JOIN Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra and play in our exciting Myths, Legends and Legacy Summer Concert for Ukraine at Cheltenham Town Hall on Sunday afternoon 26 June.

Contact chair Viv Hargreaves on , or visit our Facebook Page or website:https://www.gloucestershiresymphony.org.uk/contact/

(Rehearsals take place on Tuesday evenings (7.30-9.30pm) in term time at Elmbridge Primary School GL2 0PE.)

Our summer family concert, starting at 3.30pm, will feature top county oboist Louise Sprekelsen playing Navarro’s concerto Legacy, together with dancers choreographed by Peter Anderson.

Another major highlight will be Ukrainian singers Nadia Postolatii and Ala Postolatii performing folk songs from their home country, accompanied by a cello ensemble.

And Rachel Bowen‘s Cheltenham Youth Choir will be singing popular themes from La La Land and Slumdog Millionaire, while GSO, under Glyn Oxley’s baton, will be performing Stravinky’s The Firebird Suite and Bizet’s Carmen Suite No1.

Tickets at £15 adults, £5 children from https://www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk/

The retiring collection will be for the locally-based refugee charity GARAS (Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers), who are currently involved with helping Ukrainian refugees who have just arrived in our county.

Gloucestershire singer Ellie Neate gave a breathtaking performance, with encore, at Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra’s Spring Concert.

She sang the romantic Songs of the Auvergne (Canteloube) filling the fantastic acoustic of Gloucester’s St Barnabas’ Church with sensational sound.

Also making his debut with the orchestra, was guest conductor Ashok Gupta with his thrilling opening of the concert featuring Finnish composer Sibelius’s powerful nationalistic work Finlandia (opposing Russian oppression at the time).

And steering the orchestra with dynamism throughout the evening, and with the trickiest of symphonies, Sibelius No 3, was GSO’s musical director Glyn Oxley.

Special guests included the Mayor of Gloucester Councillor Collette Finnegan, who was full of praise for the event, which raised funds for award-winning charity Gloucestershire Bundles helping needy families, including refugees. Also attending were Ukrainian singers Nadia Postolatii and her mother Ala Postolatii, who were applauded as representatives of a their country in its current plight. Both will be performing at GSO’s ambitious Summer concert at Cheltenham Town Hall on Sunday June 26, when superb oboist Louise Sprekelsen, as well as dancers will feature on the programme.

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Love is in the air this Spring with stunning county soprano Ellie Neate performing Songs of the Auvergne with the Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra. The beautiful French folk songs, arranged by Joseph Canteloube, will feature in GSO’s concert on April 9 at 7.30pm in St Barnabas’ Church, Gloucester.

But there is also a topicality to the programme which features Finnish composer Sibelius’s famous Finlandia – written as a veiled protest again Russian censorship.

Tickets at £12, with under-18s free, can be obtained through Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/…/spring-concert-tickets…

The retiring collection is for award-winning charity Gloucestershire Bundles in Quedgeley, which provides young families, immigrants and refugees with essentials – from nappies, to pushchairs, to Easter/Christmas gifts. 

The youngest competitor in the finals of the Gloucestershire Young Musician of the Year 2022 wowed the judges and won the title.

But while 15-year-old Cheltenham College violinist Kimmy Kwok was the judges’ favourite, she wasn’t the audience’s. They chose 17-year-old Sir Thomas Rich’s School violinist Isaac Williams in a hotly contested finals at Pittville Pump Room on Tuesday night.

Delayed for a year because of the pandemic, the competition made an exciting comeback, dogged at times by Covid, which saw six of the original 13 contestants drop out – and also one of the judges.

Kimmy was one of five competitors, who gave polished performances during the evening, compered by Glyn Oxley, musical director of the organisers Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra.

As soon as it was over Kimmy telephoned her parents in Hong Kong. She said: “I am really grateful for this prize, it was a huge opportunity for me.”

The first prize of £500 was presented to her by Brimpsfield Music Society chair Patrick Daly and she received the Hewitt Jones Trophy from composer Thomas Hewitt Jones. 

Presenting the special audience prize of £200 to Isaac was his teacher Matt Denton, representing sponsors the Carducci Music Trust. Runners-up prizes of £50 were presented by Lavinia Sidgwick of The Summerfield Charitable Trust.

The three runners-up were former Sir Thomas Rich’s Grammar School pupil Aaron Le Maistre,19, who is now studying at the Royal Northern College of Music, cellist Souny Park, 17, from Cheltenham Ladies’ College and fellow pupil violinist Vanessa Yip, 16.

The judging panel comprised chairman Professor Derek Aviss, of Trinity Laban and concert pianist Pippa Harrison.

Six of the best young musicians in the county, ranging in age from 15 to 19, have made it through to the finals of the Gloucestershire Young Musician of the Year contest and will battle it out for the title on 8 March 2022.

They include pianist and former Sir Thomas Rich’s Grammar School pupil Aaron Le Maistre, 19, who is now studying at the Royal Northern College of Music; fellow Sir Thomas Rich’s pupil, violinist Isaac Williams, 17; Cheltenham College students, pianist Bryan Luo, 17, and violinist Kimmy Kwok, the youngest finalist at 15; cellist Souny Park, 17; and fellow Cheltenham Ladies’ College violinist, Vanessa Yip, 16.

A total of 13 musicians, from Moreton-in-Marsh, Stroud, Cheltenham, Gloucester and the Forest of Dean, entered the 2022 contest but Covid was a major factor in five having to withdraw by the time the auditions were held on 9 January.

Adjudicating the first round was Professor Derek Aviss, former executive director of Trinity Laban and ex-principal of Trinity College. Based in the county, he is president of the Gloucestershire Academy of Music, which hosted the auditions and is a partner in the contest.

He will chair the judging panel at the finals concert on 8 March 2022 at 7pm at Pittville Pump Room, where he will be joined by British concert pianist Ashok Gupta.

At the end of the evening, Professor Aviss will announce the Young Musician 2022 winner, who will receive a cash prize of £500, the Hewitt-Jones Trophy and will be given the opportunity to perform a recital at the Cheltenham Music Festival, as well as two concerto performances with the Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra and Gloucestershire Youth Orchestra.

The runners-up will receive cash prizes of £100 each and there will also be an Audience Prize of £200 sponsored by the Carducci Trust – the charitable trust initiated by the prestigious Carducci String Quartet, based in Gloucestershire.

Sponsors are The Summerfield Trust, Brimpsfield Music Society , Make Music Gloucestershire and Ann Heron.

Tickets are £15 for adults and free for under-18s, on sale through the Cheltenham Town Hall Box Office at http://www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk/
or on 0844 576 2210.