Mt Albert War Memorial Hall
2:30pm Sunday 3 August 2025
Leys Orchestra is proud to welcome back flute soloist Emily Rendall, who is a recent recipient of the Daphne Gretta Mary Stevens Community Music Scholarship. Emily is joined in this concert by Briar English with Andante and Rondo for Two Flutes and Strings by the flute virtuoso and early romantic Hungarian-German composer Franz Doppler. The flute writing is playful and generous, more akin to an aria than the tug-of-war of a concerto.
Schubert's tuneful and exuberant writing marks his Overture in Italian Style, an audience favourite. The young Schubert had hoped using the style of Rossini rather than the prevailing French style would lead to an opera commission. Although unsuccessful with this bid, he reused parts of the overture later, for example in the Rosamunde Overture.
The wind section have their time in the limelight playing the first two movements of Dvorak's beautiful Serenade for Wind: 1. Moderato quasi marcia; 2. Tempo di Minuetto.
Kabalevsky Suite encapsulates the life work of the soviet composer Dmitri Kabalevsky, who inspired and brought children and classical music together with playful pieces that overcome technical difficulties for young people. The three movements are: 1. Escapade; 2. Rondo; 3. Song of the Cavalry.
The programme includes two songs from the orchestra's heritage collection arranged in 1914 for orchestra and solo trumpet. They were written by two British composers from the early twentieth century who enhanced their academic and performance careers in classical music with popular music that met with widespread success.
When Shadows Gather is a love song written by Charles Marshall in 1908. He is best known for I Hear You Calling Me, which became the signature song for the famous Irish tenor John McCormack.
William Squire was the pre-eminent cellist of his day, championing the Elgar and Saint-Saëns cello concertos. In addition to his cello and piano works for students used in music examinations worldwide, Squire wrote numerous songs, some of which were premiered at the 1897-1902 Proms. In an Old-Fashioned Town expresses the love of a wayfarer for home and family.
Archie Don operated music stores in Hastings and Wellington early last century. He also wrote music, including a comic opera, 'Marama: the mere and the Maori maid', which was performed in Hawkes Bay in 1920 with very favourable reviews.
The manuscript parts to his Rangatira March were discovered in the Leys Orchestra heritage collection in 2016. After being transcribed into music software for preservation, the march was arranged and edited for performance by Leys Orchestra.
Admission is free.
Soloists
Emily Rendall and Briar English (flutes)
Programme
Kabalevsky: Kabalevsky Suite
Schubert: Overture in Italian Style in D
Dvorak: Serenade for Wind in D minor (1,2)
Doppler: Andante and Rondo for Two Flutes and Strings
Squire: In an Old Fashioned Town
Marshall: When Shadows Gather
Don: Rangatira March
