Music for a royal occasion
2023-05-14 18:00 - 20:00 (Europe/London)
Vivaldi Gloria
Purcell I Was Glad Handel Zadok the Priest
Handel Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
Handel let the bright seraphim
Handel Eternal source of light divine Clarke Trumpet Voluntary
A programme of exuberant Baroque music by Handel, Purcell and Vivaldi celebrates the Coronation of King Charles III. Highlights include the thrilling ‘Zadok the Priest’ and ‘Let the bright Seraphim’ by Handel, Purcell’s joyful ‘I was Glad’ and Vivaldi’s irresistible setting of the Gloria. Featuring chorister soloists and the wonderful Naomi Harvey, all accompanied by the outstanding players of Bristol Ensemble this is a concert not to miss!
Tickets available online at www.trybooking.com

Tubular Bells - 50th anniversary
2023-05-17 19:30 - 21:30 | St George’s Bristol, Great George Street, Bristol, BS1 5RR, United Kingdom
Mike Oldfield’s groundbreaking album Tubular Bells was released on 25th May 1973 and to celebrate its 50th Anniversary – almost to the day – Bristol Ensemble performs a stirring chamber orchestral arrangement of the album, fleshing out the now iconic melodies with a bank of strings.
The record has sold over 15 million copies worldwide and is written into music folklore: a 19-year old Oldfield, searching in vain for a record label to back his experimental demos, was introduced to the boss of Virgin, aka Richard Branson, who gave him a week in the studio to do something. Oldfield plays almost all the many instruments on the record and his expansive musical vision, encompassing classical, jazz, rock and electronica, blazed a trail for hundreds of heavyweight artists since. It is a highly original work – famously used as the Exorcist soundtrack – perfect for orchestral treatment.
Approximately 1 hour, without interval.

Samuel Wesley by candlelight
2023-05-20 19:30 - 21:30
Bristol Ensemble
Roger Huckle director
Jonathan Price organ
Violin Concerto in D Major
Symphony in D major – ‘Sinfonia Obligato’
Symphony in A major
The Bristol Ensemble returns to John Wesley’s New Room with a candlelit evening of compositions from Samuel Wesley. Known as the ‘English Mozart’, Samuel Wesley was the nephew of John Wesley and his early musical education took place in Bristol.
Unreserved pew seating. Doors 7pm. Café-bar open from 6pm.
Tickets £20 / £18 concessions (over 65 / students)

Preludes concert
2023-05-22 12:45 - 13:45 | St Mary Redcliffe Church, Colston Parade, BS1 6RA
A concert given by Preludes children at St Mary Redcliffe Church

Henleaze Concert Society: Summer Serenade
2023-06-10 19:30 - 21:30 | Trinity-Henleaze URC, Waterford Road, Bristol, BS9 4BT, United Kingdom
William Boyce Symphony No.4
Ludovico Einaudi Time Lapse
Antonín Dvořák Two Waltzes Op.54
Pietro Mascagni Intermezzo
Astor Piazzolla Libertango
Samuel Wesley Symphony No.5
Max Richter On the Nature of Daylight
Dana Wilson Hungarian Folk Songs
Queen Bohemian Rhapsody
Astor Piazzolla Summer
A wonderful evening of light music, perfect for a Summer’s evening.
Tickets
Season ticket for six series concerts £85 including membership
Annual Society Membership £12
Tickets for members £15
Tickets for non members £18
Under 25 year olds £5
How to book
Book tickets online now at Eventbrite
Tickets are available from Henleaze Post Office.
You can also book by sending a cheque payable to Henleaze Concert Society, covering note and SAE to 2 Saville Mews, Kingsdown Parade, Bristol BS6 5UL
Season Tickets and Annual Society Membership
Season tickets are only £85 including Society Membership and admission to all six concerts from October to June. Alternatively, becoming a member of Henleaze Concert Society for £12 entitles you to book tickets for individual concerts at the members’ discounted rate. Season tickets and membership are available to buy by post by returning the Ticket Order Form with your payment and a stamped addressed envelope.

Tea-Time Concert
2023-06-11 15:00 - 16:00 | Christ Church, Newmarket Road, Nailsworth, GL6 0DQ, United Kingdom
Samuel Wesley Symphony No.5
Antonín Dvořák Two Waltzes Op.54
Max Richter On the Nature of Daylight
Dana Wilson Hungarian Folk Songs
Queen Bohemian Rhapsody
Astor Piazzolla Summer
A summer serenade to close this season’s series of tea-time concerts at Christ Church, Nailsworth. Tea and home made cakes served at 4pm.
Tickets £15 (£13 for those on low incomes), available to book online at Eventbrite (plus booking fees) on the door. Under 18s free of charge.

Voices for Life: Stardust
2023-06-13 19:00 - 20:00
Following hugely successful performances in Bath Abbey and Wiltshire Music Centre, Voices for Life brings Stardust to Wells Cathedral!

Join 200 local primary school children as they take you on a musically magical journey through space accompanied by musicians from Wells Cathedral School and conducted by Pete Harrison. Stardust tells the tale of 6 friends who, after a disastrous turn of events, each end up drifting alone through space. We follow their adventures as they find their way to planet Zarg through a musical journey made up of songs catchy, exciting, and funny as well as carrying a deeper message of resilience and hope.
Written by Jools Scott and Sue Curtis, Stardust was commissioned by Voices for Life in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In a series of school workshops, the children have explored the adventures of Stardust through wellbeing activities and music in preparation for a fantastic performance.
Proceeds from ticket sales will go towards future Voices for Life projects, helping children be happy and confident through singing.

1904 Arts Club Summer Serenade
2023-06-14 19:00 - 20:00 | 1904 Arts Club, The Red Lodge, Park Row, Bristol, BS1 5LJ, United Kingdom
First half, performed in the Knot Garden
Vivaldi – Alla Rustica
Bach – D major suite arr. strings
Albinoni – Oboe Concerto
Mozart – Divertimento
Second half, in the Performance Hall
Piazzolla – Libertango
Piazzolla – Oblivion
Gershwin – selection of popular songs arr. for ensemble
Piazzolla – Summer
A concert of chamber music celebrating a new partnership with the 1904 Arts Club. Bristol Ensemble as Musicians-in-Residence perform in the Red Lodge Knot Garden and in the iconic hall.
Tickets £15, available online at Eventbrite

Bath Choral Society: Carmina Burana
2023-06-17 19:30 - 21:30
Bath Choral Society
George Bevan and Maria Angel Garcia pianos
Percussionists from Bristol Ensemble
Rebecca Bottone soprano
Bonaventura Bottone tenor
Philip Smith baritone
Katrine Reimers conductor
Carl Orff ’s Carmina Burana sets 24 poems from the medieval collection of texts in Latin and High German and Old French. The work moves around the Wheel of Fortune and colourfully describes the joys and sorrows of living life to the full.
The first half of the concert features choral songs by Chilcott, Ives, Lauridsen, Barber and Whitacre.
The choir will be accompanied by two pianos played by George Bevan and Maria Angel Garcia, with percussionists from Bristol Ensemble, conducted by Bath Choral Society’s Music Director Katrine Reimers.

Preludes takeover day
2023-06-19 00:00 - 23:59 | St George’s Bristol, Great George Street, Bristol, BS1 5RR, United Kingdom
Children from Bristol Ensemble’s Preludes project take over St George’s Bristol

Dark Side of the Moon - POSTPONED TO 8th December
2023-08-06 20:00 - 21:00
This concert has been rescheduled for Friday 8th December – same time, same place. Anybody already with tickets for 6th August should hear from The Stables.
Celebrating 50 years since the release of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, the Bristol Ensemble performs a specially-commissioned chamber orchestral arrangement of this iconic album.
Dark Side of the Moon sits as a cultural heavyweight of British music and resonates across all sections of society. The album has sold over 45 million copies worldwide and is the 4th best selling album In history.

If Opera - Fedora
2023-08-24 19:00 - 21:30
Fedora Umberto Giordano
Opera in 3 acts
Libretto by Arturo Colautti, based on the play by Victorien Sardou
First performed at Teatro Lirico, Milan, 17 November 1898
Director John Wilkie
Conductor Oliver Gooch
With the If Opera Ensemble and resident orchestra Bristol Ensemble
Sung in Italian with English surtitles
Belcombe Court, Bradford on Avon
In the late, great Italian operatic repertoire, alongside the ‘super-operas’, you will find a number of pearls that have grown in the consciousness of audiences around the world. These are operas that carry all the ingredients for spectacular and powerful evenings at the theatre; strong characters, stories of intrigue, love and tragedy and of course, lyrical, gorgeous music. Fedora by Umberto Giordano is one such opera and whilst the composer is probably better known for Andrea Chenier, Fedora isn’t far off. In the opera’s premiere, the role of Loris Ipanov was created by Enrico Caruso and ever since a procession of the most exalted singers in history have assumed the opera’s principal roles in all the great houses of the world and on recordings.
Fedora is an opera that encompasses love, murder, betrayal and tragedy, moving from Russia, to Paris and Switzerland. It is a world of royalty, aristocracy and privilege but none of this can protect its central characters from the vicissitudes of love and jealousy. When Princess Fedora seeks revenge on the man she believes murdered her betrothed, she sets in motion a train of tragic events that will ultimately cost her everything.
Fedora is an opera of sweeping melodies, febrile emotion and glorious orchestral colours. It includes one of the most intensely passionate tenor arias in the canon (Amor ti vieta), a mesmerising intermezzo and possibly one of the cleverest dramatic scenes in the repertoire.
Fedora has enjoyed recent, sell out productions at both The Met in New York and La Scala in Milan so its time has come once more. The If Opera ensemble are proud to bring this magnificent opera to audiences, offering a rare (it hasn’t been seen in the UK since 2006) but precious opportunity to see and hear it again.
If Opera’s new production of Fedora will be directed by John Wilkie and conducted by If Opera Artistic Director Oliver Gooch.
Image reproduced by kind permission of Leighton House, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

If Opera - Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
2023-08-27 13:30 - 14:40
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Will Todd
Libretto by Maggie Gottlieb
Original commission by Opera Holland Park, based on designs by Leslie Travers
Director Lysanne van Overbeek
Conductor Mark Austin
With the If Opera Ensemble and resident orchestra Bristol Ensemble
Sung in English
Belcombe Court, Bradford on Avon
Running time approx. 1 hour
“Beg, borrow or steal a ticket for Alice in Wonderland – this show is FANTASTIC, pure life-affirming joy.”
Suzy Klein, BBC Radio 3
“The show is such fun, and so well sung, that not even the youngest kids get bored… this is knock-out.”
Michael Church, The Independent
Eleven year old Alice is jolted out of her daydreams when she meets a talking rabbit who insists she follow him to a mysterious Wonderland. In this fantastical place, Alice comes across a number of peculiar characters, including a relaxed caterpillar, a happy cat, a depressive hare, a white knight, a romantic duchess, a mad hatter and a sleepy dormouse.
Staged originally at Opera Holland Park, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – by that globe-trotting choral, jazz and opera dynamo, the composer Will Todd – is perfect for little ones, and makes for a glorious, laugh-a-minute afternoon for the family. Described by the Daily Telegraph’s critic as ‘the most charming, least condescending opera for children I have seen’, and as ‘FANTASTIC, pure life-affirming joy” by Suzy Klein on BBC Radio 3, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland brings beautiful music and fast-paced excitement to Belcombe Court.
This reimagined production is directed by Lysanne van Overbeek and conducted by Mark Austin.
Bringing Alice to Bradford-on-Avon
If Opera is committed to introducing people of all ages to opera and we are proud to present – as part of our main season – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Will Todd’s magical opera of one of the world’s most enduring cultural icons. Originally commissioned and produced by Opera Holland Park in promenade performances in 2013, Alice went on to be performed for the stage at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Studio. If Opera will produce a new stage version, using original costumes.
The opera features a full compliment of the best loved characters from the story, all performed by the If Opera company ensemble and a wonderful orchestra that delivers the glorious music. A successful single from the opera ‘I flew High in my dreams’ is a signature moment from the score but all the characters enjoy their own fabulous moments.
Will Todd’s music for Alice is a wonderfully eclectic mix of jazz, musical theatre and opera – there’s the basso profondo caterpillar’s rumbling Wonderland Blues, a coloratura diva Drink Me Bottle and a furiously flustered pantomime dame of a Queen of Hearts. Gottlieb’s witty libretto moulds Carroll’s nonsense into a fun and engaging story that remains true to the original spirit of the book – and like all good children’s stories, the opera has LOTS for the adults to enjoy too!
Watch Will Todd introduce this family opera, first commissioned by Opera Holland Park – with excerpts of the music and insights into the creative and collaborative process here.
Visit our membership page to access Priority Booking and other benefits, or find out more about other opportunities for support.
Tickets available online or from Bath Box Office, telephone 01225 463 362
Image © Brenner

If Opera - Iolanta
2023-09-13 19:00 - 20:45
Iolanta Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Libretto by Modest Tchaikovsky
Based on the play Kong Renés Datter by Henrik Hertz
First performed 18th December 1892 at Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg
Directed by Lysanne Van Overbeek
Conductor Paul Wingfield
With the If Opera Ensemble and resident orchestra Bristol Ensemble
Sung in Russian with English surtitles
Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon
Running time approximately 90 minutes, no interval.
Among Tchaikovsky’s canon sits what has become one of the most treasured of his operas – the fantastical, deeply moving Iolanta. This one act opera is a heartbreaking tale of the blind princess who is unaware of her disability as all those who care for her manage to keep it secret from her. Her world is one of darkness, and she believes that is how it is for everybody. Love, in the form of Count Vaudemont, however, comes to visit her and it is love’s embrace that brings back her sight.
Tchaikovsky’s ‘fairy tale’ has of course deeper meaning – the return of Iolanta’s sight is wrapped up in the notion of love’s true power but it was also in line with contemporaneous medical thinking. Whatever the background to the story, however, Iolanta is a relentlessly beautiful opera with aria after aria, and a central duet of such febrile, blistering gorgeousness that there is a growing belief that this opera sits among the very best of the composer’s work. The final exultant chorus is without question one of Tchaikovsky’s most beautiful and powerful creations.
This costumed and staged production, our first at the Wiltshire Music Centre, will create the magic of Iolanta’s kingdom and gives the If Opera ensemble a chance to sing one of the most exquisite of late 19th century Russian operas.
If Opera’s production will be directed by Lysanne van Overbeek and conducted by Paul Wingfield.
Visit our membership page to access Priority Booking and other benefits, or find out more about other opportunities for support.
Venue: Wiltshire Music Centre, Ashley Rd, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire. BA15 1DZ
Tickets available online or from Bath Box Office, telephone 01225 463 362
Image ‘Silent Noon’ by John Byam Shaw Courtesy of Leighton House, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Tea-Time Concert
2023-09-17 15:00 - 16:00 | Christ Church, Newmarket Road, Nailsworth, GL6 0DQ, United Kingdom
Schubert String Quintet in C D.956
Written just two months before the composer’s death, Schubert’s String Quintet is widely regarded by many as his finest chamber work and one of the most important of the repertoire. It has been described as ‘sublime’ and having ‘bottomless pathos’. The Adagio second movement is tranquilly sublime, and is so treasured that it has become one of the most requested pieces on Desert Island Discs.
Tea and home made cakes served at 4pm.
Tickets £15 (£13 for those on low incomes), available online from Eventbrite or on the door. Under 18s free of charge.

Classics by Candlelight at 1904 Arts Club
2023-09-23 19:30 - 21:30 | 1904 Arts Club, The Red Lodge, Park Row, Bristol, BS1 5LJ, United Kingdom
Arrangements for string quartet, flute and piano:
G.F. Handel Overture Verdi prati from Alcina
Elisabetta de Gambarini The Friendly Wish
W.A. Mozart Piano concerto in D minor, K.466
J.S. Bach Preludes & Fugues from Book 2 of the ‘‘48’’
Haydn Symphony no. 101 in D major, The Clock
Be bathed in the warming glow of a candlelight concert! Step into the hidden gem of the 1904 Arts Club, Clifton, and experience a beautiful evening of classical music surrounded by stunning candlelight in one of the most unique, quirky spaces in Bristol.
The 1904 arts club is unique ‘tithe barn’ styled performance hall hidden away behind the Red Lodge Museum just off Park Street. This space is full of quirky artefacts and is the perfect backdrop for a relaxing evening of stunning music to candlelight.
Arranged for string quartet, flute and piano, the programme includes compositions from Mozart, Bach, Handel, Gambarini & Haydn. Be delighted by new arrangements of well-known pieces in a huge range of musical styles! Baroque and classical era works have been honed in arrangements that give familiar music a new lease of life.
Enjoy a glass or two of your favourite drink accompanied by a light snack from the bar before the concert and during the interval. Tickets £20, available online at www.yuup.co/experiences/classics-by-candlelight

Music for a Blue Planet
2023-09-28 19:30 - 21:30
Bristol Ensemble
Roger Huckle conductor
Music from the BBC Blue Planet series
Blue Planet Main Theme George Fenton
Spinning Dolphins
The Sardine Run
Angel Falls
Our Planet is a Blue Planet
The Four Seasons
Primavera (Spring) Ludovico Einaudi
Summer Max Richter
Autumn Astor Piazzolla
Winter Antonio Vivaldi
Meditation
Spiegel im Spiegel Arvo Pärt
Earth Song Ludovico Einaudi
Petricor Ludovico Einaudi
Tundra Ola Gjeilo
Sit back and contemplate our Blue Planet whilst being immersed in wonderful music inspired by planet Earth.
The backdrop to this fantastic concert is the extraordinary Gaia installation hanging in the center of Bath Abbey and a chance to sit and contemplate our Blue Planet whilst immersed in wonderful music. We take you on an incredible journey of music inspired by nature, from the BBC series Blue Planet by George Fenton to the Four Seasons by four different composers: Einaudi, Richter, Piazzolla and Vivaldi. The timeless Spiegel im Spiegel by Arvo Pärt, and Tundra by Ola Gjeilo gives you space to meditate in this unique concert that perhaps transports you to having an out-of-planet experience!
Tickets are £25 to £35 in the central nave, £10 to £20 in the side aisles (restricted view), available from Bath Box Office online at www.bathboxoffice.org.uk, and by phone on 01225 463362.

Music for Miniatures
2023-09-30 10:30 - 11:15 | Trinity-Henleaze URC, Waterford Road, Bristol, BS9 4BT, United Kingdom
Music for Miniatures provides opportunities for children and their families to experience high quality live music, staging family concerts across Bristol, Bath, Wiltshire, Somerset and Gloucestershire
In this concert, the Bristol Ensemble’s Simon Kodurand and Helen Reid perform music for violin and piano. With phenomenal playing from these excellent musicians, there will be plenty to look at, hear and explore for both children and their carers.
Tickets £9 for one adult and one child together, additional adults £5 each, additional children £4 each, available online from www.tickettailor.com

Somerset International Festival of the Arts - Vivaldi's Four Seasons
2023-10-06 19:30 - 21:30 | St Andrew’s Church, St Andrew's Church, Backwell, BS48 3JJ, United Kingdom
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Vivaldi Four Seasons
Albinoni Oboe Concerto
Telemann Viola Concerto
Pachelbel Canon
Bach Air on the G String

Somerset International Festival 2023 launches with an evening of some of the finest Baroque masterpieces, including Vivaldi’s ever popular Four Seasons with soloist and festival director Liv-Marie Kodurand. The programme also features Pachelbel’s Canon, and music by Bach, Albinoni and Telemann.

Performed in the atmospheric candlelit surroundings of St Andrew’s church by the South West’s premier chamber orchestra the Bristol Ensemble, this concert will also feature narration by renowned actor and musician John Telfer.

Somerset International Festival of the Arts - Family Workshop
2023-10-07 10:30 - 11:30 | St Andrew’s Church, St Andrew's Church, Backwell, BS48 3JJ, United Kingdom
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Join our award-winning Preludes education team for a fantastic session of music showcasing the string section of the orchestra – that’s violin, viola, and cello!
This is a wonderful chance for young children to learn about the string instruments of the orchestra, hear pieces composed for strings and try out instruments at the end of the session!
Suitable for children age 4 +

Henleaze Concert Society: Glories of the Baroque by candlelight
2023-10-07 19:30 - 21:30 | Trinity-Henleaze URC, Waterford Road, Bristol, BS9 4BT, United Kingdom
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Handel Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
Vivaldi Trio Sonata in D minor ‘La Follia’
Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F major, BWV 1046
Handel Water Music
Our 2023-24 season kicks off in style with a programme of Baroque favourites performed by the Bristol Ensemble including the effervescent fanfare Arrival of the Queen of Sheba and Vivaldi’s spirited set of variations La Follia (The Madness). At the heart of this concert are Handel’s majestic Water Music and Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No.1 – his ‘job application par excellence’ written for the Margrave of Brandenburg. The first is the grandest and richest of all six concertos, with the most solo instruments and movements.
Pre-concert talk with Steve Clarke begins at 6.45pm. Doors open at 6.15pm for the talk and at 7.15pm for the concert only.

Tickets
Season ticket for six series concerts £85 including membership
Annual Society Membership £12
Tickets for members £15
Tickets for non members £18
Under 25 year olds £5
The ticket price includes a programme and interval drink.
How to book
Book tickets online now at Eventbrite
Tickets are available from Henleaze Post Office.
You can also book by sending a cheque payable to Henleaze Concert Society, covering note and SAE to 2 Saville Mews, Kingsdown Parade, Bristol BS6 5UL
Tickets are available on the door from 6.15pm.
Season Tickets and Annual Society Membership
Season tickets are only £85 including Society Membership and admission to all six concerts from October to June. Alternatively, becoming a member of Henleaze Concert Society for £12 entitles you to book tickets for individual concerts at the members’ discounted rate. Season tickets and membership are available to buy by post by returning the Ticket Order Form with your payment and a stamped addressed envelope.

Somerset International Festival of the Arts - Film Classics of the Silver Screen
2023-10-07 19:30 - 21:30 | St Andrew’s Church, St Andrew's Church, Backwell, BS48 3JJ, United Kingdom
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Join The Bristol Ensemble for an unmissable evening celebrating music from the great movie soundtracks, including Dr Zhivago, Love Story, The Godfather, Ladies in Lavender and many more.

Somerset International Festival of the Arts - Argentine tangos by candlelight
2023-10-08 19:30 - 21:30 | St Andrew’s Church, St Andrew's Church, Backwell, BS48 3JJ, United Kingdom
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Piazzolla The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
Piazzolla Oblivion
Piazzolla Ave Maria
Piazzolla Adios Nonino
Troilo La Trampera
Cobián / Cadícamo Nostalgias
Gardel / Le Pera Volver
The Somerset International Festival of the Arts finale concert pays homage to the extraordinary Argentinian composer and bandoneon player, Astor Piazzolla. Musicians from the Bristol Ensemble join forces with international bandoneon virtuoso Mirek Salmon to present an immersive programme of music from the undisputed master of the tango.
The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires forms the centre piece of this performance, alongside more intimate works for an exhilarating fusion of music and dance!

American Landscape by candlelight
2023-10-13 19:30 - 21:30
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Viv McLean piano
Roger Huckle violin
Marian Givens violin
Carl Hill viola
Harriet Wiltshire cello
Jub Davis double bass
Bernstein West Side Story Suite
Gershwin Concerto in F
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue
Philip Glass Mishima
Copland Hoedown from Rodeo
In a programme specially arranged for piano and string quintet, Viv McLean joins the Bristol Ensemble to perform Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, a jazzy, optimistic, richly-textured work packed full of fabulous tunes and toe-tapping rhythms.
It was commissioned by Walter Damrosch, conductor of the New York Symphony Orchestra, the day after he had heard the premiere of Rhapsody in Blue, which is also part of this programme. Philip Glass’s breakthrough work, music for the iconic film Mishima, Copland’s lively and evocative work Hoe Down and Bernstein’s West Side Story Suite complete this distinctively American programme.
Tickets £25 (under 25s £16) from https://shed-arts.co.uk/event/american-landscape-by-candlelight-with-bristol-ensemble/

Mozart by Candlelight
2023-10-14 19:30 - 21:30
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Bethany Crouch clarinet
Fitzhardinge Consort
Bristol Ensemble
Mozart’s infamous Requiem in D minor is a masterpiece shrouded in mystery, making it all the more fascinating, compelling and emotionally stirring. The story of the creation of the work involves a shady commission and a blanket of deceit.
It all began in July 1791, when a stranger turned up at Mozart’s door with a commission to write a requiem. Mozart accepted and obsessively threw himself into the piece and worked on almost nothing else for several months. However, by this time, his health was deteriorating and he was unable to finish what he started. Mozart wasn’t sound of mind when he received the commission and believed he’d been cursed to write the piece as a swansong because he knew he would shortly die. Was he writing his own Requiem?
Experience this extraordinary work in the majestic setting of a candlelit Bristol Cathedral, with over 400 candles recreating the original performance in Vienna 230 years ago on January 2, 1793.
To complete this all Mozart programme, rising star Bethany Crouch joins the Bristol Ensemble in a performance of the much loved Clarinet Concerto.

American Landscapes
2023-10-14 19:30 - 21:30
Viv McLean piano
Roger Huckle violin
Marian Givens violin
Carl Hill viola
Harriet Wiltshire cello
Jub Davis double bass
Bernstein West Side Story Suite
Gershwin Concerto in F
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue
Philip Glass Mishima
Copland Hoedown from Rodeo
In a programme specially arranged for piano and string quintet, Viv McLean joins the Bristol Ensemble to perform Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, a jazzy, optimistic, richly-textured work packed full of fabulous tunes and toe-tapping rhythms.
It was commissioned by Walter Damrosch, conductor of the New York Symphony Orchestra, the day after he had heard the premiere of Rhapsody in Blue, which is also part of this programme. Philip Glass’s breakthrough work, music for the iconic film Mishima, Copland’s lively and evocative work Hoe Down and Bernstein’s West Side Story Suite complete this distinctively American programme.
Tickets from bdray01@gmail.com

Tea-Time Concert
2023-10-15 15:00 - 16:00 | Christ Church, Newmarket Road, Nailsworth, GL6 0DQ, United Kingdom
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Beethoven Septet Op.20
Written in 1799 and premiered in 1800, Beethoven’s Septet in E flat major enjoyed immediate and enduring success due to its youthful charm, elegance and grace, thematic richness and imaginative and skilful treatment of its motifs. Ingeniously scored for violin, viola, cello, double bass, clarinet, horn and bassoon, Beethoven is able to use the forces in a range of ever-changing instrumental textures and colour combinations, with bassoon and cello freed from the traditional bass part by the presence of the double bass. The Septet’s six movements follow a traditional classical symphony structure with the addition of a Theme and Variations and a lively Scherzo.
Tea and home made cakes served at 4pm.
Tickets £15 (£13 for those on low incomes), available online from Eventbrite or on the door. Under 18s free of charge.

Beethoven 5 by candlelight
2023-10-18 19:30 - 21:30 | St George’s Bristol, Great George Street, Bristol, BS1 5RR, United Kingdom
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Bristol Ensemble
Roger Huckle conductor
Viv Mclean piano
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73 “Emperor”
Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Op. 67
Beethoven’s iconic Symphony No. 5 is widely considered one of the cornerstones of western music. First performed in Vienna’s Theater an der Wien in 1808, the work achieved its prodigious reputation soon afterward and is described as “one of the most important works of the time”. The symphony, and the four-note opening motif in particular, are known worldwide, with the motif appearing frequently in popular culture, from disco versions to rock and roll covers, to uses in film and television.
Equal in stature to the Fifth Symphony, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 redefined the relationship between the piano and the orchestra, and its heroic and majestic character makes it one of the best-loved works of the repertoire.
The virtuosic pianist Viv McLean joins the Bristol Ensemble for what will be a memorable evening in the candlelit setting of St George’s Bristol.
Tickets from £10 to £30 plus St George’s booking fees, available online at www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk, by phone on 0117 929 4929 and over the counter at St George’s Bristol.

Beethoven 5 by candlelight
2023-10-21 19:30 - 21:30
Book now
Bristol Ensemble
Roger Huckle conductor
Viv Mclean piano
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73 “Emperor”
Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Op. 67

Beethoven’s iconic Symphony No. 5 is widely considered one of the cornerstones of western music. First performed in Vienna’s Theater an der Wien in 1808, the work achieved its prodigious reputation soon afterward and is described as “one of the most important works of the time”. The symphony, and the four-note opening motif in particular, are known worldwide, with the motif appearing frequently in popular culture, from disco versions to rock and roll covers, to uses in film and television.
Equal in stature to the Fifth Symphony, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 redefined the relationship between the piano and the orchestra, and its heroic and majestic character makes it one of the best-loved works of the repertoire.
The virtuosic pianist Viv McLean joins the Bristol Ensemble for what will be a memorable evening in the candlelit setting of Wiltshire Music Centre.
Tickets £28, under 18s and students £20 (includes £2 booking fee) from Wiltshire Music Centre

MiniBeats - Super Strings!
2023-10-22 10:30 - 11:15 | St George’s Bristol, Great George Street, Bristol, BS1 5RR, United Kingdom
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Join Presenter Laura Tanner and our fantastic MiniBeats string players for an interactive introduction to this family of instruments, and to some of the wonderful music written and arranged for violins, viola and cello!
Tickets: £8 (children & adults); 4-for-3 family ticket available
10.30am show – concert most suitable for under 5s
12.30pm show – concert most suitable for 4 – 8 year olds
Ages are guidelines only; both concerts are relaxed performances where everyone is welcome!
A BSL Interpreter will be signing at both performances.
Event takes place on the floor of the auditorium with limited tickets avaiable.
Running time: 45 minutes
New for MiniBeats days – ‘MiniMakers’!
11.30am and 1.30pm
Stay on after a MiniBeats concert to join Robyn as we expand our imaginations – from crafting to acting, storytelling to dancing – let your little ones’ creativity run wild in these free, fun-filled family sessions!
Each MiniMakers session lasts approx. 45 mins – no need to pre-book
