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42 – Cardiff University Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mark Eager
Date – 13th November 2016, 3:00 pm
Venue – St David’s Hall, Cardiff, CF10 1AH

On Remembrance Sunday, Cardiff University Symphony Orchestra put on a live orchestral screening to remember those who fell at the Battle of the Somme. The afternoon began with a discussion of propaganda and the battle with Dr John Jewell and Dr Toby Thacker, and concluded with a screening of the Imperial War Museum’s 1916 silent film by Geoffrey Malins and J B McDowell with live accompaniment by Cardiff University Symphony Orchestra performing Laura Rossi’s score.

This event was part of Cardiff University’s Commemorating WWI: Conflict and Creativity research and engagement project, organised by Dr Clair Rowden, Dr Monika Hennemann and Dr Rachelle Barlow and also included a pop-up exhibition of WW1 Collections from Cardiff Universities Special Collections and Archives

REVIEW ****

Cardiff University Symphony Orchestra – Remembering the Battle of the Somme
St David’s Hall
Sunday 13th November 2016

Commemorations have been plentiful this year for the centenary of the Somme. This Remembrance Sunday was particularly poignant here as Cardiff University had arranged a weekend of symposiums, concerts and more. On the Saturday, a piano recital of war time music by Iwan Llewelyn-Jones had some lovely highlights including music by Max Reger and Scriabin, then ending with Debussy and Ravel. This free event was a welcoming addition to the weekend.

A talk on Propaganda in WW1, was our introduction to the remarkable footage seen from the Battle of the Somme. The speakers John Jewell, Toby Thacker and chair Jon Gower gave invaluable insights into the operation of Britain’s own propaganda machine, shortly after the war had begun.

The importance of the footage taken by both Geoffrey Malins and John McDowell during the Battle of the Somme cannot be oversold. It remains as one of the vital film pieces ever created; an invaluable documentary resource. It’s very simple in its execution: point at subject, linger for a while and sometime pan to the left or right. There were no films school 100 years ago, such was its new fangled appeal. What is seen is however iconic and instantly reconcile: the troops going over the ridge, with one soldier sloping back down, shot dead, the huge mine blasting the earth in a terrifying moment of destruction etc. It is as gut wrenching now, as to when it was first captured on film.

To coincide with the screening, Cardiff University assembled its largest ever orchestra for the film score by Laura Rossi. It’s impressive and doesn’t fall into all of the trappings of reimagined film scores. Her orchestration was on point, with six flutes, two harps and heaps of brass. The utilising of the piano strings to depict far off bomb attacks was inspiring.

Nice to hear tubas more; in their drones and attacks as these disgustingly giant weapons of death are geared up, their targets acquired and then the awful blast we can only imagine for this silent film, brought to life in the score. The score is also not afraid to frolic along with the film in its many tangents. One scene was admiring the soldiers content and happy, marching off to fight. The next scene is a battle and then a serene depiction of the countryside of norther France. In short, the music is near perfect in its offering.

Weeping Tudor, The Sprout
http://thesprout.co.uk/blog/review-remembering-the-battle-of-the-somme-st-davids-hall/

Somme100 press release

Postcards: English/Welsh

Remembrance Weekend Booklet

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Gallery

100 Performances

(P1) = Performance 1, P2 etc
(SP) = Schools’ Performance
(OR) = Open Rehearsal

01 – BBC Symphony Orchestra – Thiepval, France
02 – Berkhamsted Schools Orchestra
03 – Chetham’s Sinfonia – Chetham’s
04 – Docklands Sinfonia
05 – Southend Orchestra 100
06 – Chetham’s Sinfonia – IWM North
07 – Chetham’s Sinfonia – Manchester Cathedral
08 – Camden Symphony Orchestra
09 – Chester Philharmonic Orchestra – 2 pm
10 – Chester Philharmonic Orchestra – 7:30 pm
11 – Chandos Symphony Orchestra
12 – Music Workshop’s Advanced Music Ensemble – Nottinghamshire
13 – Cambridge Concert Orchestra – Cambridge
14 – New Zealand Symphony Orchestra – 3 pm
15 – New Zealand Symphony Orchestra – 7 pm
16 – Chetham’s Sinfonia – IWM London
17 – The Angel Orchestra – Catford
18 – Memorial University Chamber Orchestra – 10:30 am
19 – Memorial University Chamber Orchestra – 7 pm
20 – Ealing Symphony Orchestra
21 – Leicester Symphony Orchestra
22 – Falkirk Tryst Orchestra – OR
23 – Falkirk Tryst Orchestra
24 – Studio Symphony Orchestra
25 – The King Edward Musical Society
26 – Jersey Academy of Music & Chetham’s Sinfonia
27 – Animate Orchestra
28 – Cambridge Concert Orchestra
29 – Durham University Symphony Orchestra – 2 pm
30 – Durham University Symphony Orchestra – 7:30 pm
31 – Thames Youth Orchestra – OR
32 – Thames Youth Orchestra
33 – Chichester University Orchestra
34 – Sutton Youth Symphony Orchestra
35 – Collegium Musicum Berlin
36 – Stockport Symphony Orchestra
37 – Westbourne Orchestral Society – P1
38 – Westbourne Orchestral Society – P2
39 – Leeds College of Music Community Orchestra
40 – BBC Concert Orchestra
41 – Glasgow Studio Orchestra
42 – Cardiff University Symphony Orchestra
43 – Worthing Symphony Orchestra
44 – Ealing Youth Orchestra – OR
45 – Ealing Youth Orchestra
46 – BBC Concert Orchestra – OR
47 – BBC Concert Orchestra
48 – Bristol Symphony Orchestra
49 – Camerata Ireland & Sinfonua
50 – Hull Philharmonic Orchestra
51 – Northants County Training Orchestra
52 – Aylesbury Symphony Orchestra
53 – Exeter Symphony Orchestra – Exeter
54 – Exeter Symphony Orchestra – Teignmouth P1
55 – Exeter Symphony Orchestra – Teignmouth P2
56 – The Works’ Community Orchestra – OR
57 – The Works’ Community Orchestra
58 – Somme100 Noord – Groningen
59 – Somme100 Noord – Smilde
60 – Somme100 Noord – Assen
61 – Haringey Youth Orchestra
62 – Musica Kirklees – OR
63 – Musica Kirklees
64 – West of England Youth Orchestra
65 – Suffolk Youth Orchestra – Bury St Edmunds
66 – Suffolk Youth Orchestra – Snape
67 – Somme100 Noord – Amsterdam
68 – Musica Kirklees – OR
69 – Musica Kirklees
70 – Orchestral du Pau – Morlaàs – SP
71 – Orchestral du Pau – Morlaàs
72 – Oxford University Orchestra – OR
73 – Oxford University Orchestra
74 – Pulham Orchestra
75 – Orchestral du Pau – Nay
76 – Hastings Sinfonia – OR
77 – Hastings Sinfonia
78 – Orchestral du Pau – Billère
79 – Cobweb Orchestra – Newcastle P1
80 – Cobweb Orchestra – Newcastle P2
81 – Orchestral du Pau – Pau
82 – British Police Symphony Orchestra – OR
83 – British Police Symphony Orchestra
84 – Peterborough Symphony Orchestra
85 – Stafford Orchestra
86 – Waltham Forest Youth Orchestra – P1
87 – Waltham Forest Youth Orchestra – P2
88 – Combined Armed Forces Orchestra – P1
89 – Combined Armed Forces Orchestra – P2
90 – Airedale Symphony Orchestra – OR
91 – Airedale Symphony Orchestra
92 – Penzance Orchestral Society
93 – Sedbergh Orchestra – Sedburgh
94 – Sedbergh Orchestra – Skipton
95 – Oldham Symphony Orchestra
96 – Cobweb Orchestra – Stanley
97 – Endcliffe Orchestra – OR
98 – Endcliffe Orchestra
99 – Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra
100 – Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra

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