Concert Reviews

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Bedford Corn Exchange, 27th July 2000

On 27th July 2000 the Second Orchestra came together with members of the Philharmonia Orchestra for their Summer Concert, performed in front of a sell-out Bedford Corn Exchange.

Conducted by Andrea Quinn, Musical Director of the Royal Ballet, the combined orchestras performed the Overture from Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet followed by only the second performance of Tunde Jegede's Savannah. This is a concerto for percussion and double orchestra, and was premiered in June as part of the Leicester Music Festival. The orchestras were joined for this by Evelyn Glennie, the world-famous percussionist and patron of the Friends of Bedfordshire Youth Music.

Tunde Jegede is the Innovations Composer for the Eastern Orchestra Board.

Andrea Quinn is a past member of the Youth Orchestra and has in the past conducted both the Youth Chamber Orchestra and the County Second Orchestra. She is now the Director of Music for the New York City Ballet.

After the interval Benjamin Britten's Soirées Musicales and George Gershwin's An American in Paris were also performed.

After the concert, audience comments:

• "Wow... that was a tremendous performance!"
• "A terrific night of music!"

Pictured below are Tunde Jegede, composer of Savannah, Evelyn Glennie, and Ian Smith, Head of Bedfordshire Music and Performing Arts.

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