Concert This Weekend – 21st March 2015

by rob
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Published on: March 19, 2015
Bassoonist Richard Tattam rehearsing with RFDO

Come along to Newnham-on-Severn this Saturday (March 21) to hear some fabulous music at daffodil time.

The Royal Forest of Dean Orchestra’s Spring Concert at the parish church will feature much-loved works by Elgar and Mozart in this picture postcard setting.
Youngsters from the St Peter’s Church of England primary are being invited to come and listen to the rehearsal before the evening performance – when funds from the retiring collection will go towards a spiritual garden at their school.

This will be talented new conductor Jack Lovell’s second concert with the orchestra – and he has invited professional Midlands bassoonist Richard Tattam to perform Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto.

Richard won a scholarship to study at the Birmingham Conservatoire and later went on to gain an Honours degree in Music.  He continued his studies at the Royal Northern College of Music gaining a PgDip in Performance in 2008. He has recently performed the Mozart Bassoon Concerto with Sinfonia of Birmingham for their tour of Italy in 2013.

“The concerto is a work that is often used by bassoonists for auditions,” said Richard, “but what I am enjoying so much is being able to give it my interpretation for this concert.”

Another popular Mozart work – ‘the Great G Minor Symphony’ (No 40)  – will also feature during the concert.

This will provide a contrast to Elgar’s beautiful Chanson de Matin and its companion piece Chanson de Nuit, which will bring another dimension to the evening. Conductor Jack, aged 24, who gained a Master’s Degree in conducting from Cardiff’s Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, said: “I have chosen this programme as not only because the music is beautiful, but the tremendous challenges that it presents for the players are fundamental to a high level of musicianship and technical ability.”

The concert starts at 7.30pm and there will be refreshments served during the interval. Tickets, available on the door, are priced at £8 (concessions £6) and schoolchildren are free.

RFDO with conductor Jack Lovell
RFDO with conductor Jack Lovell

RFDO Christmas concert at Coleford Baptist Church on Saturday night

by rob
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Published on: December 11, 2014

Great concert with great new conductor Jack Lovell, great audience and great support for our chosen charity – Sean Gane from The Warrior Programme for soldiers with post traumatic stress.

Jack Lovell
Jack Lovell – Musical Director

 

Prickly customer

by Viv
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Published on: October 6, 2014

A rather prickly customer turned up at Thursday night’s brilliant rehearsal of the Royal Forest of Dean Orchestra – along with a few others! Bass players Gordon Bailey and Vernon Godden spotted the hedgehog having a slug feast on the steps of Newnham St Peter’s Primary School where we rehearse. If you’re not prickly and you want to join us visit out website www.rfdo.org.uk

Prickly new recruit for RFDO turned up at rehearsal. Spotted by bass player Gordon Bailey near steps of Newnham St Peter's School eating a large black slug!
Prickly new recruit eating a large black slug

New Conductor for Royal Forest of Dean Orchestra

by rob
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Published on: October 4, 2014
New conductor Jack Lovell with the Royal Forest of Dean Orchestra at rehearsal.
New conductor Jack Lovell with the Royal Forest of Dean Orchestra at rehearsal.

Promising young conductor Jack Lovell has started on a high note as he takes up the baton with the Royal Forest of Dean Orchestra. He has just gained his Master’s Degree in conducting from Cardiff’s Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and is already putting members through their paces with works such as Suite from Nais by Jean-Philippe Rameau, which he has edited himself. The 23-year-old, whose dream is to become a professional conductor, has chosen an ambitious programme with a French theme for the orchestra’s Christmas concert on December 6 at Coleford Baptist Church. He will be combining Rameau with Ravel’s popular Mother Goose Suite. And to finish the evening he will be conducting Bizet’s First Symphony for his debut in the Dean. Jack, who hails from Somerset, fell in love with music as a child, although he doesn’t come from an inherently musical family. He played piano and tenor horn from a young age and later added cello and French horn. He became hooked on conducting after being given the chance to take up the baton at Richard Huish College in Taunton, where he studied in the sixth form. Jack currently works at the Birmingham Conservatoire and is busy honing his skills, learning repertoire and developing his musicianship. He has taken over from another rising star Thomas Payne, who has conducted the Forest orchestra for the past four years. “I am really looking forward to working with and developing the orchestra,” said Jack. “It will certainly keep me on my toes and motivated.” If you are interested in joining the orchestra, which rehearses at Newnham St Peter’s Primary School every Thursday from 7.30-9.30pm, contact the chairman Liz Pritchard on liz@gl14.net or ring 01594 510604 or visit the website at www.rfdo.org.uk

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Important Dates

20th April 2024: Spring Concert, St. Peter’s Church, Newnham-On-Severn

Easy Fundraising

Please help support the RFDO by doing all your on-line shopping via Easy Fundraising. Its an easy way to raise money for the orchestra if you shop online for anything from groceries to holidays and it wont cost you a penny more!

To start shopping and raising money, follow this link and search for “Royal Forest of Dean Orchestra”: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/

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