To coincide with Black History Month, the de Havilland Philharmonic Orchestra launches its new concert season with a celebration of the glorious soundscapes of the symphony.
A resident orchestra at the University of Hertfordshire, dHPO has enjoyed over 50 years of success and brings together over 80 classical musicians who perform a wide musical repertoire under the leadership of dynamic conductor Robin Browning.
Hosted by UH Arts + Culture, the orchestra’s concert in Hatfield on Sunday, October 15 will observe Black History Month.
Inna Allen, acting head of UH Arts + Culture, said: “We are thrilled to open our new concert season with a celebration of all things symphony, and to mark the Black History Month with a piece by Florence Price, the first African-American woman to be recognised as a symphonic composer.
We look forward to welcoming people to the Weston Auditorium to enjoy this beautiful concert by the University’s extremely talented resident orchestra.”
The concert will begin with one of the greatest operas ever written, the timeless classic The Magic Flute Overture by prolific Austrian symphonist, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
To honour Black History Month, the orchestra will perform Concert Overture Number 2 by African-American composer Florence Price.
Price’s symphony was first performed 80 years ago in 1943 and is based on three spirituals: Go Down Moses, Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit, and Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen.
Closing the 'A Celebration of the Symphony' concert is Anton Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony. Arguably his most popular, it still features amongst the top 20 most popular symphonies today, according to BBC Music Magazine.
The beautiful slow adagio movement was written as a tribute to Richard Wagner and includes the first appearance of Wagner tubas in a symphonic work.
The concert will be the first repertoire performed by the dHPO this season and will take place on October 15 at 4pm at the 450-seater Weston Auditorium on the de Havilland campus of the University of Hertfordshire.
Tickets are available for a newly reduced rate – between £15 and £6 (free for carers and UH students) – from the website www.uharts.co.uk or by calling the box office on 01707 281127, open Monday to Friday 10am to noon.
Parking is free on Sundays.
Sitting within the School of Creative Arts, UH Arts + Culture brings a rich arts and culture programme to campus and local communities.
Working in collaboration with St Albans Museum + Gallery, and other key partners, UH Arts + Culture also presents off-campus exhibitions and events, displaying works from around the world in new contexts.
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