Folk, Fire and the Cello
From the stirring melodies of Dobrinka Tabakova to the raw energy of Bartók, this concert is a wild journey through earthy textures and thrilling contrasts. Join us as BBC Young Musician winner Laura van der Heijden, celebrated for her ‘deeply thoughtful, powerful and sincere’ playing (BBC Music Magazine), leads Sinfonia Cymru in an evening that’s as exhilarating as it is heartfelt.
At the heart of the programme is the Cello Concerto by British-Bulgarian composer Dobrinka Tabakova, a modern masterpiece that is frequently performed around the world. This composition of soaring beauty has folk-reminiscent themes, as a turbulent opening evolves into second and third movements so tender that they linger long after the final note.
We’ve paired it with Bartók’s electrifying Divertimento for Strings, a riotous ride that crackles with fiery folk dance-inspired energy.
For this journey we’re joined by cellist Laura van der Heijden. As winner of BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2012, she’s the perfect foil for the talented under 30s professional musicians that make up our orchestra. For this tour, she’s curated several medleys to weave into the concert, blending traditional Welsh songs, folk melodies and fairy tales into a seamless, spellbinding whole.
Whether you’re drawn to raw energy, heart-wrenching beauty, or the intimate charm of Welsh folk songs, we promise an evening that will move, thrill and surprise you.
Programme
- Élisabeth Jacquet De la Guerre (1665-1729) Céphale et Procris, Act IV Scene 6: Les démons
- Grace Williams (1906-1977) The Dark Island, II. Barcarolle
- Hildegard von Bingen (c.1098-1179) Antiphons
- Pablo Casals (1876-1973) Song of the Birds
- Caroline Shaw (b.1982) Plan & Elevation, II. The Cutting Garden
- Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) arr. Martelli Mother Goose, V. The Enchanted Garden
- Dobrinka Tabakova (b.1980) Concerto for Cello and Strings
- Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) Plink, Plank, Plunk!
- John Rutter (b.1945) Suite for Strings, I. A-Roving II. I Have a Bonnet Trimmed with Blue
- Patrick Rimes (b.1992) Galliard-Bourree
- Trad. arr. Patrick Rimes Ar Lan y Môr
- Trad. arr. Danish String Quartet Nordic Suite, II. Scherzo: Staedelil
- Béla Bartók (1881-1945) Divertimento for Strings