Universal Hall, Findhorn
Friday 11 April 2025, 7:30pm
St Andrew’s Chamber Orchestra
Conductors: Bede Williams and Michael Downes (conductors)
Robert Schumann: Manfred Overture
Richard Wagner: Siegfried Idyll
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony no. 3, op. 55 ‘Eroica’
St Andrews Chamber Orchestra comprises the best student instrumentalists from the University of St Andrews, conducted by Director and Deputy Director of Music, Michael Downes and Bede Williams. Having recently performed a survey of Brahms’ four symphonies and Beethoven’s last three symphonies; and following their 2023 tour to both sides of the Irish border, the Orchestra perform the first concert of their tour to the Highlands, with a programme of great German works of the 19th century.
First premiered at the German National Theatre in 1852, under the direction of Franz Liszt, the overture to Schumann’s consistently admired incidental music to Lord Byron’s verse drama, Manfred, will be performed in recognition of the 250th anniversary year of the great poet’s death. It will be heard alongside Wagner’s symphonic poem Siegfried Idyll, a piece composed as a birthday present to his second wife, Cosmina, in 1869, reflecting the composer’s gentler side. To conclude their programme, the Orchestra will perform Beethoven’s stirring, revolutionary third symphony, Eroica, widely considered to be the first Romantic symphony. Beethoven’s Third marks the beginning of its composer’s innovative ‘middle-period’, pushing boundaries of form, harmony, and emotional and cultural context.
Says Peter Vallance of Universal Hall Promotions, “Our auditorium is considered an exceptional venue for playing and listening to classical music. We are delighted to be welcoming the St Andrews Chamber Orchestra to the stage here.”
Ticket pricing is £16 General Admission, £14 Concessions and £5 Under 16s and can be booked in advance, bought in person from The Phoenix Shop, Findhorn, or purchased from the Box Office on the night.
Universal Hall Promotions offer a free carer/companion ticket for any disabled or wheelchair-user audience members for all their own shows. It is helpful if this is booked in advance via the WeGotTickets website, to ensure that there is adequate accessible seating reserved on the night of the event.