The program opens with one of British composer Malcolm Arnold’s most popular works, the Peterloo Overture. It is a piece of programme music, written in 1968 to commemorate the centenary of the first meeting of the Trades Union Congress. It depicts an event held on the 16th August 1819 in St Peter’s Fields, Manchester, where a peaceful outdoor meeting called to debate the subject of political reform was interrupted by the Yeomanry, a cavalry force which had been sent in by local magistrates. The exciting music paints the scene as the meeting descended into violence, before a triumphant ending representing hope for the future.

The NSSO is then delighted to showcase a work by Australian composer Ross Edwards. His Piano Concerto was premiered in 1983 to great critical acclaim, and has since been performed many times both in Australia and overseas. It features exuberant dance rhythms, colourful instrumentation and conventional tonality; an expression of the pure joy of living. Joining the NSSO on stage to perform this work will be internationally renowned Australian pianist Bernadette Harvey. Bernadette is a solo pianist, chamber musician and master teacher, regularly performing worldwide with orchestras and chamber groups, and as a Musica Viva artist with the ABC. She has also released a number of CDs to critical acclaim.

The concert closes with Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. This famous work was inspired by a visit to an art exhibition. Each of the ten movements represents one of the drawings or artworks on display. It was originally written as a solo piano work, but is now best known in its orchestral version. From the opening ‘promenade’ that represents the composer walking between the paintings to the triumphal majesty of the final picture, the Great Gate of Kiev, this is a work that has been thrilling concert audiences for over a century.

Artists:

North Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Steven Hillinger
Concertmaster: Adrian Keating
Piano: Bernadette Harvey

Program:

Arnold: Peterloo Overture

Edwards: Piano Concerto
Piano: Bernadette Harvey

Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition