Autumn Concert 28 November 2026

Britten composed two sparkling orchestral suites both based on themes by Rossini – Soirées musicales and Matineés musicales, op. 24. They revel in dance rhythms (both were choreographed by Balanchine) and demonstrate Britten’s orchestral mastery and tongue-in-cheek sense of humour. Widely performed by amateur and youth orchestras, these two suites provide substantial and exciting additions to any children’s or pops concert.

MAHLER: Des Knaben Winderhorn - selection. Soloist: Indyana Scheider

Gustav Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn is a collection of 24 folk poetry settings composed between 1887 and 1901. Though a complete set exists, performers frequently curate a "selection" tailored to concert programs or albums, drawing heavily from the composer's orchestrated or piano-accompanied ballads.

Our soloist: Indyana Schneider is an internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano, praised by The Guardian as “outstanding” and by Opera Magazine for her “crimson depth and character”. A former member of the Opernhaus Zürich International Opera Studio, she has performed leading operatic roles, premiered Jonathan Dove’s In 80 Tagen um die Welt, and appeared with Cecilia Bartoli and Orchestra La Scintilla.

WALTON: Symphony No.1

By the time he began working on his First Symphony, William Walton had already established himself as the most exciting young British composer of the day. The work proved to be one of the twentieth century's greatest symphonies. Volcanic sentiments simmer beneath its surface and the music conveys the tensions of the 1930s whilst always remaining consistently timeless in its appeal.