Children’s Concert Theme 2025 5th December 2024 - We are pleased to announce that the theme for next Years Children’s concert will be:
SPACE
Bill Carslake, Artistic Director 5th June 2023 - Announcing the appointment of our new Artistic Director
Marking the orchestra’s 90th anniversary 26th June 2022 - A concert in memory of Principal Conductor Tom Hammond
Concert review: 14th May 2022 23rd May 2022 - "The concert was an unqualified triumph for all involved"
Come and Sing Haydn’s Creation Workshop 17th May 2022 - Free taster workshop: Sunday 19th June, 2-5pm Colours of France 3rd May 2022 - Beautiful French music in the glorious St Albans Abbey on Saturday 14th May, 7.30pm
Tom Hammond 29th December 2021 - We are deeply saddened by the news that Tom Hammond, our Principal Conductor, has died
New Year’s Day 28th December 2021 - We have taken the difficult decision to cancel our New Year's Day concert
Concerts for Children 15th November 2021 - Tickets for our popular Concerts for Children are on sale! The 2pm performance is sold out
New 2021-22 season 5th October 2021 - Our 2021-22 season commences at St Saviour’s Church on 16th October
Return to rehearsals 22nd May 2021 - We’re delighted to be rehearsing again! Please see the Rehearsals page for more information Rehearsals to restart 4th January 2021 - Rehearsals will restart on Wednesday 19th May 2021. You should receive detailed rehearsal information by email. If you don’t, we are at capacity and you won’t be able to just turn up. Rehearsals restart 5th December 2020 - We plan to start rehearsals on Wednesday 13th January, subject to any changes in advice. Rehearsals restart… 28th October 2020 - See our Rehearsals page for further details about attendance. Message from Principal Conductor Tom Hammond to our audience 5th July 2020 - On what would have been the last concert of our season today, Tom Hammond, our Principal Conductor, sends you a special message to thank you for your support this year. We hope that you are staying safe and look forward to welcoming you back to a St Albans Symphony Orchestra concert before too long. Please … Covid-19 virus: Rehearsals suspended until further notice and May 9 concert cancelled 17th March 2020 - The SASO Committee is very sorry to announce that Wednesday and other rehearsals have been called-off until further notice. We also regret that our next concert of French music on Saturday May 9 in St Albans Cathedral has been cancelled. This follows the Government announcement on March 16 calling for a halt to all non-essential … 
Critic praises “superb” Elgar and “exciting” Walton at SASO’s March concert 12th March 2020 - Cellist Matthew Sharp’s moving performance of the Elgar concerto was “superb” according to Herts Advertiser critic John Manning, and “…one of the best solo live performances of the work I have ever heard.” But he was also excited by Principal Conductor Tom Hammond’s interpretation of William Walton Symphony No 1 and playing where “all involved … 
‘Inspirational’ cellist Matthew Sharp returns to perform Elgar’s much-loved concerto 7th February 2020 - Passionate, hauntingly lyrical and profoundly sad, Sir Edward Elgar’s much-loved Cello Concerto is the featured work in St Albans Symphony Orchestra’s in St Saviour’s Church on Saturday 7 March (7.30pm). The great English composer’s wife, Alice, died of lately-diagnosed lung cancer little more than six months after the first performance in October 1919 and the … 
SASO New Year Concert makes the Viennese connection 30th November 2019 - Concert-goers around the world agree that New Year and Viennese music make an unbeatable combination – and St Albans Symphony Orchestra’s concert in the Cathedral on Wednesday 1st January 2020 (7pm) showcases works that happily fall within that tradition. Star billing goes to Mozart’s celebrated Horn Concerto No 4 to be played by Ben … 
WE’VE BEEN ON A BEAR HUNT! SASO’s children’s concerts a sell-out success. 18th November 2019 - SASO’s annual concerts for children on Sunday 17 November in St Saviour’s Church were a ‘growling’, sell-out success! We played Ian Stephen’s scrumptious score for We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, including (uh-oh) ‘a totally groovy samba band’. Thanks go to our wonderful narrator, Carl Heap, and to our oboist Linda Norton (usually) who was … 
Sea Symphony concert “a triumph at the Cathedral” 21st October 2019 - The 2019 St Albans St Cecilia Festival Concert in St Albans Cathedral on October 12 was “a triumph at several levels”, according to John Manning, music critic of the Herts Advertiser. He thoroughly enjoyed the contribution from massed children’s and adult choir and SASO’s playing, under Hardynge Choir and Vivamus conductor Rufus Frowde, “truly excelled … 14th October 2019 - We have vacancies in our orchestra for experienced players of a high standard. In particular, we’re looking for trombones and a 3rd trumpet.
Ship ahoy! Massed choirs and SASO set sail for concert inspired by the sea 28th September 2019 - The sea in all its moods – from breezy beach holidays to storm-tossed ships on mighty oceans – provides the salt-sprayed theme for the St Albans St Cecilia Festival Concert taking place in the Cathedral on Saturday 12 October (7.30pm). Photo: Conductor Rufus Frowde (© Glyn Davies) By tradition, the biennial festival concert brings … SASO seeks biggest-ever audiences for a classic new season 20th August 2019 - St Albans Symphony Orchestra has plans to attract its biggest-ever audience for classical music in its 2019-2020 season, with three of its six concerts taking place in the city’s cathedral. The orchestra’s New Year Concert regularly fills the Abbey for a programme of entertaining classics. Wednesday January 1st 2020 should prove no exception, with the … 
Leader Jenny Wigram prepares to leave SASO after an amazing 40 years 19th June 2019 - SASO’s much-loved Leader, Jenny Wigram, is leaving SASO at the end of the current 2018-19 season. Here, she looks back on a remarkable 40 years with the orchestra, all but two of them in the Leader’s chair. Anyone who has ever attended a St Albans Symphony Orchestra New Year Concert in the Cathedral knows Jenny … 
Conductor Tom Hammond talks about SASO’s July 6 summer concert – and teaching James Corden how to conduct! 11th June 2019 - Listen to our Principal Conductor Tom Hammond as he recently talked to Radio Verulam presenter Jill Burridge about SASO’s summer concert on July 6. This features celebrated Scandinavian works: Norwegian Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto (with soloist Veronika Shoot) and the ‘Inextinguishable’ Symphony No 4 by Danish composer Carl Nielsen. Tom also describes how he came … Vacancy for a Leader / Guest Leaders (2019-20 Season) 23rd May 2019 - We are seeking a replacement for our leader who will be retiring from the post at the end of this season after a remarkable 38 years...
“…the evening was a huge success for the orchestra…” 16th May 2019 - SASO’s spring concert of English classics by Elgar and Vaughan Williams found the orchestra playing at the top of its form, according to critic John Manning, writing in the Herts Advertiser. Describing the performance of Elgar’s Symphony No 1, he writes: “Once more the orchestra produced a very fine performance for the work which, by … Epoch-making Elgar and Vaughan Williams at SASO’s spring concert 22nd April 2019 - Two epoch-making works by English composers are brought together in the St Albans Symphony Orchestra’s spring concert on Saturday 11 May (7.30pm, St Saviour’s Church, Sandpit Lane, St Albans AL1 4DF). Premiered within thirty months of each other, the Symphony No 1 by Edward Elgar (pictured, left) and the Fantasia on a Theme by … 
“Clare Howick’s performance was completely outstanding…” 14th March 2019 - Clare Howick, the leading British violinist who performed Brahms Violin Concerto with SASO on March 9, was ‘completely outstanding’ according to John Manning, music reviewer for the Herts Advertiser: “Brahms’ Violin Concerto is a huge and powerful work which is demanding for both soloist and orchestra, but neither flagged in the performance. Indeed, Clare Howick’s … 
SASO welcomes internationally-acclaimed violinist Clare Howick as soloist 22nd February 2019 - A leading British violinist will appear with SASO on Saturday 9 March playing one of the greatest of all concertos written for her instrument (7.30pm St Saviour’s, Sandpit Lane, AL1 4DF) Clare Howick, whose reputation has soared following a series of internationally-praised recordings, will join St Albans Symphony Orchestra (SASO) to perform the … 
New Year Concert review: “Throughout the evening the orchestra performed outstandingly.” 10th January 2019 - “It wouldn’t be New Year’s Day in St Albans without the annual concert at St Albans Abbey provided by the city’s symphony orchestra,” says critic John Manning, writing in the Herts Advertiser (10/1/19) “For hundreds of people it is a much-loved annual event that brings an extra sparkle and evening of fun to the first … 
Delightful dances and marvellous movie music: SASO’s New Year Concert has something for everyone! 10th December 2018 - Is your idea of a perfect New Year celebration strictly dancing? Or how about an evening enjoying classic movies? Better still, you can join St Albans Symphony Orchestra in the city’s Cathedral on January 1st 2019 (7pm) for a concert of music that offers the best of both worlds! Under Principal Conductor, Tom Hammond, the … 
Yo, ho, ho, oh no! Our pirate-themed children’s concerts are sold out 11th November 2018 - Shiver me timbers! Record demand for St Albans Symphony Orchestra’s Pirates Aaarh-hoy! concerts for children on the afternoon of Sunday November 18th means they are both sold out. The fancy dress concerts in St Saviour’s Church this year feature family-friendly classics that include Wagner’s Flying Dutchman Overture and the famous Sailor’s Hornpipe played at … SASO welcomes multi-talented Matthew Sharp as ‘cello soloist 29th September 2018 - ‘Cello soloist Matthew Sharp, who performs with St Albans Symphony Orchestra (SASO) on Saturday October 13, is also an internationally successful singer, actor and director. (7.30pm St Saviour’s Church, Sandpit Lane, AL1 4DF) He has not only appeared as an instrumental soloist with London’s leading orchestras, but also sung principal baritone roles with Opera North … New SASO season celebrates the life-enhancing power of music 9th September 2018 - From enduring hope in dark times to the exuberant enjoyment of living, a new season of concerts from St Albans Symphony Orchestra (SASO) celebrates the power of music to portray and enhance contrasting aspects of human experience. The grim realities of life in Stalin’s Russia are prominent in the opening concert on Saturday 13 October … 
Calling string players: play wonderful Walton with SASO! (workshop evening August 31 & daytime September 1) 3rd August 2018 - External string players are warmly invited to take part in a two-day workshop with St Albans Symphony Orchestra to prepare and perform Walton’s dazzling and technically demanding First Symphony. The workshop starts with a Friday evening play-through on 31 August. Sectional tutorials led by professional instrumentalists will take place on the morning of Saturday 1 … 
“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 … 
St Cecilia Festival forces combine for a Russian spectacular 1st October 2017 - Friday 13th October 2017: We are sorry to announce that Anna Gorbachyova is unable to sing tomorrow evening. The soprano soloist will be Eldrydd Cynan Jones. St Albans Cathedral will reverberate with the sound of cannon-fire and tolling bells when three local choirs join St Albans Symphony Orchestra for an evening of spectacular Russian music (7.30pm, … SASO’s new season: from Russia’s steppes to America’s Wild West! 9th August 2017 - From Russian steppes to American cowboy country, the music chosen for St Albans Symphony Orchestra’s 2017-18 season travels from East to West and back again. The journey begins on Saturday 14 October with an all-Russian programme chosen by the St Cecilia Festival Society for its biennial concert in St Albans Cathedral when the orchestra teams-up … 
Clarinet star Emma Johnson to perform with SASO 9th June 2017 - Emma Johnson – acclaimed as “Britain’s favourite clarinettist”* – will be the celebrity soloist with St Albans Symphony Orchestra for their end-of-season summer concert on Saturday 24 June (7.30pm St Saviour’s Church, Sandpit Lane, St Albans AL1 4DF). Emma, who gained international success after winning the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year competition in the … 
Alissa Firsova and SASO to renew their performing partnership 30th April 2017 - The internationally acclaimed pianist and composer Alissa Firsova will renew her partnership with SASO on Saturday 6 May, performing the Piano Concerto No 1 by Brahms “He completely gripped the audience with the quality of his playing…” 20th March 2017 - All sections excelled in a fine performance of Prokofiev’s rugged and technically demanding Fifth Symphony on Saturday 11 March. But it was magnificent playing in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto by soloist David le Page that provided the evening’s crowning success, according to Herts Advertiser critic John Manning “His playing was warm and sonorous, yet fully charged with the … SASO set to scale two towering peaks of Russian repertoire 24th February 2017 - Two towering peaks of Russian music – a world-favourite violin concerto and one of the greatest 20th century symphonies – are being brought together for St Albans Symphony Orchestra’s concert on Saturday 11 March (7.30pm, St Saviour’s Church, Sandpit Lane, St Albans AL1 4DF). Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto has delighted audiences for more than a century with its … “Dynamic Tom leads SASO into 2017 concert success…” 8th January 2017 - Critic Geoff Ward, writing in the Herts Advertiser, says he has never heard SASO play better than on January 2nd at its 2017 New Year Concert in St Albans Abbey. He praises the “sparkling” performance of Richard Strauss’s under the orchestra’s “dynamic and charismatic new conductor”, Tom Hammond. Leader Jenny Wigram is also singled out …
SASO prepares a musical firework display for New Year 19th December 2016 - St Albans Symphony Orchestra (SASO) is preparing to detonate a fizzing mixture of musical fireworks to welcome New Year on Monday January 2nd at the Abbey (7pm). The bank holiday date may be unusual – a consequence of New Year’s Day falling on a Sunday – but the programme will be packed as ever with …
‘Tom gets off to a flying start…’ as SASO’s new principal conductor 19th November 2016 - “New conductor Tom Hammond got St Albans Symphony Orchestra’s new season off to a fine start on Saturday (15 October) with a programme aimed to please,” says critic John Manning, writing in the Herts Advertiser. SASO’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Pathetique’ Sixth Symphony ‘gave full weight to the emotions of the work’ while Richard Strauss’s Four Last Songs were “exquisitely …
SASO children’s concerts both sold out! 23rd October 2016 - Heavy demand for advance tickets mean that both SASO children’s concerts on Sunday November 6th have sold out. We look forward to seeing our capacity audiences on the day and apologise to anyone that was still hoping to buy tickets. Little monsters, princesses, superheroes and witches are invited to wear fancy dress for musical fun …
Autumn concert promises passion, fate and foreboding… 30th September 2016 - Passionate themes of love, fate and death dominate the opening concert of St Albans Symphony Orchestra’s new season – including final masterworks from the great romantic composers Tchaikovsky and Richard Strauss (7.30pm, Saturday 15 October, St Saviour’s Church, Sandpit Lane, St Albans AL1 4DF). Playing under the baton of Tom Hammond, its newly-appointed principal conductor, …
Clarinet star Emma Johnson headlines SASO’s new season 18th August 2016 - International clarinet star Emma Johnson is among a series of musical treats lined up by St Albans Symphony Orchestra for its new season which starts this autumn. Celebrated since she became the first-ever winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition in 1984, Emma will appear on 24 June next year performing Lost Lanes, …
“….excellent playing from all concerned” 30th June 2016 - SASO’s summer concert featuring Saint-Saens Cello Concerto No1 and the monumental Symphony No 5 by Mahler has been highly praised by John Manning, music critic of the Herts Advertiser. Of the Mahler performance, he writes that: “… under guest conductor William Carslake, the entire orchestra rose to the challenge of this wonderfully moving and epic work …
SASO summer concert mixes romance with passion, tragedy and loss 12th June 2016 - St Albans Symphony Orchestra (SASO) promise a heady mixture of passion, joy and tragic loss at their summer concert – combining the romantic Cello Concerto No 1 by Camille Saint Saens with the searing intensity of Gustav Mahler’s Fifth Symphony. (7.30pm, Saturday 25th June, St Saviour’s Church, Sandpit Lane, St Albans AL1 4DF.) Both works …
SASO plan to take audience on Elgar’s “passionate pilgrimage” 2nd May 2016 - St Albans Symphony Orchestra (SASO) plans to transport its audience on a musical rollercoaster from exuberant joy to heartfelt grief when it performs Sir Edward Elgar’s Second Symphony in St Saviour’s Church, Sandpit Lane on Saturday May 14th (7.30pm : pre-concert talk at 7pm). First performed in 1911, the symphony is dedicated to the memory …
Tom Hammond to conduct SASO from 2016-17 18th April 2016 - St Albans Symphony Orchestra (SASO) is delighted to announce the appointment of Tom Hammond as its new Principal Conductor. Tom succeeds Bjorn Bantock, who left last summer after five years in charge. He will starting working with the orchestra on a regular basis in the autumn. He was chosen from more than 40 applicants for …
Elgar Symphony No 2: workshop invitation to string players for 13th/14th May 2016 11th March 2016 - WEEKEND ORCHESTRAL WORKSHOP 2016 In memory of Babs Yule (1920-2010) Friday 13th May (7.30 to 10pm) & Saturday 14th May (10.30am to 8.30pm, including concert performance) at Townsend School, High Oaks, St Albans, AL3 6DR and St Saviour’s Church, Sandpit Lane, St Albans AL1 4DT SIR EDWARD ELGAR: SYMPHONY NO 2 IN E-FLAT MAJOR String players of a high standard …
Critics praises “dazzling” Mendelssohn concerto 10th March 2016 - John Manning, music critic for the Herts Advertiser, was impressed by rising violin start Cristian Grajner de Sa playing Mendelssohn’s Concerto on March 5th – and by SASO’s playing under guest conductor Leon Gee in Britten’s Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes. “Although Cristian Grajner De Sa is still an undergraduate he dazzled his audience …
Rising violin star to play Mendelssohn concerto at SASO’s March concert 29th February 2016 - One of Britain’s rising violin stars will play the hugely popular Mendelssohn Violin Concerto when St Albans Symphony Orchestra (SASO) performs its early spring concert on Saturday March 5th (7.30pm, St Saviour’s Church, Sandpit Lane, AL1 4DT). Although only 21 years old, and still a third-year student at the Royal Academy of Music, Cristian Grajner de Sa …
SASO’s New Year 2016 concert “a huge success”, declares critic 8th January 2016 - SASO’s New Year Concert for 2016 was “a huge success” according to John Manning, music critic of the Herts Advertiser. His review notes that: “From the start with Saint-Saens’ rousing Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah it was obvious that the orchestra was on form and working well with its guest. And the good work continued with Mascagni’s …
SASO’s New Year’s Day resolution is to “keep dancing”! 13th December 2015 - From the cha-cha-cha and Hungarian czardas, to the mambo and Viennese waltz, St Albans Symphony Orchestra intends to “keep dancing” at its annual New Years Day concert in St Albans Cathedral (7pm, Friday 1st January). Its programme of classical dance favourites ranges from the exotic Bacchanale that Camille Saint-Saens composed for his opera Samson et Delilah, to pulsating jazz …
“…some truly great sounds”: critic praises SASO in Dvorak Requiem 5th November 2015 - “Few who heard it in St Albans Cathedral on Saturday could fail to agree that this powerful and dramatic work should be heard far more often” writes Herts Advertiser critic John Manning , reviewing the 2015 St Cecilia Festival Society performance of Dvorak’s Requiem. in St Albans Cathedral. “With a choir of around 120 drawn …
St Cecilia Festival seeks new friends for Dvorak’s neglected masterpiece 15th October 2015 - When Alex Flood raises his baton to conduct Dvorak’s Requiem in St Albans Cathedral on Saturday October 31st (7.30pm) it will be 125 years to the day since the great Czech composer completed the orchestration of one of his least-familiar masterpieces. Premiered a year later in Birmingham, the work displayed the combination of drama, tender lyricism and memorable …
Wanted: Little Monsters (and other furry friends) for SASO’s children’s concerts 7th September 2015 - Little monsters (furry friends as well as fiends) are wanted on Sunday October 11th for St Albans Symphony Orchestra’s popular annual concerts for children (2pm repeated at 3.30pm, St Saviour’s Church, Sandpit Lane, St Albans). Children are invited wear their best fancy dress for a concert featuring the best-loved story ever set to classical music: Serge …
“…one of the best performances…ever” 2nd July 2015 - SASO’s summer concert of English music was one of its best ever, according to John Manning, music reviewer for the Herts Advertiser. He reports that in a highly-polished account of Elgar’s Enigma Variations “every member of the orchestra gave of their very best”, providing a fitting farewell for Bjorn Bantock, the orchestra’s Principal Conductor for …
SASO’s summer celebration of English music 15th June 2015 - St Albans Symphony Orchestra (SASO) celebrates English music at its best for its summer concert on Saturday 27th June – with leader Jennifer Wigram and her son David both featuring as soloists (7.30pm St Saviour’s Church, Sandpit Lane, AL1 4DF). Jennifer, who has been SASO’s leader since 1981, will perform The Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan-Williams. …
Bjorn Bantock leaving SASO after five years at the helm 7th June 2015 - St Albans Symphony Orchestra (SASO) is preparing to appoint a new principal conductor, following a decision by Bjorn Bantock to step down next month after five years at the helm. Bjorn, 42, is credited with achieving an all-round improvement in the orchestra’s playing standards, attracting talented new players and drawing audience and critical approval for …
Vacancy for a Principal Conductor 22nd May 2015 - Bjorn Bantock will be leaving St Albans Symphony Orchestra at the end of its 2014/15 season, creating a vacancy for a Principal Conductor. The orchestra, which brings together amateur and semi-professional players, welcomes applications for the post from experienced and inspiring musicians whose leadership will maintain and surpass its current high standards of performance. A …
Orchestra’s “all-Scandinavian success story” 21st May 2015 - Herts Advertiser critic, Geoff Ward reviewing SASO’s May 9th concert writes that the orchestra has “improved immeasurably under their dynamic conductor, Bjorn Bantock” “The concert began with the popular Karelia Suite, which was Sibelius’s first commission for nationalist music. This was a very satisfying performance, especially by the brass section. There was a nice cor …
Grieg, Sibelius and Nielsen lead SASO’s Nordic spring celebration 19th April 2015 - Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto – popular even before Morecambe and Wise hilariously put “the right notes in the wrong order” – will provide the centrepiece of the St Albans Symphony Orchestra’s spring concert on Saturday May 9th, featuring favourite works by Scandinavian composers (7.30pm, St Saviour’s Church, Sandpit Lane, St Albans AL1 4DF). All joking …
Weekend workshop April 24/25th: Lutosławski: Concerto for Orchestra 22nd March 2015 - Friday 24th April (7.30pm to 10pm) & Saturday 25th April (10.30am to 6pm) 2015 Townsend School, High Oaks, St Albans, AL3 6DR WEEKEND ORCHESTRAL WORKSHOP In memory of Babs Yule (1920-2010) Witold Lutosławski: CONCERTO FOR ORCHESTRA String, trumpet, tuba and percussion/keyboard players of a high standard (grade 7/8+) are invited to join St Albans Symphony …
SASO’s Beethoven “exciting and inspirational” says critic 19th March 2015 - Herts Advertiser critic, John Manning, believes SASO’s all-Beethoven concert was one of its best concerts ever. “With members of the Hertfordshire Chorus and other local choirs as well as a team of top class soloists, the orchestra and its conductor Bjorn Bantock produced an evening of music which must rate as one of the most …
‘Choral’ Symphony promises a rousing end to SASO’s Beethoven cycle 18th February 2015 - Beethoven’s ‘Choral’ Symphony – among the greatest and most uplifting of all classical compositions – comes to St Albans Cathedral on Saturday March 7th (7.30pm) in a double bill with another of his best-loved works, the Piano Concerto No 4. The performance by St Albans Symphony Orchestra is set to provide the rousing conclusion to …
“Passion in every note”: Rachmaninov at SASO’s New Year concert 8th January 2015 - Alissa Firsova’s performance of Rachmaninov’s ‘Paganini Rhapsody’ at SASO 2015 New Year Concert won high critical praise. According to John Manning, writing in the Herts Advertiser, she “breathed expression and feeling into every one of the set of variations” and worked with conductor Bjorn Bantock to achieve “a top-quality performance of the work.” Click here …
SASO raises more than £1,370 for charities 7th January 2015 - St Albans Symphony Orchestra collected more than £1,370 for charities over the Christmas and New Year period thanks to generosity of its audiences – and festive shoppers in the city centre. Before Christmas, the orchestra’s brass section, with friends from other bands, raised £488 for the Multiple Sclerosis Society by playing carols at the Clock …
SASO serves-up a winter warmer for New Year 14th December 2014 - Sleigh bells will jingle all the way when St Albans Symphony Orchestra bid a snowy welcome to 2015 at their traditional New Year Family Concert (7pm, Thursday January 1st, St Albans Abbey). The programme features no less than four musical sleigh rides, variously composed by Leopold Mozart (father of Wolfgang Amadeus), Serge Prokofiev, Frederick Delius …
Reviewer hails “dazzling” Korngold at SASO’s autumn concert 28th November 2014 - John Manning, reviewer for the Herts Advertiser, found the performance of Korngold’s Violin Concerto by 25-year old virtuoso Adelia Myslov with SASO “dazzling”, “fluent” and “full of expression” bringing tremendous life to an increasingly popular work. He also praised the “tremendous colour and depth” of SASO’s account of Sibelius’s Symphony No 1 under conductor, Bjorn …
Rising stars to shine at SASO’s autumn concert 9th November 2014 - An acclaimed young violin virtuoso takes centre stage at St Albans Symphony’s Orchestra’s autumn concert on Saturday 22nd November playing a concerto that is itself a rising star of the music world (7.30pm, St Saviour’s Church, Sandpit Lane, St Albans, AL1 4DF). Adelia Myslov (25), a former student at Hertfordshire’s Purcell School for young musicians, will perform …
Monster mayhem and mystery at SASO children’s concerts 8th October 2014 - Little monsters are invited to put on their best fancy dress and indulge in a spot of musical mayhem on Sunday October 12th at one of St Albans Symphony Orchestra’s popular annual concerts for children (2pm & 3.30pm, St Saviour’s Church, Sandpit Lane, St Albans). Children are, as usual, invited to dress up as their …
Kieran McGuirk 1949-2014 20th September 2014 - With great sadness, St Albans Symphony Orchestra (SASO) records the death of its chair, Kieran McGuirk, aged 65. An accomplished musician, Kieran not only played violin with SASO for more than a decade, but also performed regularly with the Hertfordshire Philharmonia. As a singer, he was a valued member of both the St Albans Chamber …
“Remarkable” Rachmaninov provides the triumphant climax to SASO’s season 2nd July 2014 - John Manning, music critic of the Herts Advertiser, was bowled over by Alissa Firsova’s thrilling performance of Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto on June 28th that brought SASO’s 2013/14 season to a triumphant conclusion. He writes: “Rarely can I remember being so excited and at the same time so emotionally drained…Not only did she thrill the …
‘Rising star’ returns to partner SASO in Rachmaninov 16th June 2014 - St Albans Symphony Orchestra (SASO) ends its season with a rousing summer finale on Saturday 28th June performing Beethoven’s sunny Symphony No 8 and Rachmaninov’s spectacular Third Piano Concerto (7.30pm, St Saviour’s Church, Sandpit Lane, St Albans). The Rachmaninov concerto is loved by audiences for its romantic sweep and the beauty of its ‘big tunes’, but also places extravagant …
“The whole concert was a delight…” 15th May 2014 - Critic Geoff Ward, writing in the Herts Advertiser, says that he has never heard SASO play better than at its ‘Orchestral Colours’ concert in St Saviour’s Church on May 10th. He praises an “impeccable” brass performance of Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral from Wagner’s Lohengrin, the “full rich sound” in Strauss’s Serenade for Winds and …
SASO’s colourful spring bouquet… 30th April 2014 - St Albans Symphony Orchestra (SASO) is set to celebrate spring on Saturday May 10th with music exhibiting a palette of exotic orchestral colours – including Scheherazade, Rimsky-Korsakov’s magical portrayal of tales from the Arabian Nights (7.30pm, St Saviour’s Church, Sandpit Lane, St Albans). The 19th century Russian composer’s suite contains some of his most thrilling and inventive …
“Completely dazzling” – critic praises Mendelssohn and Strauss concert 13th March 2014 - John Manning, critic of the Herts Advertiser, found Charlotte Scott’s performance of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto at SASO’s March 8th concert “breathtaking” . He as also full of praise for the orchestra’s playing in Strauss’s epic Alpine Symphony which “did full justice to the work. Click here to read more from his review.
SASO seeks new heights with Mendelssohn and Strauss 24th February 2014 - St Albans Symphony Orchestra are set to perform one of their most ambitious programmes on Saturday March 8th, matching an all-time favourite violin concerto with a spectacular symphony composed on an epic scale (St Albans Abbey, 7.30pm). Award-winning virtuoso Charlotte Scott will be the soloist in Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto – a work packed with memorable tunes, …
“…a tremendous evening with some outstanding performances…” 10th January 2014 - SASO ‘Music from the Movies’ concert “proved once more that the Abbey and St Albans Symphony Orchestra’s traditional concert is the place to be on January 1,” according to John Manning, music critic of the Herts Advertiser. He adds that: “Anyone who was there will endorse the fact that it was a tremendous evening with …
SASO celebrates New Year with music from the movies 16th December 2013 - James Bond, The Little Mermaid, Superman and the Pirates of the Caribbean will be helping St Albans Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the start of 2014 with a musical trip to the movies. The orchestra’s traditional New Years Day family concert in St Albans Abbey (7pm, Wednesday January 1st) is dedicated to favourite film scores, including music from blockbusters such as …
Musical mayhem for kids at SASO’s children’s concerts 29th October 2013 - Noisy kids can look forward to fancy dress and musical mayhem on Sunday November 17th at St Albans Symphony Orchestra’s two annual concerts for children (2pm & 3.30pm, St Saviour’s Church, Sandpit Lane, St Albans). Children are invited to dress up as their favourite superhero, monster, or fairytale character for Red Riding Hood and the Three …
Choirs join forces with SASO for Brahms Requiem 14th October 2013 - Three choirs and two internationally-acclaimed soloists will join forces with SASO on Saturday 26th October to perform the German Requiem by Johannes Brahms – a heartfelt setting of biblical texts about death by a composer who was an avowed religious sceptic. (7.30pm, St Albans Cathedral). The concert is the latest in a biennial series organised by the …
