Conductor - Mark Shanahan

In the final concert of the season, Forest Philharmonic travels to the splendid Sir James Hawkey Hall in Woodford Green to perform two contrasting and much-loved works of the late 19th Century, and a masterpiece by one of the great composers of the 20th Century.

Sibelius composed the Karelia suite in 1893 to accompany a historical tableau at a university – the first performance was a rowdy affair with the music barely audible. A year later, Debussy composed his Prélude à l’Après-midi d’un Faune, a work that for Pierre Boulez heralds the start of the 20th Century revolution in music: ‘The flute of the Faune brought new breath to the art of music’. The concert concludes with Bartók’s ever-inventive ‘Concerto for Orchestra’, written for the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1943, showcasing every section of the orchestra.