Saturday 5th July 2025, 7.30pm
Strode Theatre, Street, Somerset

Join us for our season finale celebrating the charm of British Light Music, known for its accessible melodies, whimsical character, and British flair. This delightful concert features works by iconic composers like Eric Coates, Edward German, and Ernest Tomlinson, capturing the vibrant energy and spirit of British life. Whether you’re a longtime fan of British light music or new to the genre, this concert is an ideal way to experience the vibrant sounds of some of Britain’s best-loved composers. It’s the perfect way to end the Mid-Somerset Orchestra’s season with a burst of joyous music that will leave you humming long after the final note! MSO Alumnus Roger Parsons will present the concert from the stage.

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Join us for a spring concert showcasing two masterpieces of the Romantic era:

Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto – Beloved for its virtuosity and emotional depth, Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto features a lyrical opening, a delicate slow movement, and an exhilarating finale. Aniela Janiak will perform as the soloist. Rising star Aniela is a student at the renowned Wells Cathedral School and has achieved success in international competitions.

Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 – Nicknamed the “Romantic,” this majestic symphony evokes sweeping landscapes and spirituality with lush orchestration, soaring brass, and poignant melodies.

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Date: Sunday 17th November 2024
Time: 3pm
Venue: Strode Theatre, Street, Somerset

* Special Offer – Up to two child tickets free with every adult ticket purchased.

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Join the Mid-Somerset Orchestra for a fun afternoon of vivid classical music for the whole family!

Grieg’s Norwegian Dances
Lively folk rhythms that celebrate the heart of Norway.

Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre
A thrilling, eerie dance with death, captivating in every note.

Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Snow Maiden Suite
Lose yourself in the enchanting winter tale of a magical maiden.

Elgar’s Enigma Variations
A deeply emotional and mysterious orchestral work that will leave you spellbound. Narrated by Neil Howiantz.

The Mid-Somerset Orchestra is delighted to present another season of concerts in Strode Theatre, with four exciting programmes to look forward to!

• The season opens on Sunday 17th November at 3pm with a family-friendly matinee concert presented from the stage by compere Neil Howiantz. The programme will include the haunting Danse Macabre by Saint-Saens and Elgar’s Enigma Variations.
• A second matinee concert takes place on Sunday 2nd February at 3pm when Laurence Perkins will join the orchestra to perform the Mozart Bassoon Concerto. The concert will also include a rare performance of Louise Farrenc’s third symphony.
• On Saturday 10th May at 7.30pm you can enjoy a concert of full-on rich romantic music, Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto and Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony.
• For the season finale on Saturday 5 July at 7.30pm we present A Festival of British Light Music, including favourite works by Eric Coates, Edward German and Ernest Tomlinson.

Saturday 6th July 2024, 7.30pm

Vital Stahievitch Piano

Hitoshi Suzuki Conductor

• Mozart Overture to The Magic Flute
• Grieg Piano Concerto
• Nielsen Symphony No. 1

Strode Theatre, Street, Somerset, BA16 0AB

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The Mid-Somerset Orchestra is delighted to be joined by internationally acclaimed piano soloist Vital Stahievitch* for a performance of Grieg’s piano concerto. Written in 1868, the concerto is one of the most well-known in the repertoire and is an enduring feature in the Classic FM Hall of Fame. This will follow an exuberant opening to the concert with the overture to Mozart’s final opera The Magic Flute.

In the second half of the concert we continue the Scandinavian theme, moving from a Norwegian to a Danish composer. Carl Nielsen completed the first of his six symphonies in 1892. It is a very accessible and melodic symphony with a distinctive Danish flavour, and deserves to be performed much more frequently.

*Change of artist. Pianist Sam Haywood has had to withdraw from this concert. The Mid-Somerset Orchestra is grateful to to Vital Stahievitch for stepping in to perform the concerto.

Saturday 11th May 2024, 7.30pm

Gerard Flotats* Cello

Hitoshi Suzuki Conductor

• R. Strauss Wind Serenade Op. 7
• Dvořák Cello Concerto
• Brahms Symphony No. 4

Strode Theatre, Street, Somerset, BA16 0AB

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The Mid-Somerset Orchestra is delighted to welcome the brilliant young cellist Gerard Flotats as soloist in Dvořák’s supreme cello concerto. This was the composer’s last concerto, premiered in London in 1896, and remains one of his most popular works.

The concert also includes a rare performance of the wind serenade by Richard Strauss featuring the 13 musicians of MSO’s woodwind and horn sections. Written in 1881 when the composer was only 17 this work shows how he was influenced by Mozart and Mendelssohn in his early career.

The concert ends with Brahms’s fourth and final symphony, first performed in 1885. Considered by many to be one of the greatest symphonic works since Beethoven, Brahms’s fourth is notable for its rich, romantic orchestration, and its unusual passacaglia form with a repeated chord sequence in the final movement.

*Kindly supported by Making Music’s Philip & Dorothy Green Young Artists scheme