News

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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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 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.

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.