Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra

Rob Clark Piano 
Barry Wordsworth Conductor
Brighton Festival Chorus

WILLIAM ALWYN
Overture: Derby Day

BERNSTEIN
Symphony No.2
(The Age of Anxiety)

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Symphony No.1
(A Sea Symphony)

The Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra's final concert begins with a short but scintillating overture by William Alwyn, a British composer who wrote many works, including over 70 film scores. His bustling overture Derby Day was written in 1960 following a commission from the BBC. It was named after a famous painting by Frith and its brilliant scoring gallops to an exciting conclusion.

Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No.2 takes as its subtitle 'The Age of Anxiety' from a poem by WH Auden. Written in 1949 for orchestra and solo piano, its two movements mirror Auden’s text through 14 variations. The energy and inventiveness is typical of Bernstein’s original and creative imagination.

Vaughan Williams’ epic Symphony No.1 has been a perennial favourite since its first performance in 1910. Setting poems by Walt Whitman, its large scale evokes the power and grandeur of the sea. Joining the orchestra, the Brighton Festival Chorus adds another dimension to the final concert of the season.