Barbara Thompson – Concerto for Three Saxophones and Symphony Orchestra
Dmitry Shostakovich – Symphonic Poem in C minor 'October', Op.131
Gustav Holst – The Perfect Fool, Op.39
Sergey Prokofiev – Symphony no.4, Op.47/112
Jess Gillam – saxophone
John Gibbons – conductor
Ealing Symphony Orchestra
We look forward to welcoming BBC Young Musician of the Year contender Jess Gillam for Barbara Thompson's Saxophone Concerto - more properly titled 'Concerto for Three Saxophones and Symphony Orchestra'. Thompson said of writing the concerto in 1968, "Whilst it is obviously desirable to push at the boundaries, I began to wonder whether contemporary classical composers were in fact afraid. Could it be that it is actually much easier to write so much in the abstract, without the ghosts of the past peering at the manuscript over your shoulder? I therefore decided to grasp the nettle, buck the trends and write a light, tuneful concerto featuring a different member of the saxophone family on each movement."
Also featuring are, appropriately, Shostakovich's symphonic poem October, and Holst's lively The Perfect Fool. Kicking off our theme of 'fourths' this year, we tackle Prokofiev's Fourth Symphony - the revised edition!
Regular concert-goers for Ealing Symphony should note that this concert is in a different venue than usual; please check before travelling. Check our website for a map and public transport links.
