Thanks to all those who came to the Spooky Tunes concerts in Saffron Walden on Sunday. The Friends’ School Hall was packed out for two performances, with the Uttlesforde Orchestra and conductor Richard Hull.
This was the grand finale to the Words in Walden festival, and I must therefore also thank the festival team and Harts booksellers for their support, especially Jo Burch. These events have such a lovely sense of community, with especially warm audiences and happy smiling children. Much hilarity greeted the opening piece, Night on a Bare Mountain, as one young audience member piped up … “It’s a little bit loud!” She wasn’t kidding. The orchestra sounded wonderfully dramatic, as outside the autumn sunshine faded into a wild afternoon of howling winds and lashing rain as if summoned by Mussorgsky’s demonic music!
Danse Macabre, Baba Yaga and The Swan of Tuonela followed, and the very generously programmed concert ended with The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Talk about value for money! Oh, and there was even a little encore: Mussorgsky’s Gnomus from his Pictures at an Exhibition.
Throughout, I told stories and painted like a crazy man; the pictures were raffled, raising £400 for EACH Children’s Hospice.
Lastly, thanks to Vanessa Stone, who took the photographs.
AND NOW, I have just a few days to practise for the next concert: Arnold’s eccentric Carnival of Animals, and Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. This will be at the Weston Auditorium in Hatfield on October 27th with the de Havilland Philharmonic… What a busy week!
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