THE WARWICKSHIRE Symphony Orchestra (WSO) will be revisiting the Bassoon Concerto by former WSO conductor, Guy Woolfenden, as part of their first concert of the year at Leamington’s All Saints Church, on March 12.
Conducted by Roger Coull, the programme will also include Brahms’ Tragic Overture and Dvořák’s 7th Symphony.
Keen to showcase more unusual instruments, the WSO played the Bassoon Concerto at its premiere in 1999.
Joining WSO for the concert will be Rebecca Eldridge, an award-winning bassoonist who studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
She has since played with many orchestras including the Welsh National Opera, Royal Shakespeare Company, London Symphony Orchestra and the Southbank Sinfonia and is a founding member of the Aquilon Ensemble.
Brahms composed the Tragic Overture, a concert overture for orchestra, during the summer of 1880. He chose the title “tragic” to emphasize the turbulent, tormented character of the piece.
Dvořák was inspired to write his 7th Symphony in 1884 after hearing another work by Brahms, his 3rd symphony, and it was premiered by the London Philharmonic Society the following year. It is widely regarded as his finest.
Raymond Joyce, chair of WSO and principal horn player, said: “We are delighted to be joined again by Rebecca Eldridge as we revisit the bassoon concerto by our esteemed former conductor, Guy Woofenden. We hope that this first concert in 2022 heralds a return to more normal times for music-making in Warwickshire and beyond.’
Tickets are priced £14 and £18 (half price for students and children). They are available from Presto Classical in Park Street, Leamington, or from www.wso.org.uk
