Vivaldi’s Four Seasons by candlelight Valentine’s Concert
Feb 16, 2019 at 19:30 — 21:15 (GMT)
For out-and-out romance on Valentine’s Weekend, join spectacular Chamber Orchestra The Piccadilly Sinfonietta, for a candlelit and bubbly-filled evening, including Vivaldi’s masterpiece, The Four Seasons. The orchestra is one of the newest and most dynamic ensembles in the UK, featuring some of the country’s most brilliant performers with a residency at St James’, Piccadilly, London. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons features the internationally renowned solo violinist Harriet Mackenzie. “Searing Intensity... A performance full of panache.... captivating” - The Strad. Her recordings include concertos with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra amongst others and these have received international acclaim, including Five Stars in The Times (Richard Morrison) and ‘Editor’s Choice’ in Gramophone Magazine, cited for Harriet’s “superbly responsive playing … faultless technique and unfailing insight”
Tonight’s event marks the 10th Annual Sparkling Valentines Concert at Ely Cathedral, which has been curated since 2010 by concert pianist Warren Mailley-Smith. Warren was born in Earith, a small village outside Cambridge. He had his first piano lessons there as a small boy of four. He visited Ely Cathedral with his parents as a youngster and so overwhelmed was he by the spectacular building and soaring columns that his ambition was born then to perform here. This year, Warren will join the Piccadilly Sinfonietta in a performance of Mozart’s exquisite Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major.
Warren says Ely’s acoustic is incredible and that he will have to be dragged away from it and the beautiful Steinway grand at the end of the concert.
Warren’s latest album ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ was featured as Classic FM’s Drive Album of the week in the run up to Christmas. In 2016, he became the first british pianist to perform Chopin’s complete solo works from memory, a truly marathon endeavour, featuring 230 pieces, 11 concerts, and 3.5 million notes!
Tonight’s Valentine’s performance will also feature stunning guest international soprano, Susan Parkes.
Ely Cathedral is the only UK building to be listed as ‘one of the seven medieval wonders of the world’. Ely has been a prominent film location for many films Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Other Boleyn Girl and The King’s Speech.