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.
A large and enthusiastic audience attended a concert of ballet favourites!
Sunday 24th March 2019 3pm
De Montfort Hall, Leicester.
Delibes – Mazurka from Coppelia
Gounod – Ballet music from Faust
Ponchielli – Dance of the Hours from La Gioconda
and
TchaikovskyThe Nutcracker complete 2nd Act
Following the successful collaboration with the Bardi in Stravinsky’s ballet The Firebird, Dance Activate with Principal Dancers from English Youth Ballet returned in a Ballet Concert which included the 2nd Actof Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.
The Bardi Symphony Orchestra presented ‘A Viennese Concert’ on Sunday February 17th 3.00pm
The concert illustrated different facets of Viennese musical life in the 19th Century, with the first half featuring a performance of Schubert’s much-loved ‘Unfinished’ Symphony No.8.
The second half, the Orchestra with their Music Director Claus Efland, who has a particular affinity with this music, moved to the glittering occasions in society. There were waltzes, marches and polkas by the Strauss family and others some more familiar some less (and including one irresistible offering from Denmark!).
The concert would not have been complete without ‘The Beautiful Blue Danube’ by Johann Strauss and the events were rounded off with a rousing ‘Radetsky March’ for the audience to warm their hands before setting off into the darkening February afternoon.
Oadby & Wigston Lions Club presented the first of its ‘Centennial Certificate of Appreciation’ awards to Robert and David Calow.
Robert is the Orchestra Manager and David the Orchestra Conductor of the Bardi Wind Orchestra. Together the Bardi Wind Orchestra and the Lions Club have staged a Charity Concert at the De Montfort Hall, Leicester every year for the past nine years. Each year the concert has helped a different charity and has raised thousands of pounds over the nine years.
The award gave the Lions Club a way of saying a BIG thank you to Robert, David and the Bardi Wind Orchestra. The next charity concert will be on the 16th June in aid of the Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance.
Picture: (L to R) Robert Calow Orchestra Manager, Richard Darlaston Vice President of Oadby & Wigston Lions club, David Calow Orchestra Conductor.
To mark the centenary of the end of the Great War and the armistice, the Bardi Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Music Director Claus Efland performed the War Requiem by Benjamin Britten. The concert took place on Saturday 10th November at 7.30pm at De Montfort Hall, Leicester in font of a large and attentive audience. Before the concert, John Florance and Orchestra leader Adam Summerhayes discussed the Craiglockhart Violins and Adam played a meditation on the “Robert Graves” violin.
The Orchestra was joined for the first time by all four of Leicester and Leicestershire’s leading choirs; The Leicester Bach Choir, Leicestershire Chorale, The Leicester Philharmonic Choir and Leicester Cathedral Choristers. Three outstanding soloists sang; Soprano Ilona Domnich, Tenor Mark Milhofer and Baritone Malachy Frame.
The Bardi opened the 2018/19 Season at the newly refurbished Leicester Haymarket Theatre.
Music Director Claus Efland conducted a concert of popular favourites which began with The Hebrides Overture “Fingal’s Cave” by Mendelssohn.
Then the Bard’s Principal Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon and Horn from the Orchestra were showcased in Mozart’s Wind Sinfonia Concertante K297b.
The concert concluded with a magnificent performance of the First Symphony by Brahms.
The Bardi Symphony Orchestra performed their annual concert at Leicester Grammar School on Saturday 15th September. The concert featured concerto movements and solo items by LGS students and a performance of the suite from The Sound of Music and Mendelssohn’s 4th symphony “The Italian”.
The Bardi Wind Orchestra under the baton of Music Director David Calow performed at the third Bradgate Proms to an audience of over 900 on Saturday August 18th 2018.
The music showcased the best of Stage and Screen with a last Night of the Proms Firework Finale to the stirring Dam Busters March.
Bardi Chairman Colin Blackler was the compère with local soloists Soprano Jenny Saunders and Tenor David Morris.
The Wind Orchestra have already been invited back for the 4th Bradgate Prom in August 2019.
Oboe – Linda Backhouse Clarinet – Andrew Piper Bassoon – Ceri Beaumont Horn – Mark Penny
Mendelssohn – Hebrides Overture, ‘Fingals Cave’
Mozart – Sinfonia Concertante K.297b
Brahms – Symphony No. 1 in C minor
The Bardi open their 2018/19 season at the newly refurbished Haymarket Theatre in Leicester!
The concert will include Mendelssohn’s “Fingal’s Cave” Overture and Brahms’s powerful Symphony No.1.
The principal Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon and Horn from the Orchestra are also showcased in Mozart’s Wind Sinfonia Concertante.
De Montfort Hall Concert
Saturday 10th November 2018
7.30pm
Conductor: Claus Efland
With Leicester Philharmonic Choir, Leicester Bach Choir & Leicestershire Chorale Soloists; Ilona Domnich, Mark Milhofer & Malachy Frame
Britten War Requiem
To commemorate the centenary of the ending of the Great War, the Bardi are joined by Leicestershire’s three leading Choirs in a performance of Benjamin Britten’s powerfully moving War Requiem.
De Montfort Hall Concert
Sunday 17th February 2019
3.00pm
Conductor: Claus Efland
Viennese Concert – to include
Johann Strauss I & II – Waltzes, Polkas, Marches
Schubert – Symphony No.8 ‘Unfinished’
Von Suppe – Light Cavalry overture
Vienna is celebrated in style by the Bardi in music by Johann Strauss Father & Son, including the Radetsky March and The Blue Danube Waltz. Schubert’s 8th Symphony, his ‘Unfinished’ and the rousing Light Cavalry Overture are also in the programme.
De Montfort Hall Concert
Sunday 24th March 2019
3.00pm
Conductor: Claus Efland
With Dance Activate
Ballet Concert – to include Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker Act 2
Following the successful collaboration with the Bardi last season in Stravinsky’s ballet The Firebird, Dance Activate return in a Ballet Gala concert which includes the 2nd Act of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.
De Montfort Hall Concert
Sunday 19th May 2019
3.00pm
Conductor: Claus Efland Piano: Katya Apekisheva
Northern Rhapsodies
Sibelius – Karelia Suite
Rachmaninov – Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini
Nielsen – Symphony No.5
Russian-born Pianist Katya Apekisheva makes a welcome return in a performance of Rachmaninov’s famous Paganini Variations while Sibelius’s popular Karelia Suite and Nielsen’s powerful 5th Symphony complete the Bardi’s final concert of the season.
Please click on the De Montfort Hall link on the home page to book tickets for the 4 DMH concerts.
SPECIAL SEASON TICKET OFFER
Season Tickets in three price levels are available for the 4 De Montfort Hall Concerts. £ 32 £44 £52
Please go to the Haymarket Theatre Booking Office 0116 2961236 to purchase tickets for the first concert of the season.
The Haymarket Theatre Box Office is open 12noon – 2pm only Monday-Friday
The box office website is: boxoffice@haytheatre.com
The Bardi Wind Orchestra conducted by Music Director David Calow presented a “Stage and Screen Spectacular!” at De Montfort Hall on Sunday 24th June at 5pm. The Charity Gala Concert was again in association with Oadby and Wigston Lions Club and supported the East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre Children’s Heart Hospital Relocation. An enthusiastic audience enjoyed the mix of well known favourites from the musicals and movies including Superman, Titanic, Schindler’s List, The Mission, Les Misérables, Beauty and the Beast, Chariots of Fire and ending with a rousing Sound of Music sing-a-long! The encores included a 75th Anniversary tribute to The Dam Busters and the march from Wallace and Gromit!
Martin Ballard from BBC Radio Leicester was the compère and the soloist were Soprano Jenny Saunders and Tenor David Morris.
