Welcome!

Welcome to the 2011-2012 season by the Cambridge Philharmonic Society, one of the UK’s leading non-professional musical organisations. With a full symphony orchestra and a large chorus, the Cambridge Philharmonic presents a series of concerts in King’s College Chapel, Emmanuel United Reformed Church and the West Road Concert Hall.

This season’s programme features a broad array of Twentieth Century Classics – from the thrilling rhythmic vitality of Stravinsky and Bernstein to the heart-stopping romanticism of Elgar and Rachmaninov. The music of previous centuries features too, and having recently performed Bach’s B minor Mass, we look forward to the Christmas Oratorio in December. We play Brahms in May, and in June finish the season with a feast of Parry and Puccini.

We are delighted to be joined again this season by the brilliant pianist Cordelia Williams, fresh from successes in Beijing, Paris and the Purcell Room; and once more we welcome mezzo soprano Heather Shipp, tenor Bonaventura Bottone and his daughter, the sensational soprano Rebecca Bottone.

Opera has become a regular fixture in our programmes, and this season we are thrilled to be performing the concert version of Bernstein’s eternally sparkling Candide. In the cast are West End and National Theatre star Beverly Klein, the acclaimed tenor Daniel Norman − a prolific recording artist and a regular at Glyndebourne − as well as Australian soprano Kristy Swift, who joins us after roles at Covent Garden, Danish National Opera and Opera Australia. Our children’s concerts are just as popular as our opera performances – and this year we welcome back one of the best-loved stars of children’s television, Chris Jarvis, for Ian Stephens’ brilliant We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.

Last season was one of the most successful in the Phil’s long history with sold-out performances in King’s, at West Road and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw (for an unforgettable Verdi Requiem). This year we hope to see all of you again and also look forward to welcoming those of you coming to one of our performances for the first time.

Thank you for supporting the Cambridge Philharmonic.

Timothy Redmond
Principal Conductor