Guernsey Symphony Orchestra: Celebrating International Women’s Day

While Rossini’s William Tell Overture might be considered an odd choice for a concert on International Women’s Day, the Guernsey Symphony Orchestra will use this much loved work to showcase many female instrumentalists. From the quintet of solo ‘cellos that open the piece, through the duet between the cor anglais and flute, to the trumpets beckoning in the march of the Swiss Soldiers, enjoy some virtuosic playing from within the ranks of the GSO.

The Gaelic Symphony, by American composer Amy Beach, was the first symphony by an American woman composer to gain public attention, written at a time when American composers of either gender were a relative rarity on the international scene. It was Beach’s response to Bohemian composer Antonín Dvořák’s call for American composers to explore their musical roots.

The symphony begins with much energy, borrowing a melody from “Dark Is the Night,” one of Beach’s own art songs. The lively second movement has a graceful theme that reappears in varied form in the movement’s middle section. For the third movement, Beach sets two melancholy Irish themes in counterpoint, so that they are heard simultaneously. In the final movement, she returns to the melody of the first movement, though here given even more dramatic expression.

Derek Bourgeois’ Concerto for Trombone, Op. 114 is a masterwork that has tested the limits of trombone technique since its premiere. Considering Bourgeois’ goal was to challenge Christian Lindberg, the virtuosity required to perform the Concerto can seem unattainable to many performers. Polina Tarasenko will thrill us all with her interpretation.

Ewa Strusinska returns to the delight of the orchestra to conduct a concert to celebrate all women this International Women’s Day.