This Sunday, November 13th 2005, at 7.45pm CHANDOS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA will be playing a programme of Russian music in Malvern.
Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet (excerpts)
Prokofiev Piano Concerto no 3
Rachmaninov Isle of the Dead
Chandos doesn’t rehearse weekly but for two complete, very intense weekends. It’s tiring that way but very rewarding because the commitment is greater, attendance almost 100% and the rate of progress during rehearsals, incredible.
Michael Lloyd, our conductor, keeps us on our toes and drives us hard. Yet he does so with wit and humour, making each individual feel very much part of the whole effort. I know of no other conductor who knows every member of the orchestra by name and uses that when talking to them. It’s never “2nd clarinet, you were out there” but always “Pauline….” “Philip…” etc
Maybe that’s part of the reason why we all adore him and work so hard for him. Yes, I do it for me as well, but the reason I actually get the music out and practise that nasty solo before the first rehearsal, is chiefly in order not to disappoint Michael.
I didn’t previously know the Rachmaninov – it’s beautiful. The soloist in the piano concerto is Aydin Onac, who has played with us many times before. He is Headmaster at TEWKESBURY SCHOOL – how does he find the time to learn the odd concerto? No idea!
Sheila Joynes's Musical Diary 