Please don’t let the date of Folkestone Symphony’s forthcoming concert Fool you! It’s certainly been no joke for us rehearsing such a challenging and demanding work as Shostakovich’s 1st Symphony. Combine that with the masterful Tchaikovsky violin concerto and you know that we’re out to delight you with a truly Russian themed spectacle of music.

This will be held at Holy Trinity Church, Folkestone, starting at 7.30pm on Saturday 1st April, when the full programme will consist of:

· Sibelius The Swan of Tuonela

· Shostakovich Symphony No.1 in F Minor

· Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D Major Soloist: Tudor Trita

We start the concert with Sibelius’ ‘The Swan of Tuonela’, originally composed in 1893 as a prelude to a projected opera called ‘The Building of the Boat’ but revised by Sibelius two years later as a delightful tone poem. The cor anglais solo (from Hilary Sell) portrays the voice of the swan and is perhaps the best known solo for that instrument.

Shostakovich was just 19 when he completed this, his first symphony, a mere graduation exercise for him, which contained many ideas taken from his earlier youth. It was a tremendous success from its premiere in Leningrad in 1926 and is today still considered to be one of his finest works. It has been a huge challenge for us to take on, but one that we’ve accomplished with our usual good spirit and excellent guidance from both our Conductor and Orchestra Leader.

Whilst still a student at Chetham’s in Manchester two years ago, Tudor Trita first performed with us, playing the ever popular Max Bruch violin concerto. We are delighted that he has agreed to return to play the Tchaikovsky violin concerto. Written in 1878, although not premiered until 1881, it is considered to be one of the most technically difficult works for the violin. Rumanian born, Tudor started playing the violin at the age of three and now, at the age of 19, he has performed internationally as a soloist, with a very recent performance of the Sibelius violin concerto at Cadogan Hall in London with the Imperial College Orchestra, where Tudor is now studying maths, as well as continuing his musical studies.

Please circulate this to all your family / friends and we truly hope to see many of you at this wonderful concert.

Whilst tickets for the concert can be obtained at the door on the night, you are advised to buy them in advance, at any of the following outlets:

· Follies, 133 Sandgate Road, Folkestone

· Brandon’s Music Shop, 55 High Street, Hythe

· Buzzlines Travel Centre, 3 Defiant Close, Hawkinge

· Online at https://www.wegottickets.com/event/387405