Get to the heart of Scotland with Aurora Orchestra in the symphony most closely associated with the country: Felix Mendelssohn’s Third.
“We went, in the deep twilight, to the Palace of Holyrood, where Queen Mary lived and loved… Everything around is broken and moldering, and the bright sky shines in. I believe I found today in the old chapel the beginning of my Scottish Symphony.”
With its beautiful landscapes and foundations in mythology and folklore, Scotland is a country of rugged coastlines and imposing nature, steeped in history. In 1829, aged 20, Mendelssohn embarked on a walking tour of the country, and following a 13 year break, his lively Third Symphony emerged, with folk-inspired melodies paying homage to the history, nature and dwellers of the Celtic lands.
Dawn rises with trumpeter Aaron Akugbo and Sally Beamish’s Fanfare, written during her years in Scotland, before Maxwell Davies’ evocation of the riotous post-wedding celebrations on his home island of Orkney, complete with its famous bagpipe solo. Also featured is Richard Strauss’ first horn concerto, one of the composer’s best-loved works, in which the huge influence of Mendelssohn’s music can be heard. Aurora’s recently-appointed Principal Horn Annemarie Federle – a 2020 BBC Young Musician of the Year finalist and one of the UK’s most in-demand young instrumentalists – makes her Kings Place solo debut.