2023 Course and Concert

Saturday 28 October 2023 - Cadogan Hall, London

In 2023, the English Schools' Orchestra entered a new era following the retirement of our founder and Musical Director, Robert Pepper OBE. We were delighted to be able to welcome Lewis Gaston as the Guest Conductor for the 2023 course and concert. Lewis chose an exciting and challenging programme written entirely by British composers in order to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III. Full details of the programme are shown below.

The second "new" for 2023, was a new rehearsal venue. We were delighted to have been invited to use Mount Grace School in Potters Bar as our base for the week. The facilities were perfect for the course - the large school hall for the full orchestra rehearsals and a large number of individual classrooms for sectional rehearsals. Students and staff were treated to a delicious lunch each day and a range of refreshments to ensure everyone could focus on making music. In the evenings, students went back to our regular residential centre, the Lincolnsfield Centre.

We were also delighted to welcome our new leader, Gabriella Bavetta. Gabriella played with the English Schools' Orchestra in 2017 and 2018 and also led the National Children's Orchestra and National Youth Orchestra. She is currently studying at the Royal College of Music where she has received a scholarship to study the violin. During the week, Gabriella provided tremendous leadership of the Orchestra and excellent support to the conductor, always accompanied by a brilliant sense of humour.

Concert Review

The hallowed Cadogan Hall came alive with a resounding and regal symphonic journey as the English Schools' Orchestra took center stage. Under the baton of their inspiring new conductor, the young talents of the orchestra rendered an awe-inspiring performance that included William Walton's Crown Imperial, Benjamin Britten's Sinfonia da Requiem, and Edward Elgar's Symphony No. 1.

The evening opened with William Walton's Crown Imperial, an ode to the pomp and grandeur of the British monarchy. The orchestra's rendition was a triumph of brass and percussion, capturing the majestic fanfares and celebratory atmosphere of the piece. The triumphant crescendos reverberated throughout Cadogan Hall, enveloping the audience in a majestic aura. The orchestra showcased their impeccable precision, especially the brass section, which shone with a regal brilliance. The ethereal finale left the audience in awe, setting the stage for a night of musical grandeur.

Following this stellar opener, the English Schools' Orchestra delved into Benjamin Britten's Sinfonia da Requiem. Britten's haunting and contemplative composition is a powerful reflection on the horrors of war, and the orchestra displayed remarkable emotional depth and maturity. The strings exhibited delicate subtlety and mournful melodies, while the woodwinds and percussion conveyed the anguish and turbulence of the piece. The orchestra's ability to convey the profound emotions within Britten's work was commendable, and they captured the audience's hearts with a profound sense of introspection.

The climax of the evening came with Edward Elgar's Symphony No. 1, a colossal masterpiece that tested the orchestra's capabilities to their fullest. Under the conductor's guidance, the Orchestra executed this symphony with a level of mastery that belied their age. Elgar's Symphony No. 1 is a sprawling epic, and the orchestra displayed a keen understanding of its nuances, from the soaring melodies to the subtle, intimate moments.

The first movement, with its striking brass and lush strings, set a majestic tone, while the second movement allowed the woodwinds and strings to shine in their lyrical passages. The scherzo was taken at a spirited pace, and the orchestra's precision was impeccable. The final movement was a triumph of emotional depth, and the orchestra's performance was filled with passion, gravitas, and vitality. The crescendo in the finale reached a breathtaking climax, earning a long ovation from a captivated audience.

Throughout the evening, the English Schools' Orchestra demonstrated remarkable teamwork and cohesion, their youthful energy channelled into a mature and captivating performance. The conductor's skilful guidance and the orchestra's dedication and talent combined to create a transcendent musical experience. The orchestra's performance of Edward Elgar's Symphony No. 1 was especially noteworthy, revealing their potential as future stars in the world of classical music.

In summary, the English Schools' Orchestra's performance at Cadogan Hall was a true testament to the power of music and the promise of young talents. They transported the audience through a mesmerizing journey, effortlessly navigating the vast emotional landscapes of Walton, Britten, and Elgar. This concert was a celebration of musical excellence, leaving the audience deeply moved and with a newfound appreciation for the exceptional talents within our youth.

2023 Programme

(Click titles for more details)

• William Walton - Crown Imperial

  Crown Imperial was composed for the coronation of King George VI in 1937. Such was its popularity that it was again performed at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and the wedding of Prince William in 2011. It is written in the style of the Pomp and Circumstance marches with an energetic opening fanfare section, rousing middle theme and finally a return to the opening theme.

  Following the death of Elgar in 1934, the BBC approached Walton to write a march in the style of Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance set for the succession of Edward VIII, however by the time the commission was agreed in 1937, Edward VIII had abdicated, and the march was instead written for the coronation of his brother King George. Usually a slow and measured composer, Walton wrote the march in just two weeks.

  An arrangement of Crown Imperial by composer John Rutter featured as part of the programme at the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in May, and will form part of our own tribute to the new King and Queen.

• Benjamin Britten - Sinfonia da Requiem

  Sinfonia da Requiem was written by Benjamin Britten in 1940 as part of the celebrations to mark the 2600th anniversary of the founding of the Japanese Empire. It is written in symphonic style in three movements and is Britten’s longest purely orchestral work. The Japanese government did not choose the work for use in the celebrations as it was based on the Catholic Requiem (Mass for the Dead) and they felt that the mood was too sombre. Despite this, the work received a positive reception at its premiere in New York in 1941 and such was the appreciation of Britten’s work that following a subsequent performance in Boston, he was commissioned to write his most acclaimed work – the opera Peter Grimes.

  Britten was highly respected by the Royal Family; a particular favourite of Prince Phillip who commissioned Britten to set the words of Psalm 100 to music in his Jubilate Deo; and composed his Opera Gloriana to mark the Queen’s coronation in 1953.

• Sir Edward Elgar - Symphony No. 1 in Ab

  In 2022, the English Schools’ Orchestra performed Elgar’s concert overture In the South (Alassio). Elgar had originally travelled to southern Italy in 1903 to compose his first symphony but lacking the inspiration for a symphony, he returned from the trip having just written the 20-minute concert overture, still though his longest orchestral composition until then. It wasn’t until 1908 that he was finally ready to commit to the process of writing his eagerly anticipated first symphony.

  In 1907, he spent another winter in Italy, this time in Rome, where he finished the first movement. He completed the rest of the symphony on his return to England over the summer of 1908 in time for the premier on 3rd December of that year.

  Elgar had originally intended to write a symphony to commemorate General Charles George Gordan, in a similar way that Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony was written to celebrate Napoleon Bonaparte, but by the time he came to writing the symphony, he had concluded that abstract music (or non-programmatic music – that without a theme) was the pinnacle of orchestral composition.

  At times, the music is reminiscent of Wagner and Brahms but has an originality which marks this as one of the most important works of the early 20th Century. It is scored for a traditional symphony orchestra of the late Romantic period and is written in four movements, but contains many unusual features such as the opening key of Ab Major and a cyclic form with the unfinished opening Nobilmente theme returning in grand style in the final movement.

Rehearsal and Concert Photos - Click here to see album.

Photos by Justin Griffiths-Williams