Lovers of classical music are in for a treat this weekend when the Crowthorne Symphony Orchestra (CSO) will be performing its last concert of its summer season.
The event, at the Old Gym at Wellington College, could also be the last at the venue for the 50-strong group which is set to be developed into classrooms.
Featured music for Saturday’s event includes compositions from Beethoven, Dvorak and George Lloyd.
Explaining the story behind the choice of Lloyd, orchestra member Charlie Vereker told Wokingham Today: “I came across it during lockdown when unable to meet as an orchestra.
“I engaged with the Twitter World Cup of British and Irish Symphonies. The composer had tremendous success prior to WW2, but while serving in the North Atlantic his ship was torpedoed and he was one of only three men to make it out alive from his team of 20.
“Understandably he was profoundly affected by this and suffered from what we would now call PTSD. After the war, his wife took him to Switzerland in a last attempt to try to help him. Happily this worked and he was able to write again, with the joyful fifth symphony being a product of this time.”
The CSO will also be playing Beethoven’s Leonore Overture with trumpet solo and will end with the little-known Symphony No 5 by George Lloyd.
Vereker added: “We’ve had so much interest in this, from as far afield as the United States, and even a mention on BBC Radio 3.”
Tickets for the event, which starts at 7.30pm, are available through the Crowthorne Symphony Orchestra Facebook page, or via www.crowthorneorchesta.com
