A Loud Start To London Repertoire Orchestra Season
Wednesday, 23rd of September 2026
That was a loud start to the season! Ride Of The Valkyries and 1812 Overture with the massed ranks of wind and brass. We even had canons, thanks to some digital pyrotechnics. It was a thrill to conduct two pieces which are familiar, but still have much to discover. The 1812 Overture is a fabulous piece, with lots of symphonic development of the material, making the most of the huge orchestration. The opening (the Russian psalm Spasi Gospodi) is scored for 4 solo cellos and 2 solo violas, creating the most gorgeous chords. Then in the ‘battle’, a lone trumpet, then a lone horn, pipe out fragments of the Marseillaise, beaten by the raging fugal material in the wind and strings. In the finale, the trombones lead the brass chorale, the Imperial Russian anthem God Save The Tsar, while the wind and strings have the victorious military fanfare.
Over the next few weeks, LRO will be playing Bernstein Age Of Anxiety, Elgar Angel’s Farewell (Dream Of Gerontius), Rachmaninov Isle Of The Dead, Gade Symphony no.8, Schubert Unfinished, Haydn Symphony no.88, Ireland A London Overture, Bax Tintagel. And they are very kindly doing a proof-read / runthrough of my Sea Symphony, before the parts go to the City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra for the album recording sessions in November.
It is such a privilege to be able to enjoy such varied repertoire, all of which inspires me as a composer!
Fresh from conducting Ride Of The Valkyries and 1812 Overture
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