This is London Magazine New Year Edition 2026 - Flipbook - Page 14
14
ELGAR’S MOST PERSONAL AND
DEEPLY MOVING MUSIC WITH
BRIGHTON FESTIVAL CHORUS
The Royal Philharmonic Concert
Orchestra & Brighton Festival Chorus
and leading cellist Adrian Bradbury are
to present the latest in a series of
collaborative concerts at The Anvil,
Basingstoke (8 February, 16.00).
Written in the aftermath of the First
World War, Elgar’s Cello Concerto in
E Minor is an intimate and elegiac work,
widely regarded as one of the greatest
pieces in the cello repertoire. Its
searching melodies and poignant
silences speak of loss, reflection, and
quiet resilience. Since its premiere in
1919, the concerto has become a
touchstone for audiences worldwide,
admired for its raw honesty and
emotional depth.
The Anvil, Basingstoke has a long
association with Elgar and the Cello
Concerto. The hall was officially opened
on 3 May 1994 with a concert which
included the Cello Concerto. They will
welcome renowned cellist Adrian
Bradbury to join the RPCO for this
beautiful piece.
Paired with this is Elgar’s large-scale
choral masterpiece The Music Makers, a
work that celebrates the power of art and
imagination. Setting lines from Arthur
O’Shaughnessy’s famous ‘Ode’, Elgar
weaves in echoes of his own earlier
compositions, creating a sweeping selfportrait that is both personal and
universal. Majestic and lyrical, it is a
hymn to the role of artists and dreamers in
shaping the world. Together, these works
form a concert of profound beauty and
emotional resonance, showcasing Elgar at
his most introspective and most visionary.
A cornerstone of sacred music and
royal occasion across the ages, Charles
Hubert Hastings Parry’s Anthem, I Was
Glad completes the programme with
some memorable depth and splendour.
This is a welcome return to The Anvil
for both the Royal Philharmonic Concert
Orchestra and Brighton Festival Chorus.
The Chorus is one of the UK’s leading
symphony choruses and it is their first
performance at The Anvil since their
November 2019 performance of Mahler’s
Symphony No 3 with the Prague
Symphony Orchestra.
For tickets, visit www.anvilarts.org.uk
ANDREW BIRD TO PERFORM AT
BARBICAN HALL
In celebration of its 20th anniversary,
GRAMMY-nominated violinist,
songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist
Andrew Bird will perform his album
The Mysterious Production of Eggs in
its entirety alongside a full orchestra in
the Barbican Hall on 28 February at
19.30. With his distinctive and
uncategorisable sound, Bird makes his
debut with Britten Sinfonia conducted
by Jacomo Bairos.
Blending swelling sounds with jazz,
folk, and pop melodies in a display of
unique virtuosity, Andrew Bird
celebrates two decades of his
acclaimed album The Mysterious
Production of Eggs. Featuring a top-tobottom performance of the seminal
record with new orchestral
arrangements, Andrew Bird caps off the
performance with a suite of fanfavourite tunes from his near 30-year
repertoire.
Adrian Bradbury
T H I S I S L O N D O N M A G A Z I N E • T H I S I S L O N D O N O N L I N E • w w w. t i l . c o m • @ t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g
