Mid Sussex Sinfonia offer Christmas concert

Mid Sussex Sinfonia are offering a pre-Christmas concert at St Wilfred’s Church, Haywards Heath, on December 18, their second concert back post-lockdowns.
Mid Sussex SinfoniaMid Sussex Sinfonia
Mid Sussex Sinfonia

It comes during their 50th anniversary season and continues a very happy association for Mid Sussex Sinfonia leader Martin Palmer.

Martin took over the post of leader of the Mid Sussex Sinfonia in 1999 from his former teacher, Martin Cannings.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He has appeared as soloist with the Sinfonia on many occasions, including several performances of Vaughan Williams’ Lark Ascending, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and a variety of baroque concertos. Martin is teacher of violin and viola at his former school, Ardingly College.

“My association goes back to my school days so effectively I have known of the Mid Sussex Sinfonia for 38 years.

“This is the 50th anniversary season and of those 50 years I have been around for 38 of them so it really is a long association.

“They were one of the first orchestras that I played with of substance. I remember the first concert that I did with them very well, William Tell, Sibelius 5 and I think the Rodrigo Guitar Concerto. It was such a big occasion for me to play those kinds of pieces with a huge orchestra at the age of 16 and being now a professional player it all stems from those years, I think.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Inevitably this is the Sinfonia’s first December concert for two years though they were able to return to the stage in October: “The feeling was very good. Everyone was very pleased to be back. Our last concert before that was February 2020.

“I was involved at school when the Sinfonia was part of Ardingly. My teacher was the leader and I continued my association through my college years and beyond and then just over 20 years ago the leader retired and I was asked if I would like to carry on.”

There is a particular character to the Mid Sussex Sinfonia, Martin likes to think: “They are very friendly. It’s a very warm atmosphere both in rehearsals and in concerts. People meet outside the Sinfonia. There is chamber music going on and there are people that meet socially as well. It is very warm. And obviously it is lovely to be back particularly for those people that have not had much chance for music-making for a long time now. There is an excitement at being back and I do think people feel comfortable about being back. People are vaccinated and there is a positive feeling about it all and we have got quite a large venue as our new rehearsal venue so yes, I think there is just a lot of excitement about returning.”

The orchestra dates back to 1971 when Andrea King and Kay Hall were on the platform at Haywards Heath Station waiting for their trains to arrive.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Although they did not know each other at that time, one of them was carrying a violin and from that they began a conversation. They bemoaned that lack of an orchestra in the area and from that meeting, The Mid-Sussex Sinfonia was formed and gave its first concert in autumn 1971. The conductor was Edward Warren, then Andrea’s husband.

Mid Sussex Sinfonia concert: December 18, St Wilfred’s Church, Haywards Heath: the programme will be: Beethoven – Coriolan Overture; Vivaldi – Nulla in Mundo Pax Sincera and Mozart – Exsultate, jubilate (soloist - Elin Manahan-Thomas soprano); Mozart - Bassoon Concerto,1st Movement (soloist - Angela Kirsten, MSS principal bassoon); Haydn – Symphony 104 (London); audience carols.

Box office: £14 on the door; under 18 free; £12 in advance from [email protected] or 01273 478036.

Related topics: