Northern Chamber Orchestra return to Buxton with Spring Serenade

NCO, the resident orchestra at the annual Buxton Festival will be returning to Buxton Opera House, with a special concert in February, Spring Serenade a light and lovely programme evoking the joys of spring.

The evening will include Spring from Vivaldi’s ever-popular The Four Seasons, with NCO’s Artistic Director, Nicholas Ward, as soloist.Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto no. 4 and Handel’s Water Music, equally popular all-time classics have a place in the programme.  Whilst the Chamber Orchestra will be joined by the superb soprano, Alexandra Lowe for a selection of songs, courtesy of the legendary, Victorian-era composer and lyricist duo, Gilbert & Sullivan.

Their contemporary, Tchaikovsky wrote Waltz from Serenade for Strings (also to get an airing) as homage to the serenades of his idol, Mozart. The sumptuously romantic piece was premiered in St. Petersburg in 1881 and met with instant success. Tchaikovsky himself was delighted with the work and declared it to be a piece written ‘from the heart’!

While you may not think you know the final piece in the concert, Dag Wiren’s March, from his Serenade for Strings (the composer’s works are not widely known outside of his native Sweden) this bright and lively tune is actually quite familiar. It was used many years ago as the theme of the BBC cultural show Monitor and its international popularity grew from there.

For this concert, Buxton Opera House has kindly been supported by The Nottingham Building Society, located at Spring Gardens, Buxton.

Northern Chamber Orchestra’s Spring Serenade takes place on Friday 10 February at 7.30pm. Tickets are priced from £26 to £30 and discounts are available. To buy tickets call the Box Office, Tel: 01298 72190 or visit www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk