‘An amazing and memorable experience’

These were the words of journalist and blogger Rosemary Westwell about Ely Sinfonia’s concert on Saturday 30th April 2022. She said “It’s at times like these that we really appreciate the first-rate concerts that we have in our magnificent Ely Cathedral.”

In our first full orchestral concert since lockdown, we played two pieces, Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings and Mahler’s Symphony No 1, arguably one of the greatest musical treats in the orchestral repertoire.

About the Dvořák, Rosemary commented that “The richness of the massed stringed instruments was infused with warmth. This charming work in the hands of these fine instrumentalists took us on an amazing, varied journey ranging from joyful emotional heights, rhythmic buoyancy, rapid sweeping climaxes to delicate wistfulness. ”

She was equally impressed by the Mahler, which she said: “(it) gave us much to think about and as I left the concert, my mind was still buzzing with the excitement of the work. All life was here and such meaningful effects were only possible through the unsurmountable skill and dedication of these excellent instruments led by their phenomenal conductor, Steve Bingham.”

Triumph is the word

Beethoven Extravaganza completes Isle of Ely Festival

What a wow of an end to this year’s Isle of Ely Arts Festival. Ely Cathedral was completely full – not a single seat left – to hear Ely Choral Society, Ely Consort and Ely Sinfonia play a concert that has been many years in the making.

After the opening fanfare, the concert began with Vaughan Williams’ exquisite In the Fen Country. This was followed by the world premiere of Andrew Parnell’s Fenland Images, a highly atmospheric vision of modern-day agricultural life, the timeless daily round of worship in Ely Cathedral and the bogarts and bogles of Fenland folklore.

In the second half, all three groups joined together in Beethoven’s extraordinary Symphony no 9 in D minor, played magnificently by the orchestra with superb singing from the choirs and wonderful soloists.

Rosemary Westwell, the arts critic for the local press, wrote this wonderful review (click here).

A big thank you to everyone who made it happen – players and singers, our fabulous conductors Steve Bingham and Andrew Parnell, and everyone at Ely Cathedral – not forgetting Corkers Crisps, who sponsored bar snacks during the and wonderful soloists.

Download the programme here.