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Bardi Wind and Oadby & Wigston Lions raise £7,000 for ABF at VE Day 80 Concert!

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14th October 2025

The Bardi Wind Orchestra and Oadby & Wigston Lions raise £7,000 for the ABF (Army Benevolent Fund) – The Soldiers’ Charity at summer charity gala concert.

Bardi Wind Orchestra Music Director David Calow, Orchestra Manager Robert Calow and members of Oadby & Wigston Lions Club were at De Montfort Hall at the end of September to present a cheque for an amazing £7,000 to Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) Bryon Brotherton MBE, Chairman of the ABF Leicestershire & Rutland Committee. 

The money was raised at the Bardi Wind Orchestra VE DAY 80 charity concert held at De Montfort Hall in association with the Lions Club back in June. This year’s concert was very well attended with many civic representatives present and was the official VE Day 80 Concert for the County. A highlight for many attending the concert was Bryon performing ‘Amazing Grace’ on the bagpipes with the Wind Orchestra.

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The Bardi’s 2025/26 Season Opens in Fine Style

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6th October 2025

The Bardi began their 2025-26 season in fine style Last Sunday afternoon.  

To open the concert a good-sized audience were treated to a rarity, Max Steiner’s Casablanca Film Suite, this comparatively short piece encapsulates the essence of this well-loved film, and it was wonderful to see faces lighting up as they realised what it was about.  A return visit by Zoë Beyers, leader of the BBC Philharmonic, completed the first half with Korngold’s Violin Concerto, a piece of considerable difficulty, again redolent of the afternoon titled ‘a concert born in Hollywood’.  This piece is not often performed, but Zoë gave it a show-stopping airing to the great delight of the audience. 

Rachmaninov’s Symphony No 2 occupied the whole of the second half which will live long in the memory of those who heard it. Jonathon Lo and the Orchestra gave a polished and stylish performance full of the nuances that this great work deserves. The ovation at the end said it all and appreciative messages are still coming in.

Three further concerts in the 2025-26 season are already booking up – Get your tickets here!

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The Bardi Open Their 2025/26 Concert Season This Sunday

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29th September 2025

On Sunday 5th October the orchestra’s 2025/26 Season gets off to a flying start with the welcome return of Jonathon Lo to conduct the Bardi Symphony Orchestra. 

The Orchestra spent much of an all-day Sunday rehearsal getting to grips with Rachmaninov’s grand Second Symphony, one of his most popular works. The large Orchestra took up much of the space in the rehearsal venue and the sound was truly awesome.  

Joining the Bardi during a run with the Royal Ballet, Jonathan Lo took some time out of his busy schedule to introduce the concert:

The programme, with the subtitle ‘A concert born in Hollywood’, does justice to it’s title opening with the little heard but very memorable ‘Casablanca Film Suite’ by Max Steiner evoking one of the most well-known and well-loved films of all times.  

Zoë Beyers, who is leader of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, will then perform Erich Korngold’s Violin Concerto which offers a perfect blend of action packed movie themes and virtuoso solo writing, and the second half will be taken up with Rachmaninov’s Symphony No.2. 

It promises to be a truly memorable opening concert for our 39th concert season at De Montfort Hall this Sunday.

Book your tickets here.

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Bardi Players Enjoyed Annual Social Ahead of New Season

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9th September 2025

Players from the Bardi Symphony Orchestra had a pre-season social get together to look back on probably the most successful season of recent years – the 2024-2025 ‘New Horizons’ season.  

The season saw a return to four concerts at De Montfort Hall with four high-profile conductors, a very successful Bardi Young Musician competition and Workshop day, together with record audience attendances.

Light refreshments and wine were organised by Jane Bevan, Christine Taylor and Tim Hobbs and a very professionally produced video of highlights of the seasons performances, made by our long-time video and audio specialist and very good friend, Alan Hames, was shown on the audiovisual system at Holy Trinity Church on Regent Road in Leicester.  

All good socials have time for a lot of chatter and there was much discussion about the new season which starts on 5 October.  Tickets for this went on sale last May and sales of the specially discounted three and four subscription tickets have already exceeded last year at this time. 

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Watch Highlights from the 2024/25 Bardi Concert Season

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18th August 2025

The Bardi Symphony Orchestra’s 2024/25 ‘New Horizons’ season has been a resounding success, with audience numbers not seen for many years supporting the Orchestra.

You can watch a number of highlights from the concerts below, or by visiting our YouTube Channel here.

Sunday 1st December 2024
Ravel – Bolero (excerpt)

Sunday 1st December 2024
Respighi – The Pines of Rome, iv. Pines of the Appian Way

Sunday 23rd March 2025
Glinka – Rusland and Lyudmila Overture

Sunday 23rd March 2025
Stravinsky – The Firebird, Berceuse & Finale

Sunday 18th May 2025
Holst – The Planets, Mars

Sunday 18th May 2025
Holst – The Planets, Jupiter

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Bardi Wind Celebrate VE Day 80 at De Montfort Hall

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10th June 2025

Sunday’s Bardi Wind Orchestra concert delivers exactly what was needed for a stylish but meaningful VE DAY80 commemoration. 

One of the City’s main events to celebrate VE Day80 was a concert given by the Bardi Wind Orchestra under the baton of Music Director and Conductor David Calow at De Montfort Hall on Sunday.  The BWO have given charity concerts, in conjunction with the Oadby and Wigston Lions Club at DMH over the last 16 years but this was one of the most memorable ever, with a carefully chosen programme reflecting the war years with melodies that were evidently very familiar to most of the audience.

It was one of the largest audiences for a BWO concert in recent years and they were expertly guided through the programme by Martin Ballard who had marshalled a remarkable range of facts about the pieces played, from music which accompanied actual wartime films, to much loved Eric Coates themes from BBC Radio and from more up to date films depicting the war. He also set the music into context with facts about how the war affected Leicester itself.

Vocal items came from David Morris and Jenny Saunders including We’ll Meet Again, and handkerchiefs emerged from pockets more than once. Lt Colonel (retd) Bryon Brotherton MBE was the solo piper in an arrangement of Amazing Grace and later returned to talk about the work of the chosen charity, the Army Benevolent Fund of which he is Chairman of the Leicestershire and Rutland Committee.

It would be difficult to pick out any one piece of music as a highlight, as there were far too many, but two memories of the occasion that will linger are the standing ovation by the whole audience for 100 year old RAF Veteran Philip Kendal (who once built a stage for a concert given by Vera Lynn!) and the sight of virtually every Mayor and other Dignitaries  in Leicester, Leicestershire and Ruland wearing their chains having a photograph in the interval reception.

The rousing and accomplished finale of Coates’ Dam Busters March sent a very happy audience on their way home. 

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New Horizons Season Finale A Triumph

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20th May 2025

A huge audience attended the final concert of the Bardi Orchestra’s 2024/25 ‘New Horizons’ De Montfort Hall season.

Audiences have been building substantially over the whole season, but this concert attracted over 1400, and we were worrying that some of our usual ‘late bookers’ might miss out! The concert was conducted by 27-year-old Tom Fetherstonhaugh, an assured and talented rising star who is already making a name for himself.

The concert began with a spirited performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto by Fenella Humphreys, the musical rapport between her and Tom, and the Orchestra, ensured that even at incredible speed not a foot (or a bow) went wrong. 

The whole of the second half was taken up with a performance of Holst’s The Planets such as has never been seen in DMH before. A huge orchestra was carefully shoehorned on to the stage, with a large percussion section and such rarities as a bass oboe and a bass flute. On each side of the stage several carefully selected images of each of the planets were projected accompanied by coloured lighting effects throughout the hall. The last movement of The Planets features a wordless off-stage chorus of upper voices, and we were delighted to be joined off-stage by singers from Leicestershire Chorale who faded away to silence at the end of the piece – a really magical moment before the audience erupted into loud applause. A memorable afternoon which will stay long in the memory of those who were there. 

The afternoon saw the launch of Bardi’s 2025/26 season for which tickets (with some generous subscription discounts) will be on sale at the end of this week, we look forward to seeing you all again next season!

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A stellar season finale not to be missed

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7th May 2025

The Orchestra are gearing up for an amazing finale to their New Horizons season at De Montfort Hall on Sunday 18th May.  

Our fourth guest conductor Tom Fetherstonhaugh brings with him a wide range of conducting experience. The first half of the concert consists of Tchaikovsky’s ever popular Violin Concerto with soloist Fenella Humphreys. The whole of the second half is taken up with a performance of Holst’s The Planets when the Orchestra are joined by the Upper Voices of Leicestershire Chorale for the final movement.  They performed this work with us an amazing 15 years ago, so it is fitting that they are back with us again. The Planets requires the largest number of orchestral players of the season (for starters think six French horns, two sets of timpani, two harps and an organ).  

The Bardi are also supported by Leicester’s own National Space Centre for this concert as they have helped in producing visual projections of each planet to complement the music in the second half. With atmospheric lighting effects on stage too, it will be a performance not to miss!  

Tom Featherstonhaugh is Artistic Director of Fantasia Orchestra, with whom he made his BBC Proms debut in August 2024 conducting two performances at the Royal Albert Hall. He founded the orchestra in 2016, and they have developed a busy schedule at festivals and venues across the country. Assistant Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra between 2022–2024, this year he returns to Bournemouth along with performances with the Britten Sinfonia, Ulster Orchestra, Orchestra of Opera North and makes his debuts with the BBC Philharmonic, Manchester Camerata, National Symphony Orchestra (Ireland) Royal Northern Sinfonia, and the Bardi Symphony Orchestra of course!

As of last week in excess of 1,100 tickets had been sold making this the top selling concert of the season, and for a number of years at De Montfort Hall. A fitting finale to what has been a rewarding and very exciting exploration of ‘New Horizons’ for the Orchestra in 2024/25.

Click here to book your tickets here for The Planets on 18th May

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