The Bardi and a Young Person’s Guide to the Symphony Orchestra!

16th March 2020

A fantastic family friendly afternoon concert took place at De Montfort Hall on Sunday 15th March featuring a feast of popular classical and film music with Guest Conductor Richard Laing and young local Tuba soloist Stephen Calow. To take take the audience through the instruments of the symphony orchestra, the afternoon was hosted and narrated by the very popular presenter and animateur Tom Redmond from BBC Radio 3.

The concert included performances of Benjamin Britten’s brilliant Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra and George Kleinsinger‘s Tubby the Tuba, both with Tom as our narrator. Two wonderful musical masterpieces forthe many youngsters in the audience! Other pieces included the Overture to Beauty and the Beast, “Happy” from Despicable Me 2, Festive Overture and Waltz No.2 by Shostakovich, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony First Movement and the Berceuse and Finale from Stravinsky’s The Firebird.


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A Bardi Workshop day on Elgar’s First Symphony!

2nd March 2020

The Bardi Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Music Director Claus Efland spent Saturday 15th February at Holy Trinity Church, Regent Road in Leicester taking part in a workshop rehearsing Elgar’s magnificent First Symphony. After the mid afternoon break invited guests arrived to hear a play-through of the entire work.
As the evening dinner was being prepared downstairs the Orchestra and guests gathered upstairs in the newly refurbished Holy Trinity to watch performances of the Bardi at De Montfort Hall over recent seasons on the big film screen.
At 7pm all then went downstairs and were seated at tables and were treated to a superb meal in the brilliant surroundings.
A day to repeat in the future for sure!


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Bardi Young Musician 2020 CONCERT

27th January 2020

The annual Bardi Young Musician concert series goes from strength to strength. These concerts are intended
to encourage emerging and talented young soloists by giving them a platform on which to perform with a full
symphony orchestra.

This year’s concert took place on Sunday 26th January at 3pm in the main concert hall of English Martyrs’ Catholic School in Leicester. The Bardi Young Musician 2020 is Flautist Szymon Mosciszko.


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The Bardi support students at the Leicester Grammar School Concert “Voyage Through the Ages”.

28th October 2019

A “Voyage Through the Ages” concert showcased the talents of LGS students both as concerto soloists and as guest members of the Bardi Symphony Orchestra.

The concert took place on Saturday 26th October at LGS in the St Nicholas Hall and included Beethoven Egmont overture, Glazunov Saxophone and Mendelssohn Violin concerto movements, Haydn Symphony No.101 2nd movement, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik Minuet and Trio, Bradenburg Concerto No.5 Finale and suites from Star Wars, Psycho and Wicked.


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The Bardi Symphony Orchestra concludes ‘Gigs in the Gardens’ with a Movie and Musicals spectacular!

28th August 2019

The Bardi Symphony Orchestra under their Music Director Claus Efland concluded the De Montfort Hall “Gigs in the Gardens” concert series in style with a superb concert of music from the Stage and Big Screen. Suites from Les Miserables, The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story and The Sound of Music contrasted with big screen hits including The Big Country, Gabriel’s Oboe, The Pink Panther, Moon River, James Bond, Out of Africa, Pirates of the Caribbean and Star Wars. There was something for everyone who attended!

The concert, which saw an enthusiastic audience of over 1750 including many families and youngsters, ended with a firework finale to a selection of John Williams’ greatest hits; Star Wars, Jaws, Superman, Indiana Jones, ET and Harry Potter!


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Bardi Wind Orchestra Bradgate Proms 2019

27th August 2019

The Bardi Wind Orchestra under the baton of Music Director David Calow performed at the 2019 Bradgate Proms on Saturday August 17th to another capacity audience.  This was the Wind Orchestra’s fourth appearance at the Bradgate Proms and after the flag-waving “Last Night of the Proms” the finale to the concert was The Dam Busters with fireworks lighting up the ruins of Lady Jane Grey’s castle.

Regular soloists soprano Jenny Saunders and tenor David Morris sang classics and popular standards including Summertime, My Heart Will Go On, Nessun Dorma and Come Fly with Me!  Jenny and David then joined each other in A Whole New World from Disney’s Aladdin and a moving performance of Time to say Goodbye.

The whole evening was again expertly compèred by Colin Blackler.

Photography: © John Osborn


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The Bardi Young Musicians 2019 stun the audience on their big day

8th July 2019

2019 Bardi Young Musicians Sofia Demetriades and Ailsa Burns, both talented violinists, played with the Bardi Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Guest Conductor Paul Hilliam to a large audience in Fraser Noble Hall, London Road, Leicester on Sunday 7th July. Their performances captivated the enthusiastic audience who were amazed at the skill and talent of the young soloists.

Ten year old Sofia played Mozart’s Violin Concerto No.1 whilst Ailsa, 18 played Vaughan Williams’ ever-popular The Lark Ascending.

Other works in the concert included the St.Paul’s Suite by Holst and Mozart Symphony No.40 in G Minor.


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The Bardi end the De Montfort Hall Season in style with Northern Rhapsodies

The Bardi Symphony Orchestra ended the 2018/19 De Montfort Hall Season in style with their “Northern Rhapsodies” concert on Sunday 19th May at 3pm.

The concert began with a stirring performance of the Karelia Suite by Sibelius. Piano soloist Katya Apekisheva then treated the audience to a stunning rendition of Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.
Nielsen’s 5th symphony concluded the concert. This was only the second time this work, Denmark’s “National symphony” had been performed at De Montfort Hall.

Bardi Wind Orchestra Christmas Festival concert 2018

The Bardi Wind Orchestra held their annual Christmas Festival Concert on Saturday 22nd December 2018 at the newly refurbished Holy Trinity Church on Regent Road, Leicester.

David Calow was the Conductor with Colin Blackler Compère and Nicky Bingham Soprano.  John Florance again read festive readings.