Beethoven 6
WEDNESDAY 18 MARCH at 7.30pm
ST George’S BRISTOl
Bristol Ensemble
Chiara Braggion soprano
James Duddle conductor
Mendelssohn Hebrides Overture
Vivaldi Spring from The Four Seasons
Mozart Exsultate Jubilate
Beethoven Symphony No. 6 ‘Pastoral’
The programme opens with Felix Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture (Fingal’s Cave), inspired by the composer’s visit to the Scottish island of Staffa. From its very first bars, the music evokes the swell of the sea and the grandeur of the rugged coastline, its undulating themes capturing both the mystery and majesty of the natural world.
In Antonio Vivaldi’s Spring from The Four Seasons, nature is painted with exquisite clarity and charm. Birdsong, flowing water, and pastoral dances are vividly depicted through the solo violin and ensemble, creating a joyful and immediate celebration of the season’s renewal.
The mood turns to radiant exuberance with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s motet Exsultate, jubilate. Written for a virtuoso soprano, the work overflows with brilliance and vitality, culminating in the famous Alleluia, a movement of sparkling energy and effortless lyricism.
The concert concludes with Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 ‘Pastoral’, a deeply personal tribute to the countryside. Across its five movements, Beethoven depicts scenes of rural life – from peaceful arrival in the fields to a dramatic thunderstorm and a serene hymn of thanksgiving. More than mere depiction, the symphony expresses a profound sense of connection with nature, bringing the programme to a fitting and uplifting close.
CHIARA BRAGGION
Born in Italy, Chiara Braggion began singing at a very young age and received her early musical training in her hometown, Rovigo, performing with various musical institutions. Initially more inclined towards contemporary music, she completed her degree in Commercial Music at Bath Spa University and later performed as a pop singer, songwriter and music producer. She began her training as a baroque and classical singer in 2019 at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London, where she completed her MA in Vocal Performance, graduating with distinction. She is currently furthering her studies with Professor Sherman Lowe, pianist Sabina Arru, and mezzo soprano Vivica Genaux, specialising in the historically informed performance of the baroque repertoire, her main area of interest.
James Duddle
James Duddle was born in Norwich in 1980. Initially a chorister at Norwich Cathedral, he later went on to study at the Royal College of Music in London. His principal teachers were John Barstow, piano, Margaret Phillips, organ, and he also studied orchestral conducting with Neil Thomson. In addition to this he partook in masterclasses with Colin Davis and Bernard Haitink, alongside running his own chamber orchestra performing in venues across London.
Following a period with British Youth Opera in 2002, featuring performances of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, James moved to Sweden in 2003 to continue his studies in Stockholm, followed by a Masters degree in orchestral conducting at the Norwegian Academy of Music, Oslo.
James has conducted many of the major Symphony Orchestras in Norway, including the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and the Oslo Philharmonic, alongside working as repetiteur and conductor in the Opera houses of Scandinavia.
Since 2018 James has been a permanent member of staff at the Royal Swedish Opera, Stockholm working as conductor and repetiteur, assisting the music director, Alan Gilbert. He regularly works alongside international guest conductors on productions, as well as conducting several opera performances throughout theyear.
Bristol Ensemble
Bristol Ensemble is a dynamic collective of specialist musicians dedicated to delivering the highest calibre of performance to a wide range of audiences. Founded in 1994 by violinist and conductor Roger Huckle, the ensemble has been at the forefront of musical life in Bristol and the South West for over three decades.
Versatility is one of Bristol Ensemble’s greatest strengths. Its repertoire spans from 17th-century music, performed on original instruments, to cutting-edge contemporary composition and experimental music. The ensemble maintains a vibrant schedule of concerts across Bristol and the West of England, alongside its regular concert series in Henleaze and Nailsworth, and as the resident orchestra with If Opera in Bradford-on-Avon.
“Bristol is fortunate to have such a fine orchestra as this”
Bristol Live
Since its foundation, Bristol Ensemble has collaborated with many of the world’s finest performers, including Nicola Benedetti, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Freddy Kempf, Peter Donohoe, Andrei Gavrilov, Chloë Hanslip, Matthew Barley, Alan Schiller, Willard White, Emma Kirkby, James Bowman, Andy Sheppard, Wayne Marshall, Lesley Garrett, Emma Johnson, Natalia Lomeiko, and Gabriel Prokofiev.
The orchestra
First Violin
Simon Kodurand
Roger Huckle
Hugh Blogg
Catherine Chamberlin
Rebekah Allan
Matt Everett
Second Violin
Joanne Green
Marian Givens
Emma Waller
Gisele Boll
Viola
Carl Hill
Fran Higgs
Niamh Ferris
Daire Roberts
Cello
Harriet Wiltshire
Juliet McCarthy
Sue Norton
Beatrice Newman
Aaron Bennet
Double Bass
Claire Whitson
Antonia Bakewell
Flute
Stephanie Gilbert
Sarah McCann
Oboe
Imogen Triner
Kim Keeble
Clarinet
David Pagett
Helen Bishop
Bassoon
Sally Bartholemew
Claire Wadsworth
French Horn
Mark Kane
Laura Tanner
Trumpet
Gavin Wells
Simon Jones
Trombone
Will Hall
Luke Gilbert
Timpani
Jon Helm
MEET THE PLAYERS
WE’RE ON A MISSION
Preludes Music, the education arm of the Bristol Ensemble, works in areas of Bristol that are experiencing high levels of economic disadvantage and aims to put music at the heart of every child’s education. By doing so we improve confidence, co-ordination, speech and language and benefit all other areas of their learning.
Management
Simon Kodurand
Artistic Director
simon.kodurand@bristolensemble.com
Judith Ogden
Publicity Manager
publicity@bristolensemble.com
Kat Kleve
Marketing Manager
marketing@bristolensemble.com
Charlotte Dunling
Preludes Music Manager
charlotte.dunling@preludesmusic.com
Penny Rawlings
Preludes Music Creative Advisor
penny.rawlings@preludesmusic.com
Molly Zoeller
Development Coordinator
development@bristolensemble.com
BOARD
Charles Wyld
Chair of Trustees
Andrew Wood
Trustee & Treasurer
Danielle Radice
Trustee
Simon Cook MBE
Trustee
Penny Rawlings
Trustee
Jan Swann
Trustee
Jenny Hemming
Trustee