OUR CLASSICAL MUSIC COLUMNIST LIZ LEATHERDALE, FOUNDER AND OWNER OF COLCHESTER CLASSICS, BRINGS YOU HER PICK OF JULY’S CLASSICAL MUSIC EVENTS IN, AND AROUND, COLCHESTER.
On Friday July 15 sees the first night of the 122nd season of the world’s greatest Classical Music festival, the BBC Proms, offering opportunities to explore Classical Music through the BBC Proms with a diverse season of live concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, on BBC TV and BBC Radio 3.
The BBC One Show, Tuesday 12 July at 7pm, should broadcast a film with Gyles Brandreth interviewing Patrick McCarthy, a local musician about how he saved Andre Previn’s live televised performance Orff’s Carmina Burana at the BBC Proms in 1974.
Last month we were treated to many Music Festivals in our musically rich region. This month the Roman River Summer Festival and more is happening! Feast your ears and eyes on festivals and concerts in our musically rich region.
Colchester’s Roman River Festival recently published its main brochure detailing events, talks, walks and, of course, concerts for the main Festival (16 September – 2 October) which will feature world-renowned musicians including Nicola Benedetti. In addition to the Autumn concert series, there is also a mini-festival (8 – 10 July) with musicians Tom Poster, Elena Urioste, Orlando Jopling and others in informal concerts in Mistley, Wivenhoe and East Mersea.
Box Office (07759 934860) for further information on all events for both festivals
Saturday evening (9 July) Chris Phelps will be conducting the Colchester Symphony Orchestra in an all-Russian programme including Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.3 with young soloist, Erdem Misirlioglu, piano category winner of the 2008 BBC Young Musician of the Year. The Third Concerto is often over-shadowed by No.2 , but received greater recognition when featured in the Oscar-winning film, Shine. The movie told the true story of the Australian concert pianist David Helfgott, who suffered a mental breakdown and abandoned his career for many years. Saturday July 9 at 7.30pm in St Botolph’s Church, Colchester . (Both the second and third concertos were heard in the same venue performed by international pianists Noriko Ogawa and Philip Smith at St Botolph’s Music Society’s 50th Anniversary Gala concert)
Tickets. £14 (01206 271128)
On Sunday 10 July Chris Phelps will be guiding The Kelvedon Singers through arrangements of well-known English songs in the beautiful setting of The Coach House at Marks Hall Gardens. The evening includes a glass of wine, canapés and complimentary access to the Gardens and Arboretum in Coggeshall.
Tickets: £15 (01376 563796)
Also on Saturday evening at 7.30pm James Davy, Organist & Master of the Choristers at Chelmsford Cathedral and conductor of The Chelmsford Singers, presents an organ recital at St Peter-ad-Vincula, Coggeshall.
Tickets: £7.50 on the door
The final concert in the current season at Studio Music at Brightlingsea begins at 3pm on Sunday 10 July with Trio Goya presenting chamber works by Haydn.
Tickets: £15 www.studiomusicbrightlingsea.co.uk
The East Anglian Single Reed Choir, an ensemble of clarinets and saxophones, presents its summer concert including music by Holst and Rimsky Korsakov on Sunday July 10 at 6pm, St Mary’s Church, Little Bromley. Tickets on the door by donation.
Tickets: 07425 1450222 or www.harwichfestival.co.uk
If you have a forthcoming concert of classical music, you would like previewed, contact Liz Leatherdale on 0800 999 6994.
Start your love affair with Classical Music at www.colchesterclassics.co.uk and take a minute to watch their company video:
Liz Leatherdale