London in the Summer

Image by Uzakbek from Pixabay

Saturday 22 June 2024, 7:30pm
Sheldonian Theatre

Sarah Frances Jenkins - The Holloway
Elgar - Cello Concerto in E minor
Vaughan Williams - Symphony no.2 in G "A London Symphony"

Finn Anderson-Hendra 'cello
Robert Max conductor

We start this concert with a premiere of a new work especially composed for us by Sarah Frances Jenkins. The Holloway is a beautiful piece evoking ancient tracks worn down by the passage of time and people.

Finn Anderson-Hendra then performs Elgar's popular 'Cello Concerto, which was composed during 1919 in the aftermath of the Great War. This is a concerto reflecting sadness and contemplation, and unusually for a concerto, it contains four movements, starting with an assertive but sad 'cello solo presaging the thoughtful nature of the first movement. This leads onto a brisk scherzo. The third movement is meditative and almost requiem-like, before flowing into the final movement which brings more motion and purpose, ending with a flash of optimism.

In contrast, Vaughan Williams' second Symphony was written before the Great War, and it evokes different scenes and moods from around London at that time. The first movement paints a picture the chimes of Big Ben and the busy London rush hour. The second movement is more peaceful and recalls Bloomsbury Square on a November afternoon. The third movement depicts Westminster Embankment with distant sounds from the Strand, hotels, crowded streets and flaring lights. The final movement marches to a climax before the chimes are heard once more, and London sleeps.

You can download the image of the poster for this concert.