Mussorgsky Night on a Bare Mountain
Glazunov Concerto for Saxophone
Ravel Ma mère l’Oye
Ravel Boléro

Finnegan Downie-Dear conductor
Jess Gillam saxophone

‘He’s mad!’ cried an audience member at the first performance of Ravel’s Boléro. ‘She’s right!’ said Ravel. And who’d have guessed that a simple rhythm, a smoky tune and a dash of Ravel’s special magic would still be driving audiences wild nearly a century later? Boléro is the climax of this colourful concert – starting with the ghosts and ghouls of Mussorgsky’s supernatural thriller, and stopping off to meet the magical characters of Ravel’s ravishing Ma mère l’Oye. First, though, a sweet, songful saxophone concerto from old Russia, played by Britain’s best-loved star of the classical sax: former BBC Young Musician winner Jess Gillam.