Classical Concerts & Landscapes

Invited by another tog who was double booked to photograph a workshop where young composers had their work played and critiqued. The Fantasia Orchestra along with Oxford University students made up the orchestra which was under the baton of conductor Tom Fetherstonhaugh. The venue being 100% full did not mahe taking photos easy and I had to negotiate my way into just three positions to get any photos at all.

The Elgar Chorale with Piers Maxim (conductor), Nia Evans (Harp), Christopher Allsop (Organ) and Robin Whitehouse (Tenor soloist) performed the final concert of the Autumn In Malvern Festival in Great Malvern Priory. We also took the opportunity of doing a full chorus photograph for use in future promotions. If you would like to have photographs like this of your concert do get in touch with Michael. The chorus also took advantage of the weather and cloisters garden to do a f

For their 2026 Autumn in Malvern concert, the Jenny Lind Singers have chosen the beautiful setting of the Great Hall at Stanbrook Abbey, home to an order of Benedictine nuns from 1838 to 2009. With its high vaulted ceiling, and fine acoustic, this is a wonderful example of the dramatic Victorian gothic revival style of Pugin, with lovely stained-glass windows and a stunning East Rose Window.

Well Thursday saw the first concert of the new season. Cheltenham Town Hall was the venue for English Symphony Orchestra performing a programme of Sibelius, Mendelssohn, Dvorak, Smetana and Smyth. Zeb Soanes (classic fm) explained each piece as we progressed through the evening. Kenneth Woods, conductor took charge with Joely Koos playing her cello as soloist.

Berkhamsted Choral Society and Chorleywood Choral Society performed in St Peters Church in Berkhamsted on Saturday. With Graham Wili Conducting assisted by Iestyn Evans on the Organ. Pieces from Handel, Byrd, Pitoni, Bruckner, Palestrina, Lotti, Balfour Gardiner, Mendelssohn, Faure, Purcell & Haydn were preformed to a appreciative audience who filled the venue.

The end of the weeks tuition is marked by a grand concert of Bartok's Concerto by the whole orchestra in the Birmingham Conservatoire. James Topp conducted and Nadine Benjamin was soloist. I was fortunate enough to be able to use the upper seated area to take photos and it was also great that I had the area to myself. If I went as low as the audience I would only have been able to photograph the front row of the orchestra. Nadine Benjamin

It was a Tale of Dragons in Leominster Priory with Leominster Choral Society conducted by James Atherton with soloists Brittany King (soprano), Angela Kazimierczuk (soprano) and Paul Bradley (tenor) with organist Hilary Norris.

A fitting conclusion to the Elgar Festival was the Festival Evensong in Worcester Cathedral. And with this post it's the end of the festival for 2026 ..............

Winner of numerous international competitions, pianist Roman Kosyakov plays the final concert Elgar Festival 2026, with a wonderfully virtuosic programme that includes Elgar’s Enigma Variations arranged for piano.

The Annual Elgar Society AT Shaw Lecture which is a popular event at the Elgar Festival had Kenneth Woods, conductor talking to Andrew Keener, record producer about his work in the studio with some of the most renowned Elgar conductors and instrumentalists from the 1980s to the present day.

Well its the big one!! The Gala Concert of the Elgar Festival in Worcester Cathedral. The English Symphony Orchestra , The Festival Chorus, Kenneth Woods, conductor and Rosalind Ventris - Violist. A packed Cathedral enjoyed Thea Musgrave The Seasons; Elgar Cello Concerto op. 85 (arr Lionel Tertis) ; Elgar The Black Knight op.25 and Elgar Imperial March op. 32 A fitting final evening concert for a marvelous festival of music.

The Elgar Festival annual free performance of the orchestra co-founded by Sir Edward Elgar himself offers families a great chance to experience the thrill of orchestral music up-close in an informal environment. A wonderful programme from Worcestershire Symphony Orchestra featuring Elgar, Bach and Mozart alongside 1950’s film composer Doreen Carwithen was enjoyed by a sell out audience in the Guildhall. Keith Slade, Conductor makes a speedy entrance to the podium too. Conduct

Elgar Festival Super Saturday saw us start off on St Martins Church (Cornmarket) with the The Elgar Chorale under the leadership of Piers Maxim and playing the organ Christopher Allsop. An impressive program of singing was appreciated by a sell out audience.

Tonight at Worcester Cathedral the English Symphony Orchestra with Kenneth Woods, conductor gave us Arnold Bax Tintagel, Elgar Falstaff and Holst The Planets, as part of the Elgar Festival. Here are just a few images of the concert where I managed to avoid most of the recording stands and video stands. But leaving two to show the task!! Looking forward to the Gala Concert on Saturday where there are NO recordings!

At the Sandon Hall in Worcester, Nicholas Daniel (oboe) and Huw Watkins (piano) played Thea Musgrave Dawn, Huw Watkins 5 Welsh Folksongs, Elgar Soliloquy & Howells Sonata in the Elgar Festival.

Malvern Priory was the venue for the latest Elgar Festival event featuring the Elgar String Orchestra, with Kenneth Woods, conductor and Nicholas Daniel, oboe soloist.

The Firs (Elgar's Birthplace) was the venue for the Elgar Festival Young Strings Masterclass event today with Tutors Nicholas Trygstad, (Head of Strings at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire,) cello and Beth Haughan, piano. A chance for aspiring youngsters to work with seasoned professionals.

It was the ESO Youth orchestras turn to put on the Elgar For Everyone concert in Worcester Cathedral last night which was part of the Elgar Festival. James Topp conducted and Zeb Soanes narrated with up to 100 young people in the orchestra. Winners of the 2025 Young Composers’ Competition were also presented with their prizes by Zeb Soanes.

Pershore Abbey was the venue for tonights Elgar Festival concert. The world famous I Fagiolini are Robert Hollingworth, director; Anna Crookes and Rebecca Lea, sopranos; Martha McLorinan and Tania Murphy, altos; Matthew Long and Jacob Ewens, tenors; Sam Gilliatt and Frederick Long, bass and Anna Markland, piano. This is their 40th Anniversary Tour and the packed audience enjoyed the music enormously.

The Elgar Festival held its first event at Elgar's Birthplace today with Performers April Fredrick, soprano ; Eric McElroy, piano ; Grace Shepherd, violin & Joseph Campbell Powell, narrator. A rich tapestry of longing and loss, it features poems and letters by Gurney and others that emerged from their time in the trenches and the collective grief, processing and change that followed it.