CSO / FOAG Charity Concert

For such a concert, it would seem natural to start with a huge favourite from Sibelius, the Karelia Suite. Its music is inspired by the rough-hewn folk music of the Karelia region, a vast swathe of territory that straddles what is now the border between Finland and Russia.

Within relatively few kilometres of the southernmost points of the Karelia region lies the city of St. Petersburg, home to the St. Petersburg Conservatory from which Tchaikovsky graduated in 1865. Whilst his Violin Concerto was composed some 13 years later in Switzerland, it’s a romantic thought that he might have taken some inspiration from the landscapes to the north. It is one of the most popular in the canon, and we are delighted that we have Gloucestershire Young Musician 2023, Isaac Williams to perform it.

To complete the trio of works for such an epic concert, Sibelius’ 5th Symphony is an obvious fit. This monumental symphony is vast in its scope and Sibelius himself felt that he was taking direction from heaven during its composition. Nevertheless, he was intent on keeping it down-to-earth and vivid. In particular, its last movement is a huge piece of work that it’s easy to feel the evocation of a vast, Epic Landscape.

Host or Publisher FOAG with the assistance of Cheltenham Symphony Orchestra