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Spring 2025 Concert – Eastern Promise
28/03/2026 Starts 3.00pm, Doors Open 2.30pm
St Michaels Church Madeley
Church St, Madeley, Telford, TF7 5BN
Borodin – Steppes of Central Asia
Selected Slavonic Dances
Symphony No 5 Tchaikovsky
Alexander Borodin (1833–1887) – Inthe Steppes of Central Asia (1880)
Written to mark the 25th anniversary of the reign of Tsar Alexander II, In the Steppes of
Central Asia is a musical depiction of Russia’s vast eastern territories and the peaceful
coexistence of cultures within the empire. The work opens with a high, sustained harmonic
note in the violins, depicting the quiet, shimmering stillness of the limitless steppe. The entire
piece is based on the image of two caravans crossing paths: one of Russian soldiers, noble
and calm, and an Oriental caravan, whose melody is introduced by the English horn. Their
themes intertwine gently, never clashing, as they travel together across the steppe. Gradually,
the music thins and fades, the caravans disappearing into the distance and leaving only the
vast silence of the landscape behind.
Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904) Slavonic Dances, Op. 72 (1886–1887)
Dvořák composed his second set of Slavonic Dances between 1886 and 1887, following the
huge success of the earlier Op. 46. By this time, he was internationally celebrated, and Op. 72
reflects a composer writing with great confidence, emotional depth and orchestral mastery. As
with the earlier set, Dvořák does not quote authentic folk tunes, but rather creates original
melodies inspired by traditional Slavic dance forms such as the dumka, furiant, polonaise and
kolo. Compared to Op. 46 though, these dances are often darker, more reflective, and
harmonically adventurous, frequently shifting between exuberant rhythms and lyrical
introspection. The orchestration is rich and varied, showcasing Dvořák’s gift for colour and
texture. Together, the dances form a vivid musical portrait of the Slavic spirit
Interval
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 (1888)
Tchaikovsky composed his Fifth Symphony during a period of personal doubts and creative
uncertainty. The symphony itself reflects these inner struggles. At its heart is a recurring “fate”
theme, first heard in the clarinets at the opening. This sombre motif appears in every
movement, constantly transformed in mood and character, ultimately evolving into a
triumphant majorkey
statement uniting the symphony in a journey from darkness to light.
I. Andante – Allegro con anima
The symphony begins with the fate theme stated as a funeral march. A second theme follows,
reminiscent of a Slavic folk tune, and the whole movement alternates between resignation and
resistance, dramatic climaxes and moments of fragile lyricism, expressing Tchaikovsky’s
emotional struggle.
II. Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza
One of Tchaikovsky’s most wellknown
slow movements, the second movement opens with a
memorable solo horn melody, which Tchaikovsky’s carefully crafted orchestration then
develops in the strings and woodwind solos. Tchaikovsky contrasts this lyrical material with
more turbulent passages, in which the fate motif from the first movement returns in an altered
form.
III. Valse: Allegro moderato
Replacing the traditional scherzo with a graceful waltz, Tchaikovsky offers a moment of
elegance and charm, reminding us of his mastery of ballet and dance. Even here though, the
fate theme briefly intrudes, subtly reinforcing its omnipresence.
IV. Finale: Andante maestoso – Allegro vivace
The finale opens with the fate motif transformed into a triumphant major key, before launching
into a vigorous main subject. Tension builds throughout the movement until a newly affirmative
version of the fate theme bursts forth in the magnificent final moments.
Tchaikovsky was originally doubtful about the work, during a visit from Brahms, he wrote:
“Neither he nor the players liked the Finale, which I also think rather horrible”. Yet he later
reconciled with the symphony, especially after conducting it to great acclaim during a
European tour in 1889: “The nicest thing is that the symphony has ceased to seem ugly to me”
he wrote to his brother. Since then, Tchaikovsky’s Fifth symphony has become one of the most
popular and enduring symphonies of the Romantic era, symbolically describing a journey of
ultimate victory over destiny.
Born in France, Samuel Lellouch received a formal musical education in Brussels Royal
Conservatoire where he studied the violin with Naaman Sluchin and orchestral conducting with
Yves Segers and Bart Bouckaert, graduating with a Bachelor and a Master in both disciplines.
He further perfected his skills through two years at the London Conducting Academy course
led by Denise Ham and some of the most prominent conductors in the UK including Toby
Pursuer, Dominic Grier and Christopher Seaman. Samuel has taken part in several
international masterclasses, conducting professional orchestras such as the London Classical
Soloists (UK), the MAV Symphony Orchestra (Hungary) and the Beogradski Sinfonicari
(Serbia), benefitting from the tuition of reputed conductors and pedagogues (Jorma Panula,
Colin Metters). After holding conducting roles for the University of Birmingham Wind Band and
the Redditch Orchestra, Samuel took the role of Permanent Conductor of Telford Orchestra in
March 2024. Aside his musical career, Samuel Lellouch is Assistant Professor at the University
of Birmingham where his research focuses on quantum mechanics and its technological
applications.
Tonight’s Orchestra:
| Flutes Lisa Borland* Kate Gill Jean Webb (& piccolo)Oboes Laura Morris (& Cor Anglais) Adrian Turner*
Clarinets
Bassoons
French Horns
|
Trumpets Rob Croft Chris Cumming*Trombones Alun David* Steve Spencer Bass Trombone Tuba Timpani 1st Violins Jennie Barnett* |
2nd Violins Liz Bailey Frances Cooper Allen Davenport Violetta Davis* Abigail Kulemeka Sharon Wells Kay Wilshaw Violas
Cellos Double Bass *Star shows section leader |
A huge thankyou to the team at The Anstice who support our weekly
rehearsals.
We would welcome new audience and members of the orchestra for our next concert at The Anstice 20th June 2026. The repertoire will be:
Movements 2 and 4 from Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique
Saint Saens Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah
Khachaturian Masquerade Suite
Brahms Hungarian Dances
Dvořák new selection of Slavonic Dances
Contact via www.telfordorchestra.org.uk
Telford Orchestra
Autumn 2025 Xmas Concert – “A Classical Xmas Festival” 06/12/2025 @ The Anstice. 1 Anstice Square, Madeley, Telford, TF7 5BD. Doors 2.30pm for 3.00pm Start
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- Humperdinck – Hansel and Gretel Overture
- Sibelius – Finlandia
- Ravel – Mother Goose
- Leroy Anderson – Sleigh Ride
- Tchaikovsky – Sleeping Beauty Suite
- Johann Strauss – Radetsky March
Engelbert Humperdinck (1854–1921) – Hänsel und Gretel: Overture (1893),
Humperdinck’ opera Hänsel und Gretel is built on the story of a classic German fairy tale collected
by the Brothers Grimm. In this tale, two young siblings are abandoned in a forest and find a house
made of gingerbread, but are captured there by a witch who intends to eat them. The overture presents the main themes from the opera in symphonic form, including the “Evening Prayer,” the children’s dance music, and motives associated with the woodland setting. Its rich orchestration and romantic features, which reflect Humperdinck’s Wagner influenced harmonic style, are meant to depict a world where danger and wonder coexist.
Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) – Finlandia, Op. 26 (1900)
Originally written as the concluding section of a multipart sequence entitled Music for the Press
Celebrations, Finlandia was revised in 1900 into the selfcontained tone poem known today. The
piece is structured as a sequence of sharply contrasted sections. It begins with brass and low
woodwind chords punctuated by percussion, before proceeding into a quicker, rhythmic central
section. The wellknown
hymnlike section, which is sometimes sung out by a chorus, appears later,
initially in the woodwinds with simple accompaniment before expanding across the full orchestra.
One of the most widely acclaimed pieces by Sibelius, Finlandia has become a symbol of Finland’s
national identity.
Maurice Ravel (1875–1937) – Ma mère l’Oye (Mother Goose Suite, 1911)
Ravel first composed Ma mère l’Oye as a set of piano duets for children, before orchestrating it the
following year. The suite draws on wellknown
French fairy tales, each movement presenting a selfcontained
vignette that Ravel renders with skilfully refined orchestration.
1. Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant (Pavane of Sleeping Beauty)
This short, slow dance form, remarkably by its simplicity, evokes the image of Sleeping Beauty in
repose by means of a modal melody with medieval colours.
2. Petit Poucet (Tom Thumb)
Drawing on Perrault’s tale of the boy who leaves a trail of crumbs, Ravel represents the character’s
wandering through stepwise melodic lines, suggesting aimless movement, while woodwinds
motives and string harmonic sounds evoke the birds and the forest.
3. Laideronnette, impératrice des pagodes (Laideronnette, Empress of the Pagodas)
Inspired by Mme d’Aulnoy’s tale The Green Serpent, this movement depicts an imagined East Asian
setting by means of pentatonic scales and percussive textures. The form alternates between a
principal, animated theme and a central section where gong sonorities evoke the atmosphere of the
pagodas kingdom.
4. Les entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête (Conversations of Beauty and the Beast)
In this dialogue, Beauty’s material is carried by the clarinet through a slow, melancholic valse
theme, while the Beast’s replies appear in a unique contrabassoon solo. The final, transformational
section introduced by a harp glissando features harmonic sounds and lighter instrumentation,
creating a magic atmosphere as the Beast becomes a prince.
5. Le jardin féerique (The Fairy Garden)
Slowly developing from a wonderfully crafted unfolding melody, this movement culminates in a full
orchestral statement a happy ending much appropriate to this final tale!
Interval
Leroy Anderson (1908–1975) – Sleigh Ride (1948)
Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride is a light orchestral miniature that has become particularly well known
after Mitchell Parish added lyrics to it (1950). The piece follows a rondolike pattern with recurring
refrains and contrasting episodes. It employs specific orchestral effects to represent elements of a
winter sleigh ride, including sleigh bells, a whip effect in the percussion, and a final trumpet glissando imitating a horse’s whinny.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) – The Sleeping Beauty suite (published 1899)
Posthumously assembled from Tchaikovsky’s celebrated ballet The Sleeping Beauty (1889), the orchestral suite presents five movements highlighting key scenes and dances from the ballet. The Introduction evokes the Lilac Fairy with bright orchestration and clear thematic figures. The Adagio –
Pas d’action, from the “Rose Adagio,” accompanies Princess Aurora’s formal presentation to four
princes, featuring extended melodic arcs and steady harmonic pacing. The Pas de caractère –Puss in boots
and the White cat represents the two cat characters through an oboe bassoon
duet with light, playful orchestration and stylised rhythmic figures. With its flowing, diatonic melodies,
Panorama depicts the journey to the sleeping castle before the suite concludes with the Waltz from the Prologue – the most well known tune from the ballet.
Johann Strauss I (1804–1849) – Radetzky March (1848)
One of the most famous marches in classical music, Radetzky March uses a typical ternary (A–B–
A) structure: a principal theme in duple time, a contrasting trio section in a related key, and a
restatement of the opening material. Clear phrasings, accented rhythms and instrumentation reflect
the mid19thcentury Viennese military band style. An immediate success, the piece has gained longterm
ceremonial use and is performed every year to conclude the Vienna New Year’s concert.
Our Musical Director – Samuel Lellouch
Born in France, Samuel Lellouch received a formal musical education in Brussels Royal Conservatoire
where he studied the violin with Naaman Sluchin and orchestral conducting with Yves Segers and Bart
Bouckaert, graduating with a Bachelor and a Master in both disciplines. He further perfected his skills
through two years at the London Conducting Academy course led by Denise Ham and some of the most
prominent conductors in the UK including Toby Pursuer, Dominic Grier and Christopher Seaman. Samuel
has taken part in several international masterclasses, conducting professional orchestras such as the London
Classical Soloists (UK), the MAV Symphony Orchestra (Hungary) and the Beogradski Sinfonicari (Serbia),
benefitting from the tuition of reputed conductors and pedagogues (Jorma Panula, Colin Metters). After
holding conducting roles for the University of Birmingham Wind Band and the Redditch Orchestra, Samuel
took the role of Permanent Conductor of Telford Orchestra in March 2024. Aside his musical career, Samuel Lellouch is lecturing physics at the University of Birmingham where his research focuses on quantum mechanics and its technological applications.
Players
| Flute Lisa Borland* Kate Gill Jean Webb (& piccolo)Oboe Kirsty Broomhead Adrian Turner*Cor Anglais Laura Morris (& Oboe)Clarinet Nigel Chard Richard Elliott* Kate Hick Bassoon Contrabassoon French Horn |
Trumpet Rob Croft Chris Cumming* Paul Dyson Sally Gillions Trombone Alun David* Steve SpencerBass trombone Tom UttleyTuba Mick Goodall Percussion Timpani Keyboard |
Violin 1 Jennie Barnett* Elaine Hooper James Hoyle Jo Jordan Gosia Kosylak Meryl WilliamsViolin 2 Liz Bailey Allen Davenport Violetta Davis* Sharon Wells Kay Wilshaw
|
Viola Eiko Bridge Marion Holland* Atsuko Ota Elin Roddy Phil YatesCello Sue Falder John Preston John Sadler* Hannah Sedman-Smith Simon ToghillDouble Bass Johann Stalmans Richard Walker *Star shows section leader |
A Huge Thank You to the team at the Anstice who support our weekly rehearsals!
The committee and members of the Telford Orchestra are extremely grateful for the support they have received from the Jennifer Worth Literary Trust
We would welcome new Audience members and Players to the orchestra for our next concert at St. Michael’s Church 28th March 2026. The Programme is likely to include:
Borodin - In the Steppes of Central Asia Dvorak - selected Slavonic Dances from the second set opus 72 - Following positive audience feedback in 2022, we're programming some more (different) Slavonic dances from Dvorak Tchaikovsky - Symphony no 5
Please Contact us via www.telfordorchestra.org.uk – If you would like to be added to our regular Mailing List just drop us a message on Facebook or on the Email address shown on the Contact page.
Summer 2025 Concert – “Music for a Summer’s Evening” 28/06/2025 @ The Anstice, 1 Anstice Square, Madeley, Telford, TF7 5BD
Doors 7.00pm for 7.30pm Start
-
- Der Freischütz Overture Carl Maria von Weber
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream Felix Mendelssohn
- Vltava (The Moldau) from Má vlast Bedřich Smetana
- Summer Evening Frederick Delius
- Frühlingsstimmen (Voices of Spring) Johann Strauss II
- La Gazza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie) Overture Gioachino Rossini Conducted by Samuel Lellouch
Carl Maria von Weber (1786–1826): Der Freischütz Overture (1821)
Der Freischütz Overture Carl Maria von Weber
An essential work in the development of German Romantic opera, Weber’s opera Der Freischütz (The Marksman) is set in the forest of a German village and tells the story of a young marksman who makes a pact with dark forces to win a shooting contest and through that the hand of his beloved. The overture is a carefully structured orchestral summary of the opera’s thematic material and emotional atmosphere. It opens with an introduction in the horns evoking the hunting music representing the village life and competition, followed by more dramatic material reflecting the supernatural elements of the opera, and the lyrical love theme. Weber’s orchestration demonstrates a keen sense of drama, atmosphere and contrast, and gives prominence to one of his favourite instruments – the clarinet. The overture played a significant role in popularising the use of thematic overtures previewing dramatic content and was admired by later composers such as Berlioz and Wagner.
Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847): A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 61 (1842)
Mendelssohn was only seventeen when he composed an Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, inspired by Shakespeare’s play. Sixteen years later, he was commissioned by King Frederick William IV of Prussia to write additional incidental music for a stage production of the play, resulting in Op. 61. The full score includes fourteen movements, of which the Overture, Scherzo, Nocturne, and Wedding March have become the most popular ones, being frequently performed as standalone pieces. The Overture is notable for its representation of the fairy world through shimmering string textures and quick and agile rhythms. The Scherzo, with its light woodwind writing, continues this magical atmosphere and provides material that serves as a transition between acts in the play. Featuring a prominent horn melody, the Nocturne depicts the romantic rest of the characters, while the Wedding March has become one of the most recognisable pieces of ceremonial music worldwide.
Interval
Bedřich Smetana (1824–1884): Vltava (The Moldau) from Má vlast (1874)
Vltava is the second of six symphonic poems that constitute Smetana’s Má vlast (My Homeland), a cycle written between 1874 and 1879 celebrating Czech landscape, history and legends. Vltava depicts the journey of the Moldau river, the longest river in the Czech Republic, from its source in the Bohemian Forest to its passage through Prague and onward to its confluence with the Elbe. While Smetana was completely deaf when he composed Vltava, the piece remains one of the most performed examples of the symphonic poem genre. The music begins with the flutes and clarinets, respectively representing the two small springs that merge to form the river. The river’s main theme, introduced by the strings, is an adaptation of an Italian Renaissance melody, La Mantovana, and has become Smetana’s most famous tune. As the river flows through the countryside, the music portrays a hunting scene, a rustic wedding, moonlight dancing water nymphs, and a virtuoso passage as the river goes through the St. John Rapids. The piece concludes with the river arriving into Prague, marked by a majestic tune with plenty of brass, before it dissolves into the waters of the Elbe.
Frederick Delius (1862–1934): Summer Evening (1890, rev. 1918)
Summer Evening is an early orchestral work by English composer Frederick Delius.
Composed in 1890 and revised in 1918, it is one of Delius’s earliest tone pictures, reflecting his growing interest in musical impressionism and atmosphere rather than in traditional symphonic development and structured forms. The piece evokes a quiet, reflective evening landscape. Harmonically rich and sparsely textured, it features gentle melodic lines, subtle dynamic shifts and a pervasive mood of serenity. Though not as frequently performed as his later works (On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, A Village Romeo and Juliet), Summer Evening foreshadows Delius’s mature style and his lifelong interest in natural and pastoral themes.
Johann Strauss II (1825–1899): Frühlingsstimmen (Voices of Spring), Op. 410 (1882)
Frühlingsstimmen is a concert waltz composed by Johann Strauss II in 1882. Known as the “Waltz King”, Strauss played a key role in raising the status of the waltz from dance music to concert repertoire. Originally written for coloratura soprano and orchestra, Frühlingsstimmen celebrates the arrival of spring with exuberant melodies, rapid coloratura passages and characteristic Viennese waltz rhythms. The piece opens with a flowing introduction and then transitions into a series of waltz sections that are thematically varied but unified in style and mood. Exemplifying the refinement and elegance of Viennese light music and frequently performed at the New Year concert in Vienna, Frühlingsstimmen remains a concert favourite, particularly in spring themed and New Year’s programs.
Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868): La gazza ladra (The Thieving Magpie) Overture (1817)
Premiered at La Scala in Milan in 1817, Rossini’s opera La gazza ladra (The Thieving Magpie) is a semiserious (opera semiseria) work which tells the story of a servant girl wrongfully accused of theft, with the true culprit revealed to be a magpie. The overture is one of Rossini’s most dramatic and widely performed orchestral introductions. It begins with a striking snare drum roll, a device rarely used in operatic overtures at the time. Following a majestic introduction, it launches into a bright and energetic allegro. The music includes brilliant orchestral flourishes, sudden dynamic contrasts, virtuoso woodwind passages featuring notably the piccolo to evoke the magpie, and trademark “Rossini crescendos”, an exciting buildup of orchestral sound over a repeated phrase. Structured as a selfcontained concert piece, the overture demonstrates Rossini’s skills in balancing drama and humour within the same musical piece.
Our Musical Director – Samuel Lellouch
Born in France, Samuel Lellouch received a formal musical education in Brussels Royal Conservatoire where he studied the violin with Naaman Sluchin and orchestral conducting with Yves Segers and Bart Bouckaert, graduating with a Bachelor and a Master in both disciplines. He further perfected his skills through two years at the London Conducting Academy course led by Denise Ham and some of the most prominent conductors in the UK including Toby Pursuer, Dominic Grier and Christopher Seaman. Samuel has taken part in several international masterclasses, conducting professional orchestras such as the London Classical Soloists (UK), the MAV Symphony Orchestra (Hungary) and the Beogradski
Sinfonicari (Serbia), benefitting from the tuition of reputed conductors and pedagogues
(Jorma Panula, Colin Metters). After holding conducting roles for the University of
Birmingham Wind Band and the Redditch Orchestra, Samuel took the role of Permanent Conductor of Telford Orchestra in March 2024. Aside his musical career, Samuel Lellouch is lecturing physics at the University of Birmingham where his research focuses on quantum mechanics and its technological applications.
Acknowledgements and Thanks
The committee and members of the Telford Orchestra are
extremely grateful for the support they have received from the
Jennifer Worth Literary Trust
We’d also like to express our thanks to the team at The Anstice who support our weekly rehearsals and to the guest players from other local orchestras and Institutions who are supporting us during the holiday period.
We would welcome new members to the orchestra for our next concert at
The Anstice December 6 2025.
Contact via www.telfordorchestra.org.uk
Players for 28th June 2025
| Flute Lisa Borland* Kate Gill Jean Webb (& piccolo)Oboe Kirsty Broomhead Adrian Turner*Clarinet Nigel Chard Richard Elliott* Kate HickBassoon Teresa Heeks* Paul Raybould |
French Horn
Peter Clowes
Stephen Otter
Ed Roddy*
Gaye Walker
Trumpet
Rob Croft
Chris Cumming*
Sally GillionsTrombone
Alun David*
Wendy Thomas
Bass trombone
Tom UttleyTuba & Ophicleide
Mike Sheehan
Percussion
Gareth Tindall
Ferdia Tindall
Timpani
Harriet Harwood
Violin 1
Jennie Barnett*
Elaine Hooper
James Hoyle
Gosia Kosylak
Alison Matthews
Meryl WilliamsViolin 2
Frances Cooper
Allen Davenport
Violetta Davis*
Rory Freckleton
Sharon Wells
Viola
Helen Evers
Marion Holland*
Jenny Morris
Atsuko Ota
Dianne SlaterCello
Sue Falder
Greg Jenkins
Julie Robertson
John Sadler*
Hannah Sedman-SmithDouble Bass
Sharleen Jones
Richard Walker
*Star shows section leader