Campaign to Protect Rural England Centenary Concert

Join us for a special one-night celebration as the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) and the Bristol Youth Orchestra present A Concert for the Countryside: a powerful tribute to 100 years of championing England’s rural heritage told through live orchestral music and stunning film.

This unique event celebrates the beauty, diversity and spirit of the English countryside from 1926 to 2026, with footage curated by David Parker and Bob Pitt from Available Light Productions. From rugged moors and rolling mountains to wetlands, ancient woodlands and dramatic coastlines, sumptuous archive film takes you on a cinematic journey through landscapes, livelihoods and nature in the countryside.

The evening will feature the World Premiere of a specially commissioned piece by Debbie Wiseman OBE, one of the UK’s most acclaimed composers and Classic FM’s Composer in Residence. The piece will be conducted by the composer herself. Highlights also include works by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, a pioneering Black British composer celebrated for his lyrical folk-inspired style, and Sir Edward Elgar.

All aged between 12-18, Bristol Youth Orchestra is the city’s flagship senior youth instrumental ensemble, featuring over 90 of the most talented young musicians.