Category: latest-news

“The whole performance gripped the audience…”

3rd July 2018

John Manning, music critic of the Herts Advertiser, was delighted by SASO’s all-Sibelius concert on June 23 – not least the superb playing of violin soloist David le Page. He declares that “every moment was a thrill” in le Page’s interpretation of the Violin Concerto. But he adds that the whole concert performance, conducted by …

“Stunning” violin soloist returns to perform Sibelius with SASO

11th June 2018

A violinist whose virtuosity and musicianship wowed his audience when he appeared with St Albans Symphony Orchestra (SASO) last year is set to make a welcome return for the finale of the 2017/18 concert season (7.30pm, Saturday September 23, St Saviour’s Church, AL1 4DF) David le Page – whose performance of Tchaikovsky’s concerto was declared …

“…an assured, fresh and polished performance…”

21st May 2018

Geoff Ward, reviewing for the Herts Advertiser, was full of praise for SASO’s ‘Russian Highlights’ concert on May 12. He was delighted by Alissa’s Firsova’s “assured, fresh and polished performance” of Tchaikovsky’s mighty Piano Concerto No 1 and the sensitive accompaniment provided by the orchestra. In Shostakovich’s ebullient Festive Overture the orchestra showed “real energy …

Russian highlights! Star pianist Alissa Firsova plays Tchaikovsky with SASO

29th April 2018

Multi-talented musician Alissa Firsova is ready to renew her collaboration with St Albans Symphony Orchestra (SASO) on Saturday 12 May as soloist in Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 1 – claimed by some to be the greatest of all romantic concertos (7.30pm, St Saviour’s Church, AL1 4DF) Alissa, who grew up in St Albans after …

SASO’s “thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining” evening of Dvorak and Vaughan-Williams

20th March 2018

SASO’s Dvorak and Vaughan-Williams concert on March 10 in St Saviour’s Church was “thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining” according to Herts Advertiser critic John Manning. It included fine solo playing in V-W’s Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus and a performance of Dvorak’s Symphony No 7 where the orchestra “gave of its best”. Click here to …

SASO brings folkloric Dvorak and Vaughan Williams to the fore

27th February 2018

Two favourite composers whose music displays a deep love of their respective countries’ folkloric traditions will feature in St Albans Symphony Orchestra’s concert on Saturday March 10 (7.30pm, St Saviour’s Church, AL1 4DF). Ralph Vaughan Williams made a significant contribution in his early career to the collection and preservation of English folk music; and his Five Variants …

New Year Concert charity collection raises £896

19th January 2018

Huge thanks go to the audience at our very successful New Year’s Day concert in St Albans Cathedral who generously contributed £896 to a retiring collection. This has been divided between two charities, Kidney Research UK and the 25 percent ME Group, with which SASO members have personal connections. We are also very grateful …

Celebrate New Year with a whirlwind musical journey!

4th December 2017

St Albans Symphony Orchestra (SASO) plan to celebrate Monday January 1st 2018 with whirlwind musical journey that travels via France, America and even the fictional village of Ambridge (7pm, St Albans Cathedral). The itinerary for New Year’s Day concert also takes in the Scottish Highlands, a well-known desert island and – closer to home – …

SASO 2017 children’s concerts both SOLD OUT!

6th November 2017

Hundreds of noisy kids with their mums and dads are looking forward to a fun-packed introduction to classical music on Sunday 19 November when St Albans Symphony Orchestra performs its annual concerts for children (2pm and 3.30pm, St Saviour’s Church, Sandpit Lane, AL1 4DF). But – with a week still to go – both …

“The resulting performance was first-class…”

25th October 2017

The biennial St Cecilia Festival Concert, bringing together St Albans Symphony Orchestra with three local choirs in St Albans Cathedral on 14 October was musically first-class, according to the Herts Advertiser‘s music critic, John Manning. The combined forces rose to the challenge of Rachmaninoff’s choral symphony The Bells and the choral version of Borodin’s Polovtsian …