Summer 2011 Concert

The Royal Forest of Dean Orchestra is delighted to announce the programme and details for its forthcoming summer concert. The orchestra will perform once again in one of the area’s most beautiful buildings, the Church of St Mary in St Briavels, and will present a marvellous programme of traditional classical music, including Rossini’s mischievous Overture to The Italian Girl in Algiers and Schubert’s rarely heard Symphony No 4, ‘The Tragic’. The entire second half will be devoted to Beethoven’s majestic first piano concerto when the orchestra will be joined by local piano prodigy, Alex Kirk.

Alex started learning the piano at the age of five. From 2003 he has been attending the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama under the Junior Music and Access Studies course, and at the age of fourteen, passed grade VIII with distinction.  This pass was acknowledged by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music for gaining the highest mark in the region. In May 2010, Alex was awarded the Margaret Rose Bursary by Drybrook and District Ladies Choir in memory of their founder musical director Margaret Burford and earlier this year he gained The Herbert Howells Bursary . Alex was also a finalist in the Gloucestershire Young Musician and won the Cheltenham festival’s Keith Nutland award  for best young musician. As an accompanist, he plays for the Forest of Dean Male Voice Choir and the Springfield Singers and is quickly becoming well known as a talented classical pianist, performing in venues such as Cheltenham Town Hall and Bath’s Guildhall. Alex was successful in auditioning for a place at the Royal College of Music in London where he will start in September.

The orchestra will be conducted by local musician, Alastair Cameron and led, as usual by distinguished performer and teacher, Ros Taunton. A spokesperson for the orchestra said, ‘we are all thrilled to be playing with Alex – the orchestra’s ethos has always been to promote local youngsters, particularly those who are clearly going onto great things and Alex is certainly one of those! We hope  people will come, support and be inspired by Alex before he goes off to the Royal College of Music in London.’

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 4^th 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.

The Royal Forest of Dean Orchestra is delighted to announce details of its forthcoming winter concert to be held on Saturday 4th December at Newland Church, nr Coleford. The orchestra, under the baton of local pianist and clarinettist, Alastair Cameron will present a stunning programme of popular Romantic classics, kicking off with Rossini’s mischievous Soirees Musicales (op 9), and then moving on to a dazzling collection of pocket-sized orchestral classics, including Faure’s Masques and Bergamasques, Massenet’s Scenes Pittoresques and Bizet’s frothy and enchanting Carmen Suite. In the second half the audience will be able to hear Mendelssohn’s delightful Symphony No 4, otherwise known as ‘The Italian.’

The orchestra is delighted to be presenting its very first concert under co-conductor Alastair Cameron from Mitcheldean.

Alastair began conducting at university, where he had the opportunity to conduct the full range of the university’s ensembles. He directed a number of university performances including musicals, orchestral works, and one of his own compositions which was performed  by the university chamber choir and orchestra, and was subsequently broadcast on Radio 4.

As usual the orchestra will be led by distinguished local teacher and performer, Ros Taunton and this year the orchestra will be instituting a park and ride scheme to and from the church, in order to improve parking in and around Newland.

There will be a retiring collection in aid of Great Oaks Hospice. The Concert starts at 7.30pm. Tickets will be available at  the door on the evening and are priced at £8 and £5 concessions. Accompanied children under 14 are free of charge.

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For further info about any aspect of RFODO please e-mail: enquiries@rfdo.org.uk