Guest principal conductor Lance Phillip joins Yolanda Maartens in the OFM Art Beat to discuss what music lovers can expect during this concert. 

Elegance, poise, charm, passion, and regal flair. This is what music lovers can look forward to in Romance and Royals, the second concert of The Rhapsody Orchestra’s 2024 concert season.

Conductor Lance Phillip and The Rhapsody Orchestra will be joined by the local choir cantando@Bloem, under the leadership of Louis van der Watt, to perform two religious works by Handel, Zadok the Priest and The Dettingen Anthem. The former will be well-known to audience members as the anthem used for the coronation of every British monarch since its composition in 1727, including that of King Charles III in May 2023.

‘Will captivate the listener with its emotional beauty’

In contrast to the majesty of these works, Bruch’s Romance for Violin and Orchestra in A Minor, with soloist Diandra Steenekamp, will captivate the listener with its emotional beauty, as will Mozart’s elegant and bright Serenata Notturna. The program will conclude with the popular Symphony No.88 by Haydn. With its “perpetual-motion finale,” it is considered one of the composer’s most cheerful symphonies.

Wolfgang Mozart. Photo: Wikipedia

Something all the composers on the programme have in common is that they were Germans who visited or lived in England and had a significant impact on the musical life there. Mozart performed for King George III, Haydn composed and conducted a series of symphonies for London, Bruch conducted the Liverpool Philharmonic Society for three years, and Handel was made Master of the King’s Music, even becoming a naturalised citizen.

In keeping with The Rhapsody Orchestra’s vision of providing audiences with accessible yet high-quality classical music, this concert is suitable for audience members of all ages, including those who have never experienced a classical orchestral concert. We promise a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere for new and seasoned music lovers.

Key Information:

The Rhapsody Orchestra presents Romance and Royals

Lance Phillip (conductor); Diandra Steenekamp (violin); cantando@Bloem

Saturday,1 June 2024, 19:00 - Odeion, UFS Campus

Sunday, 2 June 2024, 16:00 - Odeion, UFS Campus

Tickets: R100 (adults) / R50 (concessions – children under 18 and pensioners over 65)

Available at the door, or book tickets via Whatsapp @ 0736512611

Programme:

Mozart – Serenata Notturno

Bruch – Romance Op. 42 in A Minor for Violin and Orchestra

Handel – Zadok the Priest

Handel – Dettingen Anthem

Haydn – Symphony No.88

Background: The Rhapsody Orchestra

 The Rhapsody Orchestra is a community orchestra and non-profit organisation founded in 2020 by Heinrich Lategan and Bloemfontein musicians who felt a need to rehearse and make music together on a regular basis. The orchestra consists of amateurs, students (both music and other fields), scholars, and professional players and aims to create regular opportunities for Bloemfontein’s orchestral musicians to hone their craft and share in the immense joy of playing and appreciating the social benefits that regular group music making provides. The organisation operates on a volunteer basis, with no musicians receiving financial remuneration.

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