The Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra is holding a special royal concert with an all-British programme in the Main Hall of Thailand Cultural Centre, Ratchadaphisek Road, on Saturday, at 7.30pm.
Cellist Li Wei Qin. (Photo: Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra)
Held to mark the birthday of HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and the coronation of HM King Charles III of the United Kingdom, the "Royal Celebration - Best Of British" will start in a suitably regal fashion with the famous and popular Music For The Royal Fireworks by George Frederic Handel.
Although Handel was born in Germany, he lived in London from 1712 and was granted English citizenship. He composed a number of pieces for his patron King George II. British conductor Douglas Bostock will return to the podium to lead the RBSO in an arrangement for a modern symphony orchestra, which was made exactly a hundred years ago in 1923 by the conductor Sir Hamilton Harty.
The programme will proceed with the much-loved Concerto For Cello And Orchestra by arguably Britain's most well-known composer, Sir Edward Elgar, performed by the award-winning Singaporean cellist Li Wei Qin.
Conductor Douglas Bostock. (Photos courtesy of Priska Ketterer Luzern)
It is a masterpiece with its warm, lyrical melodies, virtuoso writing for a solo instrument and colourful use for the orchestra, followed by music by the great Ralph Vaughan Williams, namely his charming English Folk Song Suite, based on melodies he collected on excursions into the countryside.
The royal evening of British music will reach its climax with the popular Variations On A Theme Of Purcell, also known as The Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra, by Benjamin Britten. Written in 1945, it was written to present different instruments of the orchestra and then each individual instrument in a dazzling set of variations.
Tickets cost 600, 1,000, 1500, 2,000 and 2,500 baht (half price for students and seniors aged 60 and above) and can be purchased from thaiticketmajor.com (call 02-262-3456).
Visit rbsothailand.com.
