Autumn Sinfonia Concert

This term’s Sinfonia concert begins with a focus on the British countryside, with music from composers Carwithen and Holst focussing on two English counties. Carwithen’s Suffolk Suite was written in 1964 at the request of a Suffolk school’s Director of Music to celebrate the opening of their new concert hall. The work was designed for young musicians and so is a perfect fit for our orchestra. Carwithen uses romantic and 20th century techniques to paint a pictures Suffolk in various shades, with sweeping strings representing the green countryside, and bold brass portraying Framlingham Castle. Holt’s Somerset Rhapsody was written at a time when it was fashionable for composers to venture into the countryside, collecting the folk songs of local villages and hamlets before they died out. His music features a number of these melodies, from the modal “Sheep-Shearing Song” to the march-like “High Germany.” Holst makes the most of the songs’ varied moods, amplifying them with his flair for orchestration. The concert will also feature Respighi’s suite for the ballet Belkis, Regina di Saba, translated as “Belkis, Queen of Sheba.” The music is suitably exotic, making use of lush strings to depict this sensual biblical heroine.