MAY 2017

CONCERT

Welcome to tonight's concert of Dvořák, Prokofev and Sibelius.

Kensington Chamber Orchestra (KCO) started life as the Informal Chamber Orchestra
in 1936. Informal referred to concert dress – normal suits and dresses were worn for
performances. In the late 1980s, the orchestra changed its name to the Kensington
Chamber Orchestra, refecting a move to rehearsal premises in Ladbroke Grove and
the support provided by the Kensington & Chelsea Arts Council. KCO was fortunate to
have a long and productive relationship with the Arts Council Administrator Terry
Slasberg until her death in 2001.

KCO now performs four or fve concerts in London each year, bringing together
London-based musicians to perform a wide range of established and contemporary
classical music to a high standard. It is an orchestra that seeks to introduce people of
all ages to the joy and beauty of classical music and music-making, and over the last
couple of years has introduced the extremely successful ‘family concert’ into its
annual concert programme for the younger members of the orchestra’s following.
KCO is equally keen to encourage and support exciting young soloists and composers
at the outset of their careers. KCO has taken part in the Adopt-a-Composer scheme,
including a collaboration with Elizabeth Winters in a performance of “A Serious Side of
Madness” which has recently won a British Composer Award. KCO has also been
fortunate to play with some extremely talented young soloists, including Yasmin
Rowe, Mathieu van Bellen, Magnus Johnston, Lukas Medlam and Michael Foyle.

KCO would like to thank St. Clement and St. James CE Primary School and St. James
Norlands in Holland Park for rehearsal and storage space and Francesca Blum, Peter
Challands and Petra Kjell for their assistance with front-of-house activity at this
evening’s concert.

We would also like to thank Leonora Lang and John Waller for their generous fnancial
support. You too can become a supporter or a non-playing member of KCO. If you
would like to fnd out more, please email kensingtonchamber@gmail.com.

You can also help to generate valuable extra income for KCO by using the Amazon link
on our website (kco.org.uk) which enables the orchestra to receive a commission on
every purchase.

To be the frst to hear about future concerts, why not join the KCO mailing list? Send
an email to kensingtonchamber@gmail.com. You can also follow KCO on twitter -
@KCOmusic.

Tickets for all our concerts can now be purchased online in advance of the concert and
at a discounted rate, from www.kco.org.uk
The Noonday Witch Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)

The Noonday Witch, by Karel Jaromír Erben (translated by Susan Reynolds)

By the bench there stood an infant, ‘Give that child here!’ ‘Lord, forgive
Screaming, screaming, loud and wild; this sinner’s sins, my Saviour dear!’
‘Can’t you just be quiet an instant? It’s a wonder she still lives,
Hush, you nasty gipsy-child! For see—the Noonday Witch is here!

Now it’s noon, or just about, Silent as a shadow wreathes,

Daddy’s coming home for dinner: The witch towards the table’s slipping:
while I cook, the fre’s gone out— Mother, fearful, scarcely breathes,
all your fault, you little sinner! In her lap the child she’s gripping.

Hush! Your cart’s here, your hussar— Twisting round, she looks behind her—
look, your cockerel!—Go on, play!’ Poor, poor child—ah, what a fate!
Crash, bang! Soldier, cock and cart Closer creeps the witch to fnd her,
To the corner fy away. Closer—now she’s there—too late!.

Once again that fearful bellow— Now for him her hand is grasping—
‘May a hornet come and sting you! Tighter squeeze the mother’s arms:
Hush, you naughty little fellow, ‘For Christ’s precious torments!’ gasping,
Or the Noonday Witch I’ll bring you! She sinks senseless with alarm.

Come for him, you Noonday Witch, then! Listen—one, two, three and more:
Come and take this pest for me!’— The noonday bell is ringing clear;
In the door into the kitchen, The handle clicks, and as the door
Someone softly turns the key. Flies wide open, father’s here.

Little, brown-skinned, strange of feature, Child clasped to her breast, he found,

On her head a kerchief pinned; Lying in a faint, the mother;
With a stick – crook-legged creature, He could hardly bring her round,
Voice that booms like roaring wind! But the little one was – smothered.

Violin Concerto No. 1 Sergei Prokofev (1891-1953)

1. Andantino
2. Scherzo. Vivacissimo
3. Moderato. Allegro moderato

Prokofev began composing his First Violin Concerto in 1915. He was very fond of the
opening theme, but was busy working on his opera, The Gambler. He regretted not
having more time to work on the Concerto's "pensive opening." When he got back to it,
he intended to compose a "concertino" for violin and orchestra, but the piece grew into
a three-movement concerto. As musicologist and Prokofev scholar Israel Nestyev has
noted, Prokofev consulted Polish violinist Paul Kochanski while writing the violin part.
Kochanski advised him on bow markings and other technical details, and was supposed
to have been the soloist at the premiere, planned for November of 1917. The piano
score of the work was completed in the summer of 1917, but because of the revolution
in Russia, the Concerto did not receive its frst performance until 1922, in Paris.

Instead of the usual fast-slow-fast concerto structure, Prokofev's outer movements are
slow, while the middle movement is a fast scherzo. The order of the Concerto's
movements is not the only unusual aspect of this violin concerto: the role of the solo
violin is also atypical. While the violin dominates the piece, it is not set dramatically
against the orchestra; instead, as Russian music critic I. Yampolsky wrote, the violin is
"the frst among equals," dominant but integrated into the orchestral texture.

The opening theme of the piece is simple and lyrical. The frst movement is in sonata
form, with the lyricism and simple sincerity of the frst theme contrasted with a
chromatic, angular second theme. The two themes are rigorously developed after the
exposition, almost unrecognizably transformed. Prokofev's love for the frst theme is
reinforced in the recapitulation, where only this theme is heard: the second theme and
bridge material are eliminated. The second movement is typical Prokofev, a virtuosic,
"grotesque" Scherzo. It is cast in rondo form, and is full of numerous and sudden shifts
of articulation and accent. It is, says Nestyev, music in which "images of sneering
sarcasm and sinister forces predominate." In the fnal movement, Prokofev returns to
the calm, lyrical character of the opening movement, but with added harmonic colour.
This fnal movement is a work of ingenious thematic integration, realized in the large
coda: the lyrical theme of the fnale is played in the orchestra, against the "pensive,"
lyrical frst theme from the opening movement, played by the solo violin.

Programme note by Alexander Carpenter

~ Interval

Symphony No. 6 Jean Sibelius (1891-1953)

1. Allegro molto moderato

2. Allegretto moderato
3. Poco vivace
4. Allegro molto

"Whereas most other modern composers are engaged in manufacturing cocktails of

every hue and description, I ofer the public pure cold water"

Written between 1917 and 1923, when its composer was in his ffties, Sibelius's Sixth
Symphony is a work that sits incongruously in its modernist, dissonant era. Its
 plaintive, harmonic language, based on the ancient modes of renaissance polyphony,
gives it a sense of being not of its time, in contrast to so much contemporary music
that refected something of its febrileage. Written in an unbridled organic form, only
loosely tied to its Classical four-movement structure, the symphony takes us on an
irresistible journey, showing us breathtaking frozen landscapes, before arriving at an
intimate spiritual reckoning.

The harmonic centre of the piece oscillates gently between two closely-related
modes, D dorian and C major, and Sibelius writes with a sense of cyclical momentum,
building up layers of orchestral texture and shufing his melodic motifs above these
harmonic tectonic plates. The melodic material wears its simple, white-note purity
with a snowy sheen, overlaying delicate textures that evoke nature and the weather.
Timeless as a mountain, the sixth symphony could almost have been written in any
era.

In the composer's manuscript, barlines were pencilled in after the music had been
written, often wiggling their way around the instrumental parts. This suggests that
Sibelius wrote without much of a sense of hierarchy among the beats of a bar; freed
from the metrical straitjacket, the material moves and breathes at its own pace. The
way that Sibelius uses this freedom is compelling. He creates climaxes with the
power of crashing waves, overwhelming and disorienting, as the listener is dragged in
unexpected directions by an underwater current. At times, he slows the harmony to a
near-static pace while fgurations mesmerise and melodies rustle and dance. That it
can sometimes feel like an early prototype for the American minimalists shows just
how indebted those composers were to this music.

Programme note by Danyal Dhondy

Michael Foyle

Michael Foyle won The Netherlands Violin Competition 2016,

giving an acclaimed performance of Szymanowski’s Violin
Concerto No.1 with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. This
led to an immediate invitation to give his debut performance at
The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. In the last season, he also gave
recital debuts in Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, Buckingham Palace,
Estonia Concert Hall and New York Chamber Music Festival,
performing live on BBC Radio 3, NPO Radio 4 and Estonia
Klassikradio.

Born in Ayrshire in 1991, Michael gave his concerto debut in

Edinburgh Festival Theatre aged eight. He went on to win the BBC
Young Musician of the Year Tabor Award 2008 and the Royal
Overseas League String Competition 2013. His acclaimed duo
with pianist Maksim Stsura won the Beethoven Piano Society of
Europe Competition 2015 and the Salieri-Zinetti International Chamber Music Competition.
They now perform widely as City Music Foundation, Park Lane Group, Kirckman Concert
Society and Making Music Young Concert artists.
In addition to his solo and chamber performances, Michael is engaged this season as
Guest-Leader of BBC Symphony Orchestra, and as Professor of Violin at Royal Academy of
Music. Upon graduating from the Academy in 2015, he was awarded the Regency Award
for Excellence and the Roth Prize for the highest violin mark of the year. His studies with
Maureen Smith and Daniel Rowland were complemented by participation in masterclasses
given by Olivier Charlier, James Ehnes and Maxim Vengerov. He completed his studies
with a Certifcate of Performance degree with Pavel Vernikov at the Vienna
Konservatorium. Michael plays a Gennaro Gagliano violin (Naples, 1750) on kind loan from
Mr. John Sanderson (member of KCO).

Tom Seligman

Principal Conductor of KCO since 2007, Tom studied

conducting in Glasgow, London and Amsterdam after reading
English at Cambridge. He made his BBC Radio 3 debut
conducting the Hebrides Ensemble at the 2005 St Magnus
Festival in Orkney and took the helm at the Festival 'Musique-
Cordiale' in the south of France between 2008 and 2012. He
has worked with young musicians across the UK and in Bolivia,
and his six years as Director of Hampshire County Youth
Orchestra culminated in 2011 with a performance of Mahler's
'Resurrection' Symphony in Winchester Cathedral. He is also
originator and conductor of ‘Rite Up Close’, an innovative
interactive workshop and concert introducing The Rite of
Spring to audiences of all ages.

Tom made his debut at the Royal Opera House in 2010, and
has since been regularly invited back, conducting the Royal
B a l l e t i n r e p e r t o i r e i n c l u d i n g Chroma, Do n Q u i x o t e ,
Frankenstein, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Winter’s Tale and the world
premiere of Metamorphosis Titian, which was beamed live to ‘big screens’ around the UK
and featured in the BBC’s ‘Imagine’ series. His 2013 ROH performance of The Nutcracker
was relayed to cinema screens around the world. He has conducted Jewels and The
Nutcracker for New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center and Shadows of War and Coppélia
for Birmingham Royal Ballet at Sadler’s Wells and on tour. For English National Ballet he
has conducted The Nutcracker at the London Coliseum, Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet
at the Royal Albert Hall and Le Corsaire and Swan Lake in China and Singapore. Next
season he returns to the National Ballet of Canada and makes his debut with Dutch
National Ballet, as well as conducting over a dozen performances at the Royal Opera
House. Opera productions include The Rake's Progress and The Beggar's Opera for
Edinburgh Studio Opera and Le nozze di Figaro for Opera East.

Recent projects as Chorus Master with the BBC Symphony Chorus have included concerts
at the Barbican and Royal Albert Hall, a Chandos recording of Berlioz Roméo et Juliette
and the 2016 Last Night of the Proms. Tom has also worked extensively with the London
Symphony Chorus and Brighton Festival Chorus and was Chorus Master for the Lucerne
Festival Orchestra’s performance of Mahler's 3rd Symphony under Claudio Abbado at the
2007 BBC Proms. As Guest Chorus Director for the Hallé's recording of Elgar's The
Kingdom under Sir Mark Elder, he garnered critical acclaim for the Choir's performance
and won the 2011 Gramophone Award for best choral recording.
 MAY 2017
CONCERT

Principal Conductor - Tom Seligman

Violin I Cello Bassoon

Corinna Ferguson (leader) Chris Peugniez* Gráinne Devery
Arabella Lang Robert Jacobs Kriskin Allum
Eve Weatherill Timothy Kraemer
Nev Tam Ben Deakin Horn
Juliette Reid Stephen Baxter Charles Clark-Maxwell
Quentin Wright Alison Atkinson Jeremy Garside
Carenza Parker Fiona Russell
Sophie Park Double Bass Pete Smith
Philip Austin*
Violin II Peter Taunton Trumpet
Anna Moore* Flossi Challands Rob Horrocks
Laurel Smith Pardue Steve Tomalin
Jane Afa Harp Giles Taylor
Paula Carro González Aoife Miralles
Helen Downing Trombone
Anne Webster Flute/Piccolo: David Pitts
Max Kohler Kerenza Peugniez Dominic Hales
Florence Heathcoat- Helen Wills Alistair Goodwin
Amory Libby Summers
Tuba
Viola Oboe Malcolm Peach
Rachel Laurence* Suzanne Wheatley
Danyal Dhondy Rosie Howgill Timpani
Jonny Davies Richard Souper
Lewis Murray Clarinet
Robin Wedderburn Drew Leckie Percussion
Geofrey Keen Katie Collin Tony Summers
Rob Summers
Bass Clarinet Francesca Blum
Jill Anderson
* Principal

We often have room for string players. Rehearsals are on Tuesday evenings in Holland
Park, with additional rehearsals close to the concert. We do not audition, but will accept
players on a recommendation or on a trial basis. If you would like further information,
please contact: kensingtonchamber@gmail.com
 FUTURE
CONCERTS

Saturday 7 October 2017

7.30 p.m. at St. Peter’s Notting Hill
Mendelssohn – Overture: The Fair Melusina
Schubert – Symphony No. 1
Brahms – Piano Concerto No. 1
John Reid, piano
Karin Hendrickson, guest conductor

Saturday 25 November 2017

Family Concert
3.30 p.m. at St. Mark's Hamilton Terrace

Saturday 10 March 2018

7.30 p.m. at St. Peter’s Notting Hill

Saturday 12 May 2018

7.30 p.m. at St. Peter’s Notting Hill

(repertoire T.B.A.)
Visit kco.org.uk for programme details and up to date information.

Follow KCO on Twitter @KCOmusic.

Tickets for all our concerts can now be purchased online from our website.

We welcome help running the orchestra – on the door and behind the bar on concert nights,
approaching potential sponsors, printing and distributing publicity material, listing our concerts
in the media. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact
kensingtonchamber@gmail.com. Free concert tickets are available for volunteers.

Kindly supported by Making Music’s Philip & Dorothy Green Award for Young Concert Artists
scheme.
Making Music is the UK’s leading organisation for voluntary music, with over 3,000 music
groups in membership. Its Philip and Dorothy Green Award for Young Concert Artists (AYCA)
has helped to launch the careers of dozens of young musicians since its creation in 1961,
including Steven Isserlis, Elizabeth Watts and Ian Bostridge. In 2002, the Philip and Dorothy
Green Music Trust secured the future of AYCA with the largest single donation Making Music
has ever received.
www.makingmusic.org.uk/ayca

KCO is a member of Making Music,

The National Federation
of Music Societies