The Hallé Orchestra

Programme:
Ravel - Mother Goose Suite
Elgar - Cello Concerto
Sibelius - Symphony No.5

'Today I saw 16 swans. One of the greatest experiences of my life. God, what beauty!' That transcendent vision inspired Sibelius to compose the finale of his Fifth Symphony, and one of the noblest, but simplest tunes, ever written. It’s hard to imagine a more magnificent ending to this concert from Manchester’s Hallé Orchestra – always popular visitors here at Warwick Arts Centre – under the dynamic young British conductor Courtney Lewis, who’s already made quite a splash in the USA.

Sibelius’s Fifth Symphony will make a striking contrast to the woodsmoke and autumnal poetry of Elgar’s haunting Cello Concerto: one of those pieces that everybody loves, but which you simply have to hear live. The Hallé’s own principal cello Nicholas Trygstad takes the spotlight tonight, but not before we’ve visited the enchanted garden of Ravel’s ravishing Mother Goose suite: an exquisite opening to an evening of fantastical visions and fairytale wonder.