saffron hall 2014-15 concerts & events brochure

SaffronHallSaffron Walden www.saffronhall.com

Concerts & Events 2014–15

COV

ER IM

AG

ES: ©

GET

TY IM

AG

ES/D

OU

GA

L W

ATER

S •

© R

OM

AN

GO

NTC

HA

RO

V

“ One of the finest halls of its size I’ve ever played in”

John Lill, pianist

“ A fabulous hall, the acoustics are fantastic, particularly for a chamber ensemble… and there is a great atmosphere between the performers and audience. A privilege to work there”

Baldur Brönnimann, conductor

Welcome

Angela DixonDirector, Saffron Hall Trust

Welcome to this season’s presentations at Saffron Hall. This is the Hall’s second season, but my first since leaving my role as Head of Music at the Barbican. I have fallen in love with the superb acoustic of Saffron Hall and the incredible potential it represents for music lovers across the South and East of England.

The 2014–15 season starts as it means to continue, heralded by the stunning musical partnership of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal Conductor Vladimir Jurowski, joined for this concert by sublime tenor Ian Bostridge.

I have invited some of the world’s most exciting and prominent artists to showcase our award-winning new space. Audiences will experience the power and artistry of musicians such as Maxim Vengerov, Nicola Benedetti, Thomas Adès, Paul Lewis, Colin Currie and, of course, the irrepressible Barbara Hannigan, who was such a hit at the opening night last year.

Designed to accommodate large ensembles as well as chamber groups, Saffron Hall will also host Britten Sinfonia, such a significant part of the Hall’s first season, together with ensembles such as The English Concert, Czech Philharmonic, The Sixteen and Arcangelo.

I have been struck by the strength of support shown by the local community towards young artists and I am delighted to be able to start a series of Sunday morning coffee concerts featuring four of the country’s leading young musicians. Do please join us for a coffee or sherry and be inspired by the next generation of artists.

Saffron Hall is located within Saffron Walden County High School, a school with a thriving performing arts culture, mirrored by the great work of the community groups surrounding it. Making music is a way of life in Saffron Walden and we are proud that the glittering international artists and ensembles will share the stage with the school and the local groups who continue to inspire me with their warmth and dedication.

We cannot wait to experience this potent melting pot of enthusiasm and talent and hope you will join us.

3

Vladimir Jurowski© SHEILA ROCK, DRESSED BY ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA

Sunday 21 September 7.30pm

London Philharmonic OrchestraVladimir Jurowski conductor Ian Bostridge tenor

Mozart Symphony No.28 Vaughan Williams On Wenlock Edge Brahms Symphony No.4

The dynamic partnership between the LPO and its Principal Conductor Vladimir Jurowski brings discipline and fire to Mozart and Brahms. Ian Bostridge, an internationally celebrated interpreter of English song, performs Vaughan Williams’ elegiac song cycle On Wenlock Edge.TICKETS: £16–£40 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL

4

Saturday 27 September 7.30pm

Maxim Vengerov in RecitalMaxim Vengerov violin Itamar Golan piano

Programme to include Elgar Violin Sonata in E minor Op.82 Prokofiev Violin Sonata No.1 in F minor Op.80 Brahms Scherzo in C minor (from F-A-E Sonata) Brahms Hungarian Dance No.2 in D minor Dvořák arr. Kreisler Slavonic Dance No.2 Plus works by Wieniawski, Kreisler, Paganini and Ysaÿe A superstar virtuoso who combines showmanship with a staggering breadth of emotion. In a rare visit to the region, Maxim Vengerov offers a brilliantly varied recital on his Stradivarius violin, a unique instrument famed for its sweetness, depth and power.TICKETS: £20–£60 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL

Maxim Vengerov© BEN EALOVEGA

Sunday 5 October 11am

Peter Moore in Recital Young Artist Coffee ConcertPeter Moore tromboneJonathan Ware piano

Programme to include works by Handel, Stojowski, Brahms and Pryor At just 12 years old, the astonishing trombonist Peter Moore was the youngest ever winner of the BBC Young Musician competition (2008). In April 2014 he became the youngest ever Co-principal of the London Symphony Orchestra. Prepare to be amazed. TICKETS: £12 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL

Sunday 14 September 2pm

Die Meistersinger Von NürnbergSt Albans Symphony OrchestraMichael Thorne conductorJennifer Wigram leaderSaffron Opera Group Chorus

Wagner Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg

A concert performance of Wagner’s rip-roaring comedy with a fantastic cast of international soloists, including Andrew Greenan, Julian Tovey, Jonathan Finney, Inga-Britt Anderson, Adam Tunnicliffe, Anna Burford, Richard Wiegold, Paul Carey-Jones. The glorious acoustic of Saffron Hall promise an intimacy and engagement with Wagner’s music as never before.TICKETS £12.50–£30 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON OPERA GROUP

www.saffronhall.com | 0845 548 7650

5

Friday 17 October 7.30pm

John McCarthy Words in WaldenOther People’s WarsJournalist John McCarthy’s ‘hero’s return’ to the UK after five terrible years as a hostage in the Lebanon taught him about the unexpected impact of war on ordinary people. He discusses what he learned. TICKETS: £12.50 PRESENTED BY WORDS IN WALDEN

Sunday 19 October 3pm

Family Concert Words in WaldenSaffron Walden Symphony OrchestraRichard Hull conductorJames Mayhew author/illustrator and narrator

Scheherazade and the Magic of the Arabian NightsArtist James Mayhew narrates enchanting Arabian tales of princesses and genies, then conjures them again on canvas while the orchestra bewitches the audience with Rimsky-Korsakov’s symphonic fairy tale. Suitable for children aged 5+TICKETS: £10 /£5 CHILDREN PRESENTED BY WORDS IN WALDEN AND SAFFRON HALL

The Brodsky Quartet© ERIC RICHMOND

Friday 10 October 7.30pm

The Brodsky Quartet Stravinsky Three Pieces Shostakovich String Quartet No.5 in B flat Op.92 Schubert String Quartet in D minor D.810 ‘Death and the Maiden’

Aged just 27, Schubert discovered that he was dying and poured all his torment into ‘Death and the Maiden’, a string quartet of monumental conflict, passion and – ultimately – profound catharsis. TICKETS: £10–£25 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL

“ Spellbinding and revelatory

The Strad, on the Brodsky Quartet


6

Saturday 25 October 7.30pm

Beethoven Piano Trios The Ghost/ArchdukeMaria João Pires pianoAugustin Dumay violinAntonio Meneses cello

Beethoven Piano Trio No. 9 in B flat WoO.39 Beethoven Piano Trio No.5 in D major Op.70 No.1 ‘The Ghost’ Beethoven Piano Trio No.7 in B flat Op.97 ‘Archduke’

Three of the world’s finest chamber musicians bring their precision, energy and exuberance to Beethoven’s compelling masterpieces for piano trio. Symphonic grandeur on an intimate scale. TICKETS: £10–£25 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALLMaria João Pires

© FELIX BROEDE/DG

7

Thursday 30 October 7.30pm

Baroness Shirley Williams Words in Walden Vera Brittain: A Woman in Peace and WarVera Brittain’s heart-rending Testament of Youth of 1933 is one of the most enduring war memoirs of all time. Her daughter, veteran politician herself, Baroness Shirley Williams discusses this seminal work and her mother’s political and literary legacy.TICKETS: £12.50 PRESENTED BY WORDS IN WALDEN IN ASSOCIATION WITH CLIVE CONWAY PRODUCTIONS LTD

“ Gripping emotional power”

The Telegraph, on The Sixteen

The Sixteen© JOSEP MOLINA

8

Sunday 2 November 7.30pm

Britten SinfoniaThomas Adès conductorPekka Kuusisto violin

Thomas Adès Piano Quintet Thomas Adès Violin Concerto ‘Concentric Paths’ Francisco Coll Four Miniatures (Saffron Hall co-commission: World premiere) Stravinsky Suite No.1 for small orchestra Sibelius Six Humoresques

When the brilliant British composer, conductor and pianist Thomas Adès is on stage, a concert of his own exquisite compositions becomes a major event – especially when Britten Sinfonia and violinist Pekka Kuusisto “the most engaging maverick in classical music today” (The Times) join him too. TICKETS: £10–£25 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL


The Sixteen Monteverdi VespersHarry Christophers conductor

Monteverdi Vespers for the Blessed Virgin (1610)

The Sixteen performs the greatest opera Monteverdi never wrote. The lavish ‘Vespers of 1610’ is a sacred work which includes some of the composer’s most theatrical and dramatic effects. Be transported by fanfares, divided choirs and sumptuous instrumental writing.TICKETS: £12–£30 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL

9


Abdullah IbrahimAbdullah Ibrahim pianoCleave Guyton clarinet/fluteNoah Jackson cello/bass

A favourite performer of both Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, pianist Abdullah Ibrahim is one of the most charismatic performers in jazz today. His new trio will electrify Saffron Hall with delicately nuanced music inspired by the songs and rhythms of Ibrahim’s South African homeland. TICKETS: £8–£20 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL

“ A rare eloquence”

The Guardian, on Abdullah Ibrahim

Abdullah Ibrahim© HEINRICH FRANS

10

Saturday 22 November 7.30pm

Saffron Walden Symphony OrchestraRichard Hull conductor

Brahms Academic Festival Overture Panufnik Sinfonia Sacra Shostakovich Symphony No.5

After Soviet criticism of his decadence, Shostakovich responded with his ostensibly obedient fifth symphony, which – it’s now suspected – is actually a chilling cry of despair. It’s paired with Andrzej Panufnik’s tonal, atmospheric masterpiece of 1964.TICKETS: £12/£10 SENIORS, UNDER 16s FREE PRESENTED BY SAFFRON WALDEN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Sunday 30 November 11am

Philip Higham in Recital Young Artist Coffee ConcertPhilip Higham celloAlasdair Beatson piano

Fauré Cello Sonata No.2 in G minor Op.117 Schumann Three Romances Op.94 Brahms Cello Sonata No.2 in F major Op.99

Award-winning young Scottish cellist Philip Higham has performed with many major UK orchestras. With his acclaimed recital partner and fellow countryman Alasdair Beatson, he presents a rich and varied programme of cello masterpieces.TICKETS: £12 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL

Philip Higham© KAUPO KIKKAS

Saturday 15 November 7.30pm

Saffron Walden Choral Society Carmina BuranaChameleon Arts OrchestraJanet Wheeler conductor Jeni Bern soprano Mark Le Brocq tenorAlexander Robin Baker baritone

Orff Carmina Burana Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals (with Ogden Nash poems)

A swan sings, a skeleton shimmies, and a tortoise does the can-can. Enjoy the infectious fun of the Carnival of the Animals, before thrilling to Carmina Burana, famous for its use in hundreds of adverts and films.TICKETS: £20/£18 SENIORS, £10 STUDENTS, £2 UNDER 18s PRESENTED BY SAFFRON WALDEN CHORAL SOCIETY


11

Calder Quartet© AUTUMN DE WILDE

12

Saturday 20 December 7pm

BBC Singers / Norwegian Wind Ensemble MessiahDavid Hill conductorFflur Wyn sopranoRobin Blaze countertenorSamuel Boden tenorDavid Soar bass

Handel Messiah

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without Handel’s Messiah or the chance to thrill to its rousing Hallelujah Chorus. In a special arrangement for winds, the gorgeous sound of the BBC Singers is complemented by Norway’s oldest orchestra, the Norwegian Wind Ensemble, founded in 1734.TICKETS: £12–£30 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL

Sunday 14 December 3pm

Peter and the Wolf / The SnowmanBritten SinfoniaNeil Thomson conductorSanjeev Bhaskar narratorTreble to be announced

Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf Howard Blake The Snowman

The perfect start to Christmas in the company of Britten Sinfonia throughout. Prokofiev’s tale of childhood courage is brought to life by Sanjeev Bhaskar, before a screening of The Snowman with Walking in the Air, the soundtrack to every child’s dream Christmas, sung live. Suitable for all ages. TICKETS: £10–£25 (UNDER 18s HALF PRICE) PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL

Sunday 7 December 7.30pm

Calder QuartetLigeti String Quartet No.2 Smetana String Quartet No.1 in E minor ‘From My Life’ Andrew Norman Sabina Janáček String Quartet No.2

One of America’s finest young ensembles, the Los Angeles-based Calder Quartet perform Smetana’s heartbreaking musical autobiography, Janáček’s touching tribute to late love and Andrew Norman’s evocative sound-portrait of an ancient Roman church. TICKETS: £10–£25 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL

The Snowman© RAYMOND BRIGGS


13

Saturday 17 January 7.30pm

Ian Bostridge in RecitalIan Bostridge tenor Graham Johnson piano

A recital of works by Brahms, including Brahms Nine Lieder Op.32 Brahms Four Heine settings

Ian Bostridge is a tenor admired for his intensity, his intelligence and his emotional clarity. Accompanied by his regular colleague Graham Johnson, he performs an all-Brahms programme.TICKETS: £10–£25 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL Ian Bostridge

© SIMON FOWLER

14

Sunday 1 February 3pm

The Mozart QuestionMichael Morpurgo narratorSimon Reade directorAlison Reid actorDaniel Pioro violinThe Storyteller’s Ensemble

Music by Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Vivaldi and Strauss Michael Morpurgo (War Horse) presents his moving and inspirational story The Mozart Question, examining the power of music to heal emotional scars, even from the holocaust. Suitable for families with children aged 8 and over.TICKETS: £8–£20 (UNDER 18s HALF PRICE) PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL

Sunday 8 February 3pm

Saffron Walden Symphony OrchestraRichard Hull conductor

Programme to include popular film scores Thrill to the sounds of Hollywood’s greatest love themes, to the pounding excitement of death-defying chases and to soaring anthems of heroic triumph, all from Tinseltown’s greatest composers. A sprinkle of silver-screen stardust.TICKETS: £12/£10 SENIORS, UNDER 16s FREE PRESENTED BY SAFFRON WALDEN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

“ One of the world’s great lieder tenors”

The Telegraph, on Ian Bostridge


15

Saturday 14 February 7.30pm

Iestyn Davies Thomas DunfordIestyn Davies countertenorThomas Dunford lute

A programme of songs and music by Dowland, Johnson, Danyel and Nico Muhly Countertenor Iestyn Davies, a star of both the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and New York’s Metropolitan Opera, is joined by the lutenist Thomas Dunford for a recital of profoundly moving early English songs.TICKETS: £10–£25 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL Paul Lewis

© MOLINA VISUALS

16

Sunday 22 February 11am

Callum Smart in Recital Young Artist Coffee ConcertCallum Smart violin Richard Uttley piano

Fauré Sonata for violin and piano No.1 in A major Op.13 Franck Sonata for violin and piano in A major

Callum Smart, winner of the strings category of the 2010 BBC Young Musician competition at age 13, is a fast-rising star of the musical world. His recording of the Franck Sonata, which he performs here, has already met with significant acclaim.TICKETS: £12 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL

Friday 20 February 7.30pm

Paul Lewis in RecitalPaul Lewis piano

Beethoven Piano Sonata No.30 in E major Op.109 Beethoven Piano Sonata No.31 in A flat Op.110 Beethoven Piano Sonata No.32 in C minor Op.111

Award-winning keyboard titan Paul Lewis performs Beethoven’s final sonatas, works in which Beethoven’s struggles with lyricism and form produce music of extraordinary urgency and power. TICKETS: £10–£25 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL

“ Time and again you marvel at the confidence and sureness of Lewis’s playing”

Gramophone, on Paul Lewis

Callum Smart© PATRICK ALLEN, OPERAOMNIA.CO.UK

17

Nicola Benedetti© SIMON FOWLER

“Benedetti’s violin soared

with luminous grace”

The New York Times, on Nicola Benedetti

18

Saturday 18 April 7.30pm

Saffron Walden Symphony OrchestraRichard Hull conductorAlex Redington violin

Elgar Violin Concerto Dvořák Symphony No.8

‘It’s awfully emotional, too emotional, but I love it,’ said Elgar of his rapturous Violin Concerto, one of the most demanding in the repertory. It’s paired here with the boisterous exuberance of Dvořák’s penultimate symphony.TICKETS: £12/£10 SENIORS, UNDER 16s FREE PRESENTED BY SAFFRON WALDEN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Sunday 22 March 7.30pm

Britten SinfoniaThomas Gould violin/directorAlasdair Beatson piano

Locatelli Concerto Grosso in C minor Op.1 No.11 Thomas Coult New work Hans Abrahamsen Double Concerto Bach arr. Sitkovetsky Goldberg Variations

The versatile Thomas Gould – equally at home as violinist, director and leader of his own swing ensemble – brings his trademark energy and clarity to a programme which includes a beautiful string arrangement of Bach’s Goldberg Variations.TICKETS: £10–£25 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL

Saturday 28 March 6pm

Saffron Walden Choral Society St Matthew PassionChameleon Arts OrchestraJanet Wheeler conductorSoloists to be announced

Bach St Matthew Passion

As Easter approaches, prepare to be uplifted by Bach’s dramatic and powerful retelling of the story of the passion of Christ, and marvel at the greatest opening number (for divided orchestras and choruses) ever composed for an oratorio.TICKETS: £20/£18 SENIORS, £10 STUDENTS, £2 UNDER 18s PRESENTED BY SAFFRON WALDEN CHORAL SOCIETY

Saturday 28 February 7.30pm

Nicola Benedetti The Four SeasonsLa Cetra Barockorchester BaselAndrea Marcon conductorNicola Benedetti violin

Geminiani Concerto Grosso in D minor ‘La Follia’ Vivaldi Concerto for strings and continuo in G minor RV.157 Vivaldi Concerto for violin and strings in D major RV.208 ‘Grosso Mogul’ Vivaldi Concerto for four violins in B minor Op.3 No.10 RV.580 Vivaldi The Four Seasons

Superstar Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti is noted for her fiery intensity, melting sound and independence of spirit. Here she plays Vivaldi’s ever-popular musical depiction of sun, storms and snow, The Four Seasons and other baroque works.TICKETS: £12–£30 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL

19

Saturday 25 April 7.30pm

Czech Philharmonic OrchestraJiří Bělohlávek conductorChloë Hanslip violin

Smetana Overture to The Bartered Bride Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending Dvořák Symphony No.7

To hear great Czech musicians play repertoire from their homeland is an experience never to be forgotten. Hear Maestro Jiří Bělohlàvek and the outstanding Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in masterpieces of their joint musical heritage. TICKETS: £16–£40 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL

Sunday 19 April 7.30pm

Arcangelo Monteverdi Madrigals of Love and LossJonathan Cohen conductor Anna Dennis sopranoZoe Brown sopranoTim Mead countertenorJeremy Budd tenorBenjamin Hulett tenorCallum Thorpe bass

Monteverdi Ballo: Volgendo il ciel (Book 8) including Merula ciaccona; Ohimè, dovè il mio ben (Book 7); Lamento della Ninfa (Book 8); Hor che’l ciel e la terra e’l vento tace (Book 8) Dario Castello Sonata X Monteverdi Poppea: (Arnalta) Oblivion soave; Altri canti di marte (Book 8); Sestina Madrigals (Book 6)

The exquisite pains of love, the joys of conflict, the agonies of pleasure... Monteverdi knew a thing or two about the paradoxes of human nature. He poured his insights into madrigals of breathtaking emotional immediacy and honesty, performed here by the dynamic young Arcangelo ensemble.TICKETS: £10–£25 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL

“ Technically impeccable and musically overwhelming”

The Guardian, on Colin Currie Group


20

Sunday 26 April 7.30pm

Colin Currie Group Steve Reich Music for pieces of wood Steve Reich Quartet Steve Reich Music for 18 musicians

Virtuoso percussionist and artist-in-residence at the Southbank Centre, Colin Currie leads his ensemble in a new quartet written for him by Steve Reich, and in the composer’s iconic and mesmerising Music for 18 musicians.TICKETS: £10–£25 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALLColin Currie

© MARCO BORGGREVE

21

Saturday 9 May 7.30pm

Britten SinfoniaBarbara Hannigan conductor/soprano

Mozart Overture to La Clemenzo di Tito Stravinsky Souvenirs de mon enfance Stravinsky Pastorale Haydn Symphony No.49 ‘La Passione’ Stravinsky Act 1 Scene 3 from The Rake’s Progress Mozart Overture to Idomeneo Mozart Bella mia fiamma, addio Stravinsky Pulcinella Suite

With her crystalline soprano voice, her inspiring conducting, and her ability to perform major operatic roles en pointe, soprano Barbara Hannigan is a performer like no other. She dazzled audiences at Saffron Hall’s opening concert, and returns here to conduct and sing Mozart and Stravinsky.TICKETS: £10–£25 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL

“ The UK’s most consistently dynamic chamber ensemble”

The New Statesman, on Britten Sinfonia

Britten Sinfonia© HARRY RANKIN

22


Saturday 27 June 7.30pm

Saffron Walden Symphony OrchestraRichard Hull conductorJill Morton piano

Dvořák Carnival Overture Grieg Piano Concerto Elgar Symphony No.1

Grieg wrote his piano concerto as a calling card for his own dazzling skills. Elgar composed his triumphant first symphony to express ‘a massive hope in the future.’ Enjoy two noble masterpieces side by side with a rollicking overture.TICKETS: £12/£10 SENIORS, UNDER 16s FREE PRESENTED BY SAFFRON WALDEN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Wednesday 27 May 7.30pm

The English Concert Dido and AeneasHarry Bicket conductorSoloists to be announced

Programme to include Purcell Dido and Aeneas

The English Concert is famed for its focussed commitment, its intensity, and its luxuriously rich sound. The ensemble performs Purcell’s profoundly moving operatic tragedy.TICKETS: £16–£40 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL

Saturday 20 June 7.30pm

Saffron Walden Choral Society Opera Arias and Choruses Chameleon Arts OrchestraJanet Wheeler conductor

This glittering gala evening includes well-loved arias and choruses from Carmen, The Magic Flute and Fidelio, as well as from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and Verdi’s Macbeth. An unforgettable night at the opera.TICKETS: £20/£18 SENIORS, £10 STUDENTS, £2 UNDER 18s PRESENTED BY SAFFRON WALDEN CHORAL SOCIETY

Sunday 24 May 11am

Lara Melda in Recital Young Artist Coffee ConcertLara Melda piano

Beethoven Sonata No.17 in D minor Op.31 No.2 ‘The Tempest’ Chopin Ballade No.1 in G minor Op.23 Albéniz Iberia (El Puerto, Fête-dieu à Seville and Triana)

Pianist Lara Melda, winner of the 2010 BBC Young Musician competition at age 16, has appeared with leading ensembles throughout the UK. Here she performs vibrant works for solo piano, including three pieces by Albéniz which conjure up the flamenco rhythms of his homeland.TICKETS: £12 PRESENTED BY SAFFRON HALL

Harry Bicket© RICHARD HAUGHTON


23

SWCHS presents MusicMusic ensembles from string quartets to big bands give outstanding student performances.

Wednesday 5 November 7pm

Michaelmas ConcertTuesday 10 February 7pm

Spring Concert TICKETS: £6/£4 CONCESSIONS (UNDER 18S AND FULL-TIME STUDENTS)

Saturday 7 & Sunday 8 March

Saffron Walden Music Festival Come and see the finals of Saffron Walden’s very own Young Musician competition as the community’s most talented young people compete for the Mullucks Wells Trophy.FREE ADMISSION

SWCHS presents TheatreIn 2014 audiences and critics were wowed by SWCHS’s production of West Side Story. Further SWCHS Theatrical performances are in production for Spring 2015. For details please check future print and the website.

Saffron Walden County High School has been at the heart of the community in Saffron Walden since 1950 and is now one of the top performing non-selective state schools in England. Saffron Hall is a magnificent addition to the facilities at the school and one that the students benefit from every day.

Over 2,500 people saw the school’s outstanding production of West Side Story in March 2014 and this year the school will start a Sixth Form Music Academy, providing incredible opportunities for talented musicians to improve their skills through an excellent teaching programme and connections with artists who appear at Saffron Hall.

For more information and on sale dates check www.swchs.net

Saffron Walden County High School presents

© DOMINIC DAVEY

24

About Saffron Hall

Saffron Hall gratefully acknowledges generous support from the Yellow Car Charitable Trust.

Founded in 2008, Yellow Car was set up to make grants to specific projects identified by the Trust as offering particular educational and social benefits. Based in Saffron Walden, it has a particular interest in supporting initiatives that benefit the local community. The building of Saffron Hall was conceived by, and made possible as a result of, substantial grants from the Trust.

Saffron Hall is an award-winning, 730-seat performance space built in the grounds of Saffron Walden County High School. The hall’s much-praised flexible acoustic and state of the art facilities surpass many of the world’s more established venues and since the hall opened in November 2013 its reputation has been growing. Close to Saffron Walden’s historic town centre, the £10-million venue is the result of a partnership between the School and Yellow Car Charitable Trust and is believed to be the largest gift of its kind to a state school.

Thanks to continuing support from Yellow Car, Saffron Hall will offer audiences across the region an outstanding line-up of world-class artists and ensembles from the vast sound world of the London Philharmonic to intimate recitals from violinist Maxim Vengerov and pianist Paul Lewis. But Saffron Hall’s aims extend well beyond the concert hall and relationships with artists are already developing with regard to education work with Saffron Walden County High School, local schools and the surrounding area.

The work of local groups is also extremely important at Saffron Hall and this season showcases an extensive programme of community and school events alongside the programme of visiting artists. Saffron Hall aims to be a trail-blazing model of state school and community music provision, producing outstanding events with world-class artists, inspiring through music and the arts.

25

BUYING TICKETS

Online: www.saffronhall.com

By Phone: 0845 548 7650 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday inclusive (excluding Public Holidays)

In person: Saffron Walden Tourist Information Centre, 1 Market Place, Saffron Walden

Monday–Saturday 9.30am–5pm

Public Holidays 10.30am–1pm (closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day)

On the door: Saffron Hall box office will open for ticket sales and collection an hour before each performance begins.

BOOKING FEESSaffron Hall does not charge booking or transaction fees. A charge of £1 applies if you would like your tickets posted.

ACCESSIBILITY• Saffron Hall is fully accessible and

induction loop systems are in operation

• Assistant dogs are welcome with additional space available

• Wheelchair patrons are eligible for half price tickets. Wheelchair spaces can be booked by phone or in person at the Box Office (subject to availability)

• Registered disabled patrons are eligible for a half price companion ticket if they require a carer to accompany them (subject to availability)

• Parking for Blue Badge holders is available on a first come, first served basis

• Please advise us of your access needs at the time of booking.

The right is reserved to substitute artists and vary the advertised programme if necessary. All information is correct at time of going to print.

For full conditions of sale please visit our website.

Booking information Visiting us

Saffron Hall is just minutes from the centre of Saffron Walden, a picturesque medieval town in north-west Essex. Saffron Hall is situated on the grounds of Saffron Walden County High School.

CARSaffron Hall is a 30-minute drive from Cambridge and Bishop’s Stortford and easily accessible from the M11. Directions are available on our website.

Parking: Ample free car parking is available on-site.

Our address is: Saffron Hall Audley End Road Saffron Walden CB11 4UH

TRAINThe nearest station is Audley End Station two miles away. Regular services operate between London Liverpool Street, Cambridge, Birmingham and Stansted Airport. There is a taxi rank at the station.

BUSLocal services to Saffron Walden operate between Bishop’s Stortford, Cambridge, Haverhill and Stansted Airport. Details are available on our website.

Proudly a smoke-free site.D

ESIG

N: C

OG

DES

IGN

/ P

RIN

T: G

ALL

PEN

CO

LOU

R P

RIN

T

WENDEN ROAD

AUDLEY END RD

Sa�ron Hall(SAFFRON WALDEN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL)

Saron Walden

B138

3

B105

2

JUNC

TION

8

M11

JU

NCTI

ON 9

B105

2 NEW

PORT

RD

B1053

B184 WINDMILL HILL

26

2014–15 Concerts and Events

SEPTEMBER Sunday 14 2pm Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg Sunday 21 7.30pm London Philharmonic Orchestra Saturday 27 7.30pm Maxim Vengerov

OCTOBER Sunday 5 11am Peter Moore Friday 10 7.30pm The Brodsky Quartet Friday 17 7.30pm Words in Walden, John McCarthy Sunday 19 3pm Words in Walden, Family Concert Saturday 25 7.30pm Maria João Pires, Augustin Dumay, Antonio Meneses Thursday 30 7.30pm Words in Walden, Baroness Shirley Williams

NOVEMBER Sunday 2 7.30pm Britten Sinfonia Sunday 9 7.30pm The Sixteen Saturday 15 7.30pm Saffron Walden Choral Society Sunday 16 7.30pm Abdullah Ibrahim Saturday 22 7.30pm Saffron Walden Symphony Orchestra Sunday 30 11am Philip Higham

DECEMBER Sunday 7 7.30pm Calder Quartet Sunday 14 3pm Peter and the Wolf/The Snowman Saturday 20 7pm BBC Singers & Norwegian Wind Ensemble

JANUARY Saturday 17 7.30pm Ian Bostridge

FEBRUARY Sunday 1 3pm The Mozart Question Sunday 8 3pm Saffron Walden Symphony Orchestra Saturday 14 7.30pm Iestyn Davies, Thomas Dunford Friday 20 7.30pm Paul Lewis Sunday 22 11am Callum Smart Saturday 28 7.30pm Nicola Benedetti

MARCH Sunday 22 7.30pm Britten Sinfonia Saturday 28 6pm Saffron Walden Choral Society

APRIL Saturday 18 7.30pm Saffron Walden Symphony Orchestra Sunday 19 7.30pm Arcangelo Saturday 25 7.30pm Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Sunday 26 7.30pm Colin Currie Group

MAY Saturday 9 7.30pm Britten Sinfonia Sunday 24 11am Lara Melda Wednesday 27 7.30pm The English Concert

JUNE Saturday 6 7.30pm Granta Chorale Saturday 20 7.30pm Saffron Walden Choral Society Saturday 27 7.30pm Saffron Walden Symphony Orchestra

27

Saffron Hall Audley End Road Saffron Walden CB11 4UH

Box office: 0845 548 7650 www.saffronhall.com

REGISTERED CHARITY NO.1153685

saffron hall 2014-15 concerts & events brochure

Documents