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Roland Fudge conductsLight classics with an American theme for July 4th

Well Sedbergh Orchestra has done it again – another dazzling performance at their Café Concert given last Thursday 4^th July 2019 to a packed audience at the Peoples Hall in Sedbergh. In recognition of the date of the concert (American Independence Day) the programme consisted of light classics with an American flavour including  – Stars and Stripes for Ever, Sound of Music, Lullaby of Broadway, Colonel Bogey, Largo from Dvorak’s New World Symphony and works by Leroy Anderson, Scott Joplin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter.

The Hall was adorned with Stars and Stripes, and the conductor Roland Fudge entered into the spirit of the occasion sporting a cowboy hat – as he observed it was [un]fortunate that Donald Trump was too preoccupied with world affairs to be present!

Large audience in Peoples HallLight classics with an American theme for July 4th Sara Speicher, as the Orchestra’s North American representative, gave a light-hearted perspective on the significance of July 4^th – the time we left America (Amexit??).

Perhaps Shirley Smith should have the last word:  “What a wonderful occasion it turned out to be on Thursday evening! As a member of the audience, I was able to appreciate the quality and enthusiasm of Sedbergh Orchestra and I felt really proud! In addition, it was quite amazing to see the big table laden with delicious food - everyone certainly turned up trumps. The audience definitely had good value for their money.”

Delicious foodLight classics with an American theme for July 4th

Mugs Post Script: My wife Elizabeth and I are shortly heading south to pastures new to be nearer our family. We were both very touched when Donald and Shirly presented us with a gift on behalf of Sedbergh Pepperpot Club in recognition of our contributions over the years – what an inspired choice: two mugs and a tray adorned with an OS map of Sedbergh. We will be able to sit in our new bungalow looking out on the Black Downs remembering the good times and spectacular scenery in Sedbergh.

Alex Kane (bassoon)Playing at Sedbergh 21st March 2019

Last night’s concert by Sedbergh Orchestra was dedicated to the memory of longstanding orchestra member, bassoonist Richard Thomas, who sadly died suddenly just before Christmas. The highlight of the evening was a performance of Weber’s Bassoon Concerto featuring Alex Kane as soloist, topped by Paisiello’s Overture to the Barber of Seville, and rounded off with Mendelssohn’s 1st Symphony. Although none of these pieces are regulars in the orchestra repertoire, together they formed an interesting and exciting programme very much enjoyed by the audience. In addition, the audience was treated to a 2-for-1 deal with Peter Crompton conducting the Overture and Symphony and Roland Fudge conducting the Concerto.

As a fun gesture orchestra members wore something yellow in celebration of Richard’s penchant for wearing yellow braces under his jacket on concert nights.

Denise and Bridget playing bassoonSedbergh Orchestra concert 21st March 2019 Bridget playing BassonSedbergh Orchestra Concert 21 March 2019

Denise and Bridget playing bassoon at Sedbergh Orchestra concert 21st March 2019

Roland Fudge and Peter Crompton (conductors) share the applauseSedbergh Orchestra concert 21st March 2019 Elizabeth and Pat with their oboes and yellow decorationsSedbergh Orchestra Concert 21st March 2019

2-for-1 The two conductors (Roland Fudge and Peter Crompton) taking the applause (left); Elizabeth and Pat with their oboes (smaller cousin of the bassoon) wearing yellow splashes.

Richard ThomasAt Cobwebs Tebay rehearsal Dorcas models yellow braces

Richard Thomas playing bassoon at a Cobwebs Orchestra rehearsal and Dorcas modelling his infamous yellow braces.

Rehearsals start Thursday 10th Jan with a half term break (21st Feb) and a final rehearsal on Thursday 21st March at 7.00 pm before the concert.

This looks like another nice programme with some music that may be new to some of us:

 Giovanni Paisiello:

Overture - Barber of Seville (1782)

Carl Maria von Weber:

Bassoon Concerto in F major Op.75 (1811 Revised 1822)

Felix Mendelssohn:

Symphony No. 1 in C minor (1824) 

Paisiello was primarily an opera composer. His instrumental works are therefore imbued with a similar vocally conceived melodic line, granted they may be lacking in the sophisticated counterpoint and motivic work of Haydn and Mozart's music. This characterization, however, does not do justice to the extreme drama and topical contrast in all his works. Essentially he had mastered all the techniques which made for good opera, and this made his works widely popular and admired throughout Europe.

Carl Maria von Weber's Concerto for Bassoon in F Major, Op. 75 (J. 127) was composed in 1811 for Munich court musician Georg Friedrich Brandt, and then revised in 1822. Primarily an opera conductor and composer, Weber had only arrived a few months earlier in Munich, where he was extremely well received. The concerto is one of two pieces written for bassoon by Weber, the other being Andante e Rondo Ungarese, Op. 35 (J. 158)

The Symphony No. 1 in C minor for full orchestra was written in 1824, when Mendelssohn was aged 15. This work is experimental, showing the influences of Beethoven and Carl Maria von Weber. Mendelssohn conducted the symphony on his first visit to London in 1829, with the orchestra of the Philharmonic Society. For the third movement he substituted an orchestration of the Scherzo from his Octet. In this form the piece was a success, and laid the foundations of his British reputation.

D62 Nov 2018Sedbergh Orchestra in concert, Nov 2018

The orchestra playing under the baton of Roland Fudge gave a wonderfully rounded performance with all sections showing off their skills. The woodwind and the strings particularly having become stronger in recent months.

The concert was completed with The Nutcracker suite making everyone feel that much nearer to Christmas. The Sugar Plum Fairy was sprinkling stardust everywhere.

Sue Bradley (Regular audience member and concertgoer)

Photo courtesy Stuart Manger

Sugar Plum Fairy CakeInterval cake decorated by Sheila Blackwell

Our conductor, Roland Fudge, is very enthusiastic about the coming concert.  

Here’s what he says about it and us:-

“In this concert we shall be energized by the power of “Russianism” in music, first with Glinka, who pioneered the way of transforming the European orchestral language into something rather more “Eastern”. Then (a revelation to several of us) Kalinnikov, showing a mastery of large-scale symphonic construction, but always with exuberance and melodic intensity. Finally, the sheer brilliance of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker.

I won’t be surprised if sparks start to fly at times!”

Posted by Elizabeth Simms

Playing at Sedbergh Primary School A happy and enjoyable afternoon was held this week at Sedbergh Primary School, where Sedbergh Orchestra played some of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite to the children of Dent Primary School, Sedbergh Primary and Rylands Primary School from Lancaster.

Roland Fudge, the conductor, introduced the Orchestra and gave the children a talk on the instruments. A member of each section of the orchestra introduced and demonstrated their own instrument.

The Pepperpot Music Makers played their flutes and recorders with Roland & Elizabeth Gruar. The Adult recorder group played followed by a clarinet group from the Lancaster school. The afternoon was rounded off with a violin duet played by a pupil from Dent with her teacher Roland and the full Orchestra playing the Waltz from the Nutcracker.

Comments from some of the children afterwards:

“Awesome”, “Very musical”, “Really ace afternoon” and from a parent or teacher “I never realised they [the orchestra] were so good”

The players enjoyed it too!

Sheila Blackwell

_{Shirley Smith and Judith BushShirley (left) in discussion with Judith Bush at a Pepperpot concert in 2016 Russia is very much in the news these days and usually for not very pleasant seasons. Sedbergh Orchestra is doing its best to counteract this doom and gloom by delving into Russian music from a past era, not for the first time in recent concerts. Both players and audiences have enjoyed the Russian music that the orchestra has already performed and the new all-Russian programme is proving popular in rehearsals.}

 _{There will be just three works in the concert, all composed in the last half of the 19th century.}

_{Glinka’s overture to his opera ‘Ruslan and Lyudmila’ will get the programme off to a rousing start. He came from a privileged background, but this interfered with his wish to compose, since he was expected to take up a position in keeping with his station in life. However, the death of his father when he was thirty released him from this straightjacket and he was at last free to compose. He wrote the opera eight years later, inspired by time spent in Italy.}

_{By contrast, Kalinnikov suffered illness and poverty and died in his mid-thirties. But both composers produced music which is easy on the ear and full of vitality and exuberance, although Kalinnikov’s Symphony no.1 is very different in style. His inspiration came from the folk music of his homeland.}

_{The second half of the concert programme will be devoted to the well-known and well-loved Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky. He wrote it not long before he died. It is a work which continues to give pleasure to so many people. We hope that the youngsters at Sedbergh Primary School, along with visitors from Settlebeck and Dent and Ryelands Primary Schools, will be amongst that number. Sedbergh Orchestra will visit the school on November 7th. Mr Roland Fudge will be in charge. As well as playing excerpts from the concert programme, the Orchestra members will demonstrate their instruments to the youngsters and offer them the opportunity to try them out.}

_{We look forward to seeing you at the concert!}

_{(Full details including ticket prices can be found here).}

                                                                                                _{Shirley Smith}

Nicola Cann, clarinetistInsider view

Nicola Cann, Clarinetist

Roland FudgeConductor for Nov 2018 Sedbergh Orchestra Concert

Rehearsals are now well underway under the baton of Roland Fudge helping the orchestra get to grips with an ambitious programme:

M. J. Glinka's Overture Russlan and Ludmilla

B. Kalinikov's Symphony No. 1

P.I. Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite

We'll keep you posted about the progress of the Sugar Plum Fairies!

Philip Cull playing with Sedbergh OrchestraSummer concert June 2018

A sizeable and enthusiastic audience turned up on Thursday 14th June 2018 to listen to Sedbergh Orchestra's summer concert as part of the Sedbergh Music Festival - and a sizzling concert it was, perhaps the best I have been to. After the opener of Rossini's Tancredi Overture, we were treated to the wonderful Mozart Oboe Concerto with the solo oboe part played beautifully by Philip Cull. After a leg stretch and some refreshments a sub-group of the orchestra played two pieces of 'Shed' music for wind quintet by Edward Elgar. The concert was rounded off with Schubert's Symphony No. 6 in C.

Speaking to Philip after the concert, he was full of praise for the orchestra  - a delight to play with, so well drilled and well balanced with an especially fine wind section. The audience, orchestra members and Peter Crompton, the conductor, were equally full of praise for the soloist - the beatiful sound of his oboe and how easy he was to play with. Peter was delighted with the performance commenting on how well everyone played and how much they seemed to enjoy playing. Consequently, he had had a lot of fun.

Roll on the next Sedbergh Orchestra concert in November.

Peter Simms, 17/6/2018

Rehearsal have started for or next concert on June 14th as part of the Sedbergh Festival. This should be a great programme including Rossini's Tankred Overture, Mozart's Oboe concerto with soloist Philip Cull and Schubert's 6th symphony.

Philip CullSoloist in Mozart's Oboe Concerto with Sedbergh Orchestra at the Sedbergh Music Festival in June 2018 Philip was born in Hertfordshire and studied at Trinity College of London where he was awarded ‘The City Livery Prize’ and first prize in the College Chamber Music Competition.  After a period of freelancing and teaching in London he moved to the North East of England.

Philip now lives in Stockton on Tees and works as a freelance player throughout the Northeast and beyond. He has appeared with groups including the Royal Northern Sinfonia and the English Philharmonic Ensemble with which he has appeared as soloist in the Albinoni concerto in D minor and the Bach Oboe and violin concerto as part of their Candle light Christmas concerts. Chamber music is a very important part of Philip’s musical life. He has recently taken part in the first concert of a newly formed baroque group called the Pepusch Trio which has been formed to perform trio sonatas written for; flute, oboe and harpsichord.

He teaches the oboe at Durham and Newcastle Universities, works for the North Yorkshire music service and Yarm School.

Philip is very much looking forward to playing the Mozart oboe concert. It is a bright cheerful piece with a glorious slow movement.