This is an edited version of the Havant Orchestras newsletter which is e-mailed in PDF form to players and Friends of the Orchestras (or posted in printed form for those who do not have e-mail).

The Havant Orchestras

May 2023 Newsletter

Welcome to the latest issue of the HADOS Newsletter

Our next concert will be by HCO on Saturday May 20th at 7.30pm at Holy Trinity, Fareham.   This will be our ‘Beethoven Explored’ evening led by Robin Browning: an exploration of the ‘Pastoral Symphony’ followed by a complete performance.  Plus—details of next season are announced—see below!

Saturday 20th May’s Programme

Music in this concert

Ahead of our special concert on Beethoven, Music Director Robin Browning will give an interview to Simon O’Hea of the website ‘Music in Portsmouth’.

As this is only just happening we don’t have the exact link but the interview will appear on: 
https://musicinportsmouth.co.uk/

P.S. It has now appeared here.

Listening/viewing recommendations

Beethoven—Overture Coriolan

On CD: Coriolan Overture London Philharmonic Orchestra Klaus Tennstedt, c/w Symphony no.5, on the LPO's own label, LPO0087 £8.75

On video:  here it is as the opener to a whole concert conducted by Robin’s favourite, Carlos Kleiber!  The orchestra is the Bayerisches Staatsorchester  https://youtu.be/08gTfNKY94M

Alternatively you may enjoy Benjamin Zander with the Boston Philharmonic here: https://youtu.be/9i47roTXnOM

Beethoven—Symphony no. 6 ‘Pastoral’

On CD: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Karl Bohm, c/w Schubert' Symphony no. 5 on DG Originals, 4474332, at £8.50

On video: I would definitely recommend Daniel Barenboim with his West Eastern Divan Orchestra at the Proms in 2012: https://youtu.be/aW-7CqxhnAQ

Here’s a more unusual one—Itzhak Perlman putting his violin aside and conducting the Israel Philharmonic https://youtu.be/pnRinNjxVCU

If you’re interested in a bit more detail—here’s a masterclass on playing the clarinet part. Fascinating stuff!  https://youtu.be/u1znoB4uGxE and here’s a demo of how to play the horn part in the 3rd movement: https://musaic.nws.edu/videos/beethoven-symphony-no-6-3rd-mvt

Peter and Sandra Craddock Fund

We are grateful for all donations to HADOS.  We put these into the Peter and Sandra Craddock Fund and the committee decides how to use this money.

For the May 20th concert the Fund will be used to cover an extra fee to Robin Browning as he will be doing a lot more than just conducting!

Peter Craddock was a great champion of music education and it is enshrined in the HADOS constitution that “The object of the Society shall be to promote, improve, develop and maintain public education in and appreciation of the art and science of music …”.  The educational flavour of Robin’s input into this concert is very much in line with our raison d’être.

Concert Report

Our last concert was by Havant Symphony Orchestra at Oaklands in March.

Audience numbers do seem to be improving— we had around 240 people for this event which is very encouraging.  There are probably a number of factors involved:  the last two concerts being in the afternoon, the programming of the Grieg Piano concerto shortly after the appearance of the TV series ‘The Piano’, local social media publicity, members of the orchestra bringing people along.  Let’s keep up the momentum!

Costs for the concert and associated rehearsals totalled around £3800.  Income, if you include subscriptions to help cover rehearsal costs, was only a few pounds less which is an excellent result.

We had already decided to use the Peter Craddock Fund towards the soloist fee, so to almost break even before taking that into account is very encouraging indeed!

2023-4 season announced!

We are thrilled to announce our 2023-24 season of concerts by Havant Symphony Orchestra and Havant Chamber Orchestra.

Season ticket holders and players should have received a copy of the new brochure and a flyer for the Hayling September concert along with this newsletter.

Please share this with your family and friends and encourage them to purchase a season ticket to get an excellent discount on our already very reasonable ticket prices.

I think it would be fair to say that if a classical music ‘newbie’ wanted to get a survey of different styles of classical music and some major works by major composers, attending all our concerts this season, including Hayling in September, would pretty much do the job!  So a season ticket plus ticket for Hayling could be the start of a lifelong love of classical music—an ideal birthday or Christmas present, perhaps?

Composers we are including range from 18th Century Mozart to 20th Century Walton.

Major works we are including which feature in the ClassicFM Hall of Fame are the No. 1 in the Hall of Fame—Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto—and the No. 3—Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis by Vaughan Williams.  Also the No. 17—the ‘New World’ Symphony by Dvorak, and the No. 18—Elgar’s Cello Concerto.

We revisit familiar old friends such as Brahms’ Symphony no. 1 and explore new territory in Khachaturian’s rhythmic and fiery Violin Concerto.

To work with us as soloists we are delighted to be welcoming both old friends and new faces.  Rob Blanken, clarinettist, has been a member of both our orchestras over the years.  Violinist Joo Yeon Sir has played with HSO twice before and visits us again. Valentina Seferinova has played with us only once before but is a pianist very well known in the local area as well as in her native Bulgaria.  New faces are Hampshire-born young violinist Alexandra Peel, and cellist Joseph Spooner.

For a change, we have one concert with HCO which doesn’t have a soloist.  Instead, our wind players get a chance to play without the strings in Gounod’s Petite Symphonie for Wind.

I hope you’ll agree it’s a feast for the eyes and ears and we look forward to seeing you at as many concerts as possible!

Next Concert

Come and join us for a ‘Last Night…’ celebration at Oaklands on 8th July!

We’ll have the traditional favourites as well as soprano Janice Watson singing Elgar’s beautiful ‘Sea Pictures’.

As it’s an evening concert this time, our refreshments team will be serving wine and fruit juice in the interval.

Tickets are available from:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/havantorchestras/
or call the Tickets Secretary on  01489 877497

Saturday 8th July 2023, 7.30pm

Oaklands School, Waterlooville

havantorchestras.org.uk

Society contact information

Havant and District Orchestral Society (HADOS)
Registered Charity No 288747  Email: havantorchestras@gmail.com  Tel: 023 8026 1372

Website: www.havantorchestras.org.uk

Contact information can be found on the Contacts page within this web site.