria Parfitt Elizabeth Parker Mark Goddard

Anna WhitingPianoHelen Page

PercussionJohn Skeen

SECOND HALF

JUNIOR ORCHESTRA

Hungarian March Berlioz

Clog Dance Herold

PanSoloist: Maisie Slingsby (flute)Accompanist: Helen Page

Donjon

Allegro in C Mozart

Theme from The Simpsons

Theme from The Muppet Show

Elfman

Henson

SENIOR ORCHESTRA

Karelia SuiteIII. Alla Marcia Sibelius

Overture to William Tell Rossini

Masquerade Waltz

Selections from Indiana Jones

Khachaturian

Williams

FIRST HALF

SENIOR ORCHESTRA

New World Symphony DvorakIV. Finale

March in D Minor Bruckner

Brandenburg Concerto No.3I. Allegro

Bach

Clarinet Concerto No.2I. Alla Polacca Weber

Suite from Downton Abbey

Hungarian Dance No.5

Lunn

Brahms

Interval - 20 minutes

Refreshments will be available at the back of the church