“As you travel round the globe, the Academy’s name has an aura possessed by no other British orchestra” Richard Morrison, The Times
The Academy of St Martin in the Fields (ASMF) celebrates the centenary of its founder – Lincoln-born violinist and conductor Sir Neville Marriner – with a concert of music in the stunning surroundings of Lincoln Cathedral.
The promgramme will include:
- Handel: Concerto Grosso in B flat, Op.3, No.2
- Mozart: Symphony 25 in G minor, K.183
- Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Recognised as one of the world’s best known conductors, Neville Marriner was born in Lincoln and attended Lincoln School where his passion for music was nurtured. In 1958 he founded the Academy of St Martin in the Fields ensemble with musicians of the highest calibre and together they revolutionised the classical music scene, with Marriner conducting and playing lead violin in live performance and across a vast discography.
This concert of glorious music is celebrating Sir Neville Marriner and his legacy. The programme reflects Marriner’s early championing of Baroque music, with Handel’s elegant Concerto Grosso Op.3, No.2 as the perfect concert opener. It was the work chosen for the ASMF’s first BBC Prom in 1965 – also the work’s ‘Proms premiere’. Another composer with whom Neville Marriner and the ASMF are indelibly linked is Mozart: Marriner was Music Supervisor for the much-admired film Amadeus and he conducted the ASMF on the soundtrack. His musical choices provided the alchemy to the film – the allegro to Symphony No. 25 adding a sinister underlay to the unfolding rivalry between Mozart and Salieri. Revel in the genius of composer and orchestra in a live performance of this classical favourite in the surroundings of Lincoln’s medieval masterpiece.
Turning to something more Romantic, a Marriner favourite was Vaughan Williams’ ever-popular Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. This evocative work showcases the orchestra’s unrivalled string sound. Marriner’s recording is acknowledged as one of the best, and this concert will be an opportunity to enjoy the orchestra’s 21st century interpretation under the direction of ASMF leader Tomo Keller.
This event is run by Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Please visit www.asmf.org/ if you have any enquiries.
