Welcome to the first concert of our 2025/26 season.....and what a first concert! Lann - Dancing to an Orange Drummer Shostakovich - Piano Concerto No 2 Soloist: Benjamin Powell Strauss - Ein Heldenleben We start with the cool grooves of Dancing to an Orange Drummer by Vanessa Lann. It is inspired by her experience of moving to the Netherlands and adapting to a new culture. The piece features two contrasting musical elements: simple brass melodies and a repetitive rhythmic pattern, which eventually merge and harmonize. It was originally written for a Dutch ensemble and later adapted for the Boston Pops Orchestra. The Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major, Op. 102, by Dmitri Shostakovich was composed in 1957 for the 19th birthday of his son Maxim, who premiered the piece on 10 May 1957 during his graduation concert at the Moscow Conservatory. We are delighted to welcome back Benjamin Powell as our soloist for this evergreen work. The concert concludes with the vast drama of Ein Heldenleben - A Heros Life, by Richard Strauss, where our leader Clare Bhabra takes on the soloist role which represents Strausss wife. It promises to be quite a start to the season. Do join us!