Bristol Beacon Spring Showcase Series: Online Concert Programme | 23 - 28 March 2025

Bristol Beacon presents 

Bristol Youth Choir Spring Showcase

28 March, 7pm, St Peter’s Church, Henleaze

This evening’s performance:

Directors: Lucy Hughes, Jenna Brown, Mircea Mutulescu and Ellie Rusbridge.

Accompanist: Sandie Middleton

Welcome

I am delighted to present the Intermediate Choir and Lower and Upper Voices in the beautiful St Peter’s Henleaze. The young people have been working hard under the expert tuition of David and our Choral team to draw together a concert of varied and exciting repertoire, and I know they are looking forward to performing for you this evening. Please enjoy the concert and I look forward to meeting some of you before and after the music this evening.

Edward Ashby
Senior Ensembles and Choirs Coordinator, Bristol Beacon

Thank you

Thank you to all the tutors and staff who work with Bristol Youth Choir for their hard work and dedication; David Ogden, Martin Le Poidevin, Jenna Brown, Sandie Middleton (piano) Ellie Rusbridge. 

Bristol Youth Choir will return to rehearsals after Easter.

Bristol Beacon presents 

Bristol Youth Orchestra Spring Showcase

23 March, 7pm, Beacon Hall

This evening’s performance:

Leaders: Alice Cui and Sam Bristow

Conductors: Tim Harrison, Martin Rogers and Sam Bristow

Welcome

Tonight’s concert marks the second season of performances in this great hall. By now, you might think that the sense of anticipation about performing here might have dissipated. However, if anything, seeing renowned orchestras like the London Philharmonic Orchestra perform Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony earlier this term has only deepened our excitement to share this stage with some of the finest musicians in the country. It is truly a privilege to explore such incredible pieces with our talented young musicians. 

For staff, the process of crafting these programmes and rehearsing with the orchestra is just as exciting and rewarding as the performances themselves. However, we must admit that there’s something particularly poignant about tonight’s performance. From our own experience, we know that the music performed tonight will stay with our musicians long after this evening. Embedding cornerstone works of the Western Classical repertoire and experiencing the challenge and thrill of performing them; technically, musically, and intellectually, is a unique and unforgettable experience. For our students, to say that they’ve performed Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony on the stage of Beacon Hall is a moment we hope they will treasure forever. 

A youth orchestra is always in a state of flux, with new members joining and others moving on, making it a constantly evolving and dynamic ensemble. This concert also marks the end of an era for our Year 13 leavers. Their dedication and commitment have been nothing short of remarkable. We hope they leave BYO with cherished memories, and perhaps a few earworms! 

We hope you enjoy this evening’s performance. 

Tim Harrison
BYO Conductor, Bristol Beacon

&

Edward Ashby
Senior Ensembles Coordinator, Bristol Beacon

Thank you

Thank you to all the tutors and staff who work with our ensembles for their hard work and dedication; Lynne McCabe, Cathy Stewart, Alison Welch, Becca Flynn, Aladar Salasovics, Mari Carmen Garzas Garcia-Pliego, Martin Rogers, Faith Stonehewer, Claire Rammelkamp, Anna Richardson and Katie Whitfield.

BYO will return to rehearsals after Easter.

Danse Macabre, Op. 40 Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
Camille Saint-Saëns, a French composer known for his mastery of orchestral color and his contributions to both symphonic and operatic music, had a lifelong fascination with the morbid and supernatural. While celebrated for his elegant programmatical works like The Carnival of the Animals, Saint-Saëns also delved into darker realms, as seen in Danse Macabre, a piece that has become one of his most popular compositions. 

Danse Macabre captures the chilling image of Death calling the dead to dance under the full moon. The work opens with the haunting atmosphere set by the solo violin (the top E string, detuned to an E flat, creating a dissonance with the open A), representing Death’s violin, played by our leader, Alice Cui. The rhythmic ostinato in the strings evokes the restless movements of the undead, creating a dramatic dance that crescendos toward a fiery conclusion. 

Mr Jums from Three Brass Cats for Brass Ensemble Chris Hazell (b. 1948)
Chris Hazell’s Four Cats draws inspiration from the four stray cats that once made their home with him. Our brass section of the orchestra are led by Martin Rogers, our brass tutor. 

‘Mr Jums’ was a particularly fun-loving playful cat, depicted through the syncopations and cheeky chromaticism.  

Repair in Progress for Percussion Ensemble Kyle Peters (b. 1991)
Kyle Peters, often explores the interactions of unrelenting rhythms and complex textures in his work, utilising percussion instruments in inventive ways. A percussionist himself, Peters is known for creating works that challenge traditional boundaries. Our percussion section not only work on the symphonic repertoire of the tutti BYO pieces, but also spends time working as an ensemble led by Faith Stonehewer. 

Repair in Progress showcases Peters’ skill in creating a dynamic soundscape that reflects a process of building, breaking, and reconstructing, symbolising the ongoing battle between chaos and order. 

Horn Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 11 Richard Strauss (1864–1949)
i. Allegro
Soloist: Arthur Conyers

Richard Strauss is best known for his grand tone poems and operas, recognised as a master of orchestration and harmony. His first horn concerto stands out as a testament to his lyrical and technical brilliance, with the horn at its heart, representing both a noble, heroic voice and a deeply expressive one. 

The first movement of Strauss’s Horn Concerto No. 1 opens with a bold, lively theme, offering the soloist a chance to display both virtuosity and the horn’s full expressive range. It has been a pleasure working with Arthur Conyers, winner of the BYO Soloist Competition this year and this performance serves as a fitting send-off to his time in the orchestra. 

Interval

The Senior Percussion Ensemble will perform Ivan Trevino’s Shared Space on the Lower Ground Floor Foyer.

 
Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36  Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)

1. Andante sostenuto; Moderato con anima 
2. Andantino in modo di canzona
3. Scherzo (Pizzicato Ostinato). Allegro  
4. Finale. Allegro con fuoco

Composed in 1877-78, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 was shaped by personal and artistic turmoil. While it coincides with his ill-fated marriage to Antonina Miliukova, the symphony’s roots extend beyond this, reflecting his broader struggles. The composer’s hidden homosexuality also contributed to his inner conflict, and the tension between his passion and fear of rejection resonates in the music. The Fourth Symphony is not just haunted by fate, but by personal isolation. Tchaikovsky’s relationship with Russian nationalist composers, The “Five”, was strained. While they embraced Russian folklore, his more European style often clashed with theirs. 

The symphony opens with a defiant brass theme representing “Fate”, a relentless force that lingers throughout the work, which unfolds between despair and fleeting hope: 

The “Fate” motif 

In the Andante sostenuto – moderato con anima, the “Fate” motif makes a dramatic entrance, but Tchaikovsky changes gears, introducing dream-like escapes from reality and descending motifs that hint at a brief escape from fate’s grip. It mirrors his own personality and life at the time; torn between despair and fleeting moments of solace. The Andantino that follows offers a softer, more introspective contrast. The oboe presents a melancholic melody which turns to warmth and sense of joy in the middle section. In the Scherzo, strings play an intricate pizzicato game, creating a restless energy. Finally, the Finale erupts in a blaze of sound and Tchaikovsky, even weaves in a Russian folk song. The mood shifts dramatically as the symphony bursts with exuberance, somewhat drowning out the inevitable Fate theme.  

Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, and to the possibility of finding moments of joy, even in the face of overwhelming struggle. 

Arthur Conyers was Head Chorister of Bristol Cathedral Choir from 2020-2021. He began learning the horn in Year 7 at Bristol Cathedral Choir School, taught by Tom Taffinder. He’s a member of the National Youth Orchestra and has a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music from September 2025.

Sam Bristow has been part of Bristol Youth Orchestra for 6 years and has had the privilege of conducting and rehearsing intermittently with the orchestra over the past 2 years, as a student conductor. He has guest conducted for various amateur orchestras in Bristol and is the current Music Director of West Bristol Orchestra. Sam is going on to read music at Cambridge University with aims to pursue a masters degree in conducting and a career in orchestral conducting.