We will be going over the Beethoven and Rossini this week. All required.
Royal Forest of Dean Orchestra
Home of the Royal Forest of Dean Orchestra
Next Rehearsal: 12 May 2011
Unfortunately, Alastair, the conductor, can’t make the rehearsal this week so Ros Taunton will be leading a strings only rehearsal instead.
Press Release: 4th April 2011
Spring 2011 Concert
The Royal Forest of Dean Orchestra’s Spring Concert at the Baptist Chapel Coleford last Saturday was a great musical occasion for Forest classical music fans. Two major musicians were guests for the occasion, Simon Smith as violin soloist, and the youthful conductor Thomas Payne.
The Orchestra had fun playing the mischievous Mozart Marriage of Figaro Overture, and their enthusiasm was so infectious that the audience was inspired to applaud between movements. This is completely contrary to accepted conventions for audience behaviour, and there has been recent heated correspondence over this controversial subject. Royal Albert Hall audiences might have disapproved, but it seemed right in Coleford.
The Clock is one of Haydn’s London symphonies where baroque meets romantic, and the drawing room elegance of Georgian London was evoked in a spirited and energetic performance.
The Orchestra are gradually building a reputation as Beethoven specialists, having performed his 4th symphony and the Egmont overture at recent concerts, and their performance of his Violin Concerto was as fine and as thrilling a musical performance as can ever have been heard in the Forest.
The soloist was Simon Smith, a distinguished violinist of international reputation. Performing without a musical score, his rapport with conductor and orchestra was perfect, and his interpretation of this powerful and lyrical concerto generated prolonged applause (at the right place) from the large audience. I was horrified to see that one of the tuning pegs on Simon’s instrument had suddenly failed during his performance, but with a smile and complete assurance he silently retuned his violin and continued uninterrupted.
Simon Smith
The influence of Thomas Payne can be seen in the emergence of RFODO as a proud and important local orchestra. He works hard at the podium coaxing, encouraging, and directing the musicians, and his delight at their success was wonderful to see. Thomas has been RFODO’s guest conductor for several concerts, and he deserves enormous credit for the special night of music enjoyed at Coleford last week.
I’m almost inspired to dust off my violin grade 5 certificate of 50 years ago and join in. I imagine that their rehearsals are fun, and to be a part of music like that must be one of the great experiences of life.
Simon Smith (Violin)
Simon Smith is active as a soloist, chamber musician and teacher.
As a soloist he has performed with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields throughout the USA, with the Philharmonia, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Orchestra of St. John’s Smith Square, and the City of London Chamber Orchestra. He has given recitals in the Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room, as well as for Music Clubs and festivals throughout the UK.
Contemporary Music is a speciality and in 2007 – 9 he performed the complete Kurtag “Signs Games and Messages” alongside works by Paganini, and all the unaccompanied works by Bach. Future plans include further Bach series, and performances of the 10 Beethoven sonatas with pianist Mark Fielding.
As a chamber musician Simon has performed with the Fielding piano trio and Fourte string quartet. He directs the COA Ensemble, and in 2004 directed a chamber music festival in Hertfordshire, the Mundens Festival. For 8 years he was a member of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Octet, performing in concert halls and broadcasts throughout the USA, Canada, Australia, Taiwan and Germany.
He is much in demand as guest leader, performing with orchestras such as the Bournemouth Symphony and Sinfonietta, Britten Sinfonia, English Sinfonia, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Halle and Salzburg Camerata. He is leader of the Norwich based Chamber Orchestra Anglia.
Simon Smith is a visiting lecturer at the Birmingham Conservatoire. He has given numerous masterclasses, schools concerts and composers workshops. He will be running two summer courses in 2010. His research interests include the development and teaching of violin technique in the context of contemporary music.
Simon studied with David Martin, Frederick Grinke and with Yfrah Neaman at the Guildhall School of Music, where he was awarded the Gold Medal. He received a DAAD scholarship to continue his studies in Germany with Wanda Wilkomirska.
He plays on the ex-Hirsch Rogeri violin, made in 1706.
Simon is married to the violinist Clare Hayes, (a member of the Emperor String Quartet) and has three children. Outside of music he is a school governor, has completed courses in Philosophy with the Open University, and collects LPs and vintage Hifi.
making Music Work
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