CBSO: Elgar's Enigma Variations

Stephanie Childress  Conductor 

Jess Gillam  Saxophone 

Sheku Kanneh-Mason  Cello 

Ben Goldscheider  Horn 

Gwilym Simcock  Orchestral Piano 

Britten  Simple Symphony, 18mins 

Gwilym Simcock  Triple Concerto, 25mins 

Elgar  Enigma Variations, 33mins 

Enigmatic Elgar, early Britten, a thrilling new work – and some outstanding young talent. 

Britten’s Simple Symphony is surely one of his most popular works, its ‘Playful Pizzicato’ even turning up as the soundtrack to commercials. Its four movements are based on pieces Britten wrote as a precocious pre-teen, then reworked in his early twenties. Elgar’s Enigma Variations is also, possibly, his most popular work. Each variation of the theme depicts a friend of the composer’s, such as the famous ‘Nimrod’ movement - a portrait of ‘a long summer evening talk’ with August Jaeger. In between is Simcock’s new Triple Concerto, composed for an exceptional trio of musicians, including CBSO Collaborative Artist Jess Gillam on saxophone. Conductor Stephanie Childress makes her debut with the CBSO. 

Muxton 11.30am, Newport 12.00pm and Cosford 12.20pm