City of London Sinfonia in High Wycombe March 10, 2012

J. S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
Gorecki: Three Pieces in Old Style
C. P. E. Bach: Flute Concerto in D minor
Mendelssohn: String Sinfonia No. 10 in B minor
J. S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5

City of London Sinfonia plays an exciting array of music for string ensemble, ranging from the hugely popular Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 3 and 5 of J. S. Bach to the beautiful Three Pieces in Old Style by contemporary Polish composer the late Henryk Gorecki. Martin Burgess directs the orchestra in the programme, which also features C.P.E. Bach’s Flute Concerto in D minor and Mendelssohn’s String Sinfonia No. 10 in B minor, one of the string symphonies written in the composer’s childhood, which is full of stark contrasts between sombre and graceful lyricism and energetic fast passages which build up in a huge race to the finish. This concert stars Burgess as solo violinist, along with fellow CLS members Karen Jones and Alastair Ross providing virtuosic flute and harpsichord solos.