Bridge The Sea
Elgar Sea Pictures
Rebecca Starling (Soloist – H&DMF Winner 2016)
Britten Four Sea Interludes
Vaughan Williams Symphony No 6

The sea has long been a rich inspiration for composers living in the British Isles. The de Havilland Philharmonic Orchestra present an evening of works inspired by our coastal waters during the last century.

The concert opens with The Sea by Frank Bridge, and this is followed by Elgar’s much-loved Sea Pictures featuring soloist contralto Rebecca Starling, winner of the Hatfield and District Music Festival. Benjamin Britten’s powerful Four Sea Interludes from the opera Peter Grimes perfectly evoke the sea in all its moods. Vaughan Williams’ Sixth Symphony, while not directly inspired by the ocean, is a passionate and stormy work. Written in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, it expresses powerful emotions through wonderful orchestral textures, including the use of a tenor saxophone.