Monday 7th January 2008 / 7.30pm

Playing
with Sparks

Byrd (arr. Muhly) / Miserere Mei & Bow Thine Ear
Nico Muhly / Concerto for Electric Violin*
Ives / The Unanswered Question
Debussy (arr. Bowen) / La Boîte à Joujoux **

*Electric violin / Thomas Gould
**Narrator-magician/ Neil Henry

Aurora’s brilliant young leader Thomas Gould plays Muhly’s newly-commissioned concerto for Electric Violin, alongside arrangements of two transcendent anthems by William Byrd.

After a brief return to America in the shape of Ives’ ‘The Unanswered Question’ we are delighted to be joined by actor and magician Neil Henry, who will give an usual twist to the narration for Debussy’s charming ballet about a toybox, ‘La Boîte à Joujoux' - a neglected gem from the great French composer.

Tickets / £15 adult / £12 concession / £5 student

Tuesday 25 March 2008 / 7.30pm

Natural
Expressions

Debussy (arr. Sachs) / Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
James Williamson / Chamber Concerto
Mahler (arr. Schoenberg) / Das Lied von der Erde *

* Mezzo Soprano / Jane Irwin
* Tenor / Rob Murray

Mahler died before he could see his arguably most loved work premièred in 1911. The ‘Song of the Earth’ - written amidst a whirlwind of change in his own life — presents bittersweet reflections on love, living, and nature, written on an expansive musical canvas somewhere between song cycle and symphony.

Don’t miss a rare chance to hear stunning young soloists Jane Irwin and Rob Murray in this ravishing arrangement by Arnold Schoenberg.

Rounding off this celebration of nature are Debussy’s magical take on Mallarmé’s sensuous poem, and a new commission from the Royal Academy of Music composer, James Williamson.

Tickets / £15 adult / £12 concession / £5 student

Sunday 8 June 2008 / 6.30pm

Enchanted
Tales

Reger (arr. Schoenberg) / Romantic Suite
Ligeti / Piano Concerto *
Brahms / Serenade No. 1

* Piano / Rolf Hind

With titles such as ‘Night Magic’ and ‘Fairies’ Eichendorff’s mystical poems provided the inspiration for Reger’s ‘first attempt at programme music;’ the result was his ‘Romantic Suite,’ an astounding piece full of rich imagery and sensuous harmony, heard tonight in Schoenberg’s chamber arrangement.

Heralded as the greatest of modern piano concertos, Ligeti’s sparkling work is renowned for its astonishing technical difficulty and magical textures. We are thrilled to be joined by the extraordinary Rolf Hind, who has established an international reputation for his interpretation of Ligeti’s piano music.

Brahms’s Serenade No. 1, his first orchestral work, completes tonights concert, evoking pastoral images and rustic idylls with some of the great composer’s most beautiful music.

Tickets / £15 adult / £12 concession / £5 student