Somme100 FILM

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90 & 91 – The Airedale Symphony Orchestra, Conducted by John Anderson
Date(s) – 2nd July 2017, 7:30 pm, (plus open rehearsal)
Venue – King’s Hall, Ilkley, LS29 8HB

The Airedale Symphony Orchestra is one of 100 orchestras across the world performing Laura Rossi’s acclaimed score for the iconic 1916 silent film ‘Battle of the Somme’.

This very special showing of the digitally restored film – with live orchestral backing – is dedicated to the the many who made the ultimate sacrifice on the Somme battlefields between 1st July and 18th November 1916.

The composer Laura Rossi and a curator from the Imperial War Museum will be attending the performance.

John Anderson, conductor of the Airedale Symphony, has announced that the orchestra’s rehearsal in the King’s Hall will be open to school students from 2pm to 3pm. Laura Rossi will be present to explain the background to the huge international project commemorating the centenary of the Somme.

Forty complimentary tickets have been set aside for school students wishing to attend the evening concert. These tickets will be allocated on a first come-first served basis to those students attending the open rehearsal.

John said: “This will be a very moving experience and a unique opportunity for the people of Ilkley to experience the classic silent film accompanied by a 70-piece orchestra”.

Airedale Symphony Orchestra, Battle of the Somme Centenary is at the King’s Hall, Ilkley, on Sunday, July 2, 2017 at 7.30pm

– – – –

REVIEW from Ilkley Gazette

Audience held in thrall by power of Somme film and symphony orchestra

Battle of the Somme film, Sunday 2nd July 2017 King’s Hall, Ilkley

The 1916 Battle of the Somme was captured in soft-grained black and white by Geoffrey Malins and John McDowell for this amazing 75 minutes-long silent film. Planned initially as morale-boosting wartime propaganda, the Somme film was seen by almost half the UK population. Millions packed cinemas across the land in the hope of catching glimpses of loved ones on the battlefield. Such was the film’s appeal that audience figures remained unsurpassed for six decades – until the release of Star Wars in 1977.

Laura Rossi’s resourceful symphonic score sensitively and lovingly matches the interwoven tapestry of Malin and McDowell’s harrowing footage of dead and wounded as well as the smiles and cheery waves of the troops, or jubilant battlefield preparations.

The launching of a preliminary attack by avalanches of so called “plum pudding” bombs – designed to eradicate the German barbed wire defences – is heralded by suspenseful hovering strings and the eerie-sounding gale from a wind machine. Full orchestra with thunderous timpani depict gunfire and heavy artillery. Plangent oboe and crystalline harp textures accompany recovery of the wounded on stretchers, images of dead horses or the regimental dog and its beloved master fallen in battle.

Rossi had earlier set the scene by reading poignant passages from her great-uncle’s battlefield diary. She must have been both moved and delighted by the Airedale Symphony Orchestra’s luminous and impeccably synchronised performance conducted by John Anderson. A large audience was held in thrall by the overwhelming power of the film and Rossi’s atmospheric soundscape.

Geoffrey Mogridge

A clip from the rehearsal showing how some of the atmospheric effects are created

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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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