Gallery

13th October 2021

The Bardi really are back!

There was a real buzz of excitement both backstage and front of house on Sunday 10 October when Bardi players and audience were clearly very pleased to be back sharing live music in De Montfort Hall. Covid safety measures put in place by De Montfort Hall were smoothly and unobtrusively conducted and small queues outside in the sunshine added to the slightly festive atmosphere as concertgoers greeted friends they hadn’t seen for a very long time.

The concert was a resounding success with appearances by local soloists not to mention that local celebrity the De Montfort Hall organ which, played by Leicester Cathedral Organist David Cowen, reminded us of just what a powerful instrument it is in Saint-Saëns’s Organ Symphony. The Bardi were delighted to welcome back violinist Amalia Young, a former Bardi Young Musician winner, who gave a memorable performance of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in the first half of the concert.  

Here’s to the next concert in De Montfort Hall (Sunday 28th November at 3pm for your diary!).

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8th September 2021

A fine early September Saturday evening saw the Bardi Wind Orchestra make their first concert appearance since December 2019 when they were invited by Hinckley and Bosworth District Council to perform in Hinckley’s Hollycroft Park in a ‘Proms in the Park’ concert. An estimated audience of over 1,000 enjoyed a programme which included a host of popular melodies from stage and screen including Harry Potter, James Bond themes, the Big Country, Frozen and Aladdin. The second half concluded with well known favourites from the Last Night of the Proms which went down well with the flag-waving audience who joined in enthusiastically. BWO were joined for the concert by long-time friends of the Orchestra, singers Jenny Saunders and David Morris and the concert was compered by Colin Blackler, well-known to Hinckley audiences for his appearances at the Concordia Theatre, and a former Chairman of Bardi.   

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16th July 2021

Collectively, the instruments of the Bardi Symphony Orchestra fell silent after a wonderful workshop day last October.  Attempts were made to hold further workshops in February and March but these were thwarted by lockdown restrictions so it was with great excitement (and not a little trepidation!) that players got together again just nine months to the week later in July and in the covid-secure surroundings of a very welcoming Holy Trinity Church, Leicester.

Well over 50 players, divided into two groups, wind and stings because of space constraints, got together to rehearse pieces specifically for those two groups: Mendelssohn’s Overture for Winds and Elgar’s Serenade for Strings. Sadly MD Claus Efland could not travel from Berlin because of quarantine restrictions but Orchestra Leader Adam Summerhayes (strings) and Bardi Wind Orchestra Conductor David Calow (wind) very capably put players through their paces (to the evident satisfaction of Claus who was watching via a special link from Berlin!). 

Feedback received by Orchestra Manager Robert Calow afterwards gave a big thumbs up to the Bardi board for all the organisation which went into arranging the day. All eyes are now on our first rehearsals for the 2021-22 season which begin in September with the new season to be announced very soon! 

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5th June 2021

As a sneak peak at what is to come in the Bardi’s 35th concert season from October 2021, here is a snippet of the Bardi’s workshop on Elgar’s First Symphony back in February 2020, weeks before the world ground to a halt. The orchestra perform the finale to the symphony under the baton of Musical Director Claus Efland at Holy Trinity Church, Leicester.

The new 2021-22 season will be announced soon. Hopefully we can bring back the energy and excitement of live music to Leicester audiences in the autumn!

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5th October 2020

The Bardi Symphony Orchestra met for the first time since March at the Covid-secure Holy Trinity Church, Regent Road, Leicester on Saturday October 3rd. Under the baton of Music Director Claus Efland, the 3 sections of the Orchestra; Brass, Winds/Horns and Strings met at different times of the day socially distanced in the secure, vast space of the church. Works included Handel’s “The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba” and Gabrieli’s “Sonata Pian’e Forte” for the Brass, the “Serenade” Op.7 by Richard Strauss for the Winds/Horns and the “Little Suite for Strings” Op.1 by Carl Nielsen.

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16th March 2020

A fantastic family friendly afternoon concert took place at De Montfort Hall on Sunday 15th March featuring a feast of popular classical and film music with Guest Conductor Richard Laing and young local Tuba soloist Stephen Calow. To take take the audience through the instruments of the symphony orchestra, the afternoon was hosted and narrated by the very popular presenter and animateur Tom Redmond from BBC Radio 3.

The concert included performances of Benjamin Britten’s brilliant Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra and George Kleinsinger‘s Tubby the Tuba, both with Tom as our narrator. Two wonderful musical masterpieces forthe many youngsters in the audience! Other pieces included the Overture to Beauty and the Beast, “Happy” from Despicable Me 2, Festive Overture and Waltz No.2 by Shostakovich, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony First Movement and the Berceuse and Finale from Stravinsky’s The Firebird.

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2nd March 2020

The Bardi Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Music Director Claus Efland spent Saturday 15th February at Holy Trinity Church, Regent Road in Leicester taking part in a workshop rehearsing Elgar’s magnificent First Symphony. After the mid afternoon break invited guests arrived to hear a play-through of the entire work.
As the evening dinner was being prepared downstairs the Orchestra and guests gathered upstairs in the newly refurbished Holy Trinity to watch performances of the Bardi at De Montfort Hall over recent seasons on the big film screen.
At 7pm all then went downstairs and were seated at tables and were treated to a superb meal in the brilliant surroundings.
A day to repeat in the future for sure!

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27th January 2020

The annual Bardi Young Musician concert series goes from strength to strength. These concerts are intended
to encourage emerging and talented young soloists by giving them a platform on which to perform with a full
symphony orchestra.

This year’s concert took place on Sunday 26th January at 3pm in the main concert hall of English Martyrs’ Catholic School in Leicester. The Bardi Young Musician 2020 is Flautist Szymon Mosciszko.

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28th October 2019

A “Voyage Through the Ages” concert showcased the talents of LGS students both as concerto soloists and as guest members of the Bardi Symphony Orchestra.

The concert took place on Saturday 26th October at LGS in the St Nicholas Hall and included Beethoven Egmont overture, Glazunov Saxophone and Mendelssohn Violin concerto movements, Haydn Symphony No.101 2nd movement, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik Minuet and Trio, Bradenburg Concerto No.5 Finale and suites from Star Wars, Psycho and Wicked.

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28th August 2019

The Bardi Symphony Orchestra under their Music Director Claus Efland concluded the De Montfort Hall “Gigs in the Gardens” concert series in style with a superb concert of music from the Stage and Big Screen. Suites from Les Miserables, The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story and The Sound of Music contrasted with big screen hits including The Big Country, Gabriel’s Oboe, The Pink Panther, Moon River, James Bond, Out of Africa, Pirates of the Caribbean and Star Wars. There was something for everyone who attended!

The concert, which saw an enthusiastic audience of over 1750 including many families and youngsters, ended with a firework finale to a selection of John Williams’ greatest hits; Star Wars, Jaws, Superman, Indiana Jones, ET and Harry Potter!

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